San MateoCounty Employee
VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT RULES
Co-Ed Recreational Tournament
FINAL 9/9/2014
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TOURNAMENT COMPETITION
1.ELIGIBILITY -- All current County employees, their spouses or partners (boyfriends, girlfriends) are eligible to participate. No one under the age of 18years old may play. Team membership will restricted according to department.
For the purposes of this tournament only, a “partner” is defined as a domestic partner, friend of an employee, son, daughter, stepchild or other relative by blood or marriage. Only one partner may be designated per employee and that individual must be an adult.
For the purposes of this tournament only, a “County employee” is considered to be any active County employee of any type (regular, extra help, etc) or a County retiree. An employee from an affiliated public agency or any individual under current contract with the County to provide goods or services can also be considered a “County employee” in this tournament if that individual possesses a County photo ID card key and submits a photocopy of it as part of the registration process. If no direct working relationship with the County can easily be determined for such an individual, however, then s/he will be considered as a “non-employee’’ and subject to any roster limitations as written in the tournament rules.
2.TEAM DETERMINATION – A recommended maximum of ten teams will play in the tournament ~ however any team that submits a team roster and team fee by the end of the Team Coordinator’s meeting will play. To assure an equal opportunity for all County employees to participate, team composition will be determined by Department or Division.
2a.Individual(s) may petition to join another team. This matter is handled solely by the departments and the teams involved. Whenever possible, individuals are encouraged to remain within their department.
3.It is the responsibility of the Department(s) to coordinate the roster. At least one person from the Department(s) should be designated as a coordinator.
This person (or persons) will represent the Department in all pretournament functions. He/she will be responsible for soliciting interest within the Department by contacting all work units, determining Department representation on the team, collecting required fees and paperwork, and in some cases, coordinating with other Department coordinators within the TEAM structure.
4.TEAM ROSTER -- A desired minimum of 8 people will represent the team. No more than 40% of the roster may be composed of non- employees (spouses or partners), unless a majority of team captains approve such an exception at the Team Coordinator’s meeting.
4a.Prior to the posted deadline, each team shall submit to the Tournament Coordinator a roster of team players delineated according to the various categories (sex, employee / non-employee, department). Each team will be given copies of the roster of the other teams at the beginning of the Tournament.
5.TEAM COMPOSITION -- A team shall consist of six players (no more than three men shall be on the court at any time). A team is permitted to play with as few as four players (no more than 2 men) in circumstances whereby no additional eligible players on the roster are available to play. Positions alternate male-female.
5a.There shall be no more than two non-employees (spouses/partners) on the court at any time in games where there are no substitutions.
6.PLAYING ON MORE THAN ONETEAM -- No player will be allowed to play on more than one County team.
7.TEAM REPRESENTATIVE ("Captain") -- At the start of the tournament day, each team shall designate one player to represent the team. This representative will act as the liaison in all matters involving the team and the other teams in the Tournament. The captain shall be the only individual who may address the officials in the event of a question regarding a call, or an interpretation of the rules.
7a.Team Captains may submit changes to their team roster to the Tournament Coordinator according to posted deadlines. The Tournament Coordinator will not accept any changes to the roster after 12 noon on the Wednesday before the tournament. Final Rosters are distributed to the Team Captains on Thursday prior to the event.
8.INELIGIBLE PLAYERS. During the tournament, if it’s determined that a team is fielding players who are not on the final roster, that team will automatically forfeit the game(s) in which it was determined that ineligible players were used. In addition, that team will deemed ineligible for post-tournament play-off games.
9.TEAM NAMES - Teams are encouraged to select a unique team name and to use care and consideration in assuring that it will not be demeaning, offensive or distasteful to others. A team will be asked to change its name if the Tournament Coordinator receives a complaint.
TOURNAMENT RULES AND REGULATIONS
1.These tournament rules and regulations are adapted from those used by the Redwood CityParks and Recreation Department for its Coed Volleyball league. The rules have also been reviewed by knowledgeable employees and by a professional volleyball official.
2.Matches are scheduled every 30-60 minutes, according to a format as determined by the team captains at a pre-tournament meeting.
3.Game length shall be determined by team captains at the pre-tournament meeting.
4.Official will blow whistle to signal start of match. If, after 