LEAGUE RULES AND REGULATIONS
Please review and abide by the following rules to ensure a fair and fun experience for all players!
🏐 TEAMS / PLAYERS / ELIGIBILITY
- All players must be at least 21 years old.
- Teams must have a full roster of 6 players to register, with no more than 15 players on a roster.
- Each team must submit a roster and designate a Team Captain. Waivers must be signed for every player, or that player will be removed from play. Teams with more than 6 players may rotate in extra players, but the same order must be kept.
- A team of 6 players must have an equal number of each gender OR more women than men on the court. Games can be played with a minimum of 3 players. In rare situations, this rule may be waived with the consent of the opposing team’s captain and the referee.
🏐 TIMING AND SCORING
- A match will consist of 3 games, each played to 21 points with rally scoring (a point is scored on every serve). All regular season games are played win by 2, cap at 23. Tournament play will be played win by 2, no cap.
- Teams must be ready to play by the mandated start time. If a team is unable to play within 10 minutes of the scheduled start time, they will forfeit the game. A forfeit results in a score of 21-0.
🏐 GENERAL RULES
- This is a recreational league. The goal in a rec league is enjoyment and participation rather than cutthroat competition. We strive for friendly, mildly competitive play for everyone. With that in mind, players of all skill levels are welcome.
🚫 STAY OUT OF THE NET!
Honesty is the best policy, if you touch the net with any part of your body and the referee does not call it, you must call the violation yourself, and the play will end. If the referee calls a net violation, maintain good sportsmanship, honor the call, and move on.
- Team Captains are responsible for starting the match. If the captain is absent or late, a substitute captain should be elected from the team for that match only.
- There will be a 5-minute warm up before the start of each match.
🏐 GAME PLAY
1. Players may use any part of their bodies to play the ball, including feet, as long as the ball is cleanly hit or “popped” at contact and does not touch the ground.
2. The ball must be cleanly hit and not held, lifted, carried or thrown. The ball cannot roll or come to rest on any part of the body.
3. When contacting the ball with one hand the ball should be struck or cleanly hit with the heel or palm of the hand (a roll shot), with straight and locked fingertips, curled fingers (knuckle ball) or with the back of the hand from the wrist to the knuckles.
4. Players may not step under the net onto the opponent’s court. Safety is always our priority.
5. If two or more players of the same team contact the ball simultaneously, it is considered one hit. Either player involved may participate in the next hit without penalty.
6. The ball is out-of-bounds if it touches any surface, object, or ground outside the lines. If the ball touches the lines, it’s in. A ball may be safely played from out-of-bounds if it crosses the net within the poles.
7. The GIRL RULE (for coed 6’s):
Any time a team has more than one contact, a woman must make one of those contacts before the ball goes over the net. A man may hit the ball over the net on the first contact, but anything more than that will result in the end of the rally and a point for the opposing team. Legal over the net play examples:
1 Contact: man, woman
2 Contacts: woman/woman, man/woman, woman/man
3 Contacts: woman/man/man, woman/woman/woman, man/woman/woman, whatever the pattern of contact is legal, as long as a woman is one of the contacts.
8. Each team is allowed two 60-second timeouts per game. Timeouts cannot be accumulated.
🏐 SERVING
9. Rock, Papers, scissors will be played before the first game. The winner has the choice of: serving the first game or choosing which court to start on, the opposing team will have the second option.
*Depending on the time of year/season, halfway between the 1st game the teams may be required to switch sides, this will be determined by the referee and team captains before the beginning of each match.
10. Service must take place behind the back line. Servers cannot step on or over the line when serving.
11. The server must wait for the whistle to serve. If the server violates this rule more than once, the opposing team receives 1 point, and they get the ball.
12. The players of the serving team must not intentionally screen the opponents from seeing the contact for service or the path of the ball. This includes a player waving arms, jumping up and down, or moving sideways at the time of the serve.
13. No Front-Row Attack on Serve Receive:
Front-row players may not play the serve directly back over the net on the first touch using any overhand contact. This includes setting, tomahawking, blocking, redirecting, or open-hand pushing the ball over on serve receive. This is considered an illegal attack on the serve.
Front-row players ARE allowed to overhead set the serve receive as long as the ball stays on their own side of the court and goes to a teammate.
Back-row players ARE allowed to legally play the serve over the net on the first contact, including with a set or tomahawk, as long as the play is otherwise legal.
This rule is intended to keep games fair, fun, and avoid unnecessary disputes during rec league play.
14. Re-Serve/Drop Serve's are permitted.
The serve toss "drop rule" means you can let the ball drop to the ground after a toss without hitting it, and still have another attempt to serve. This is only allowed if you do not touch the ball after letting it drop. If you touch the ball at all after tossing it up (even letting it bounce off of your body), that counts as your serve attempt.
15. A Let-Serve (a serve that hits the net and goes over) is legal if it lands in bounds.
16. Upon a change of serve, all players must rotate clockwise. The player in the front-right position becomes the next server. Positions of players may be changed only after a completed game.
🏐 BLOCKS
17. A ball touched by a player attempting to block a shot does not count as one of the team's three allowed touches.
18. A player may place hands and arms beyond the net to block, but the action should not interfere with the opponent’s play. Roofing (touching the ball beyond the net before an opponent attacks) is not allowed.
19. If two or more players from opposing teams contact the ball simultaneously above the net, any of the players involved are eligible to participate in the next play, which shall be considered the first of three contacts allowed to the team.
🏐 FAULTS...
20. Player contact with the net: No part of the body may touch the net unless the ball being driven into the net causes the contact.
21. A team contacts the ball four times before returning it to the opponents.
22. Catching, throwing, carrying or lifting the ball. The ball must be tapped / popped at contact.
23. Serving out of turn results in the loss of points scored by the ineligible server.
24. A player contacts the ball twice in succession, unless the first touch is a block, or the ball contacts different parts of the player’s body.
25. If two players from opposing teams commit fouls simultaneously, the point will be replayed.
🏐 SUBSTITUTIONS
- All substitutes must be added to the team’s roster/sub roster sheet and must complete a waiver before their first game.
- Substitutions may be made anytime the ball is dead. There is no limit on substitutions, but substitutes must rotate into the server position.
- Substitutes are eligible to play on your team in the end-of-season tournament if they have played on your team at least once during the regular season.
🏐 DISPUTES
- Disputes should be settled by the referee. If a dispute cannot be resolved within 15 seconds, the point will be replayed. The referee has the final say in any matters not covered by the rules.
- Good sportsmanship is mandatory. Team Captains are responsible for their team’s conduct. Players may be suspended or disqualified for unsportsmanlike conduct.
🏐 END OF SEASON TOURNAMENT
Teams will be seeded in the playoff tournament based on their league record. In case of a tie, the team with the fewest losses in head-to-head matchups will rank higher. If further ties exist, the decision will be made by coin flip between captains.
🌤️ WEATHER
In the event of questionable weather conditions, the decision to play or cancel will be made 2 hours before the first game. Mild inclement weather may not result in a cancellation, but if a game is postponed, captains will be informed and must notify their teams. Even if it is raining, you might still play, unless conditions on the court are extremely poor.
*Captains please watch your texts, email and online league schedule for cancellations.
⚖️ LIABILITY AND RESPONSIBILITY
NO CHILDREN ALLOWED --- Unless…
Unless they are being cared for by a NON-PLAYING adult, over the age of 21. You and your family’s safety are our top priority. Children are welcome to enjoy the venue and food trucks, but they must remain off the court during matches and be supervised at all times by a non-volleyball player currently on the court.
All participants in the Double Barrel Sand Volleyball league assume the risk of injury. The Double Barrel Drinkery, its employees, referee’s and volunteers shall not be liable for injury to person, loss, or damage to personal property arising from or in any way resulting from participation in the league. All players are required to sign a liability waiver before they may legally start league play. These will be handed out at the first game.
Any and all refund requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the Double Barrel and Volleyball management team
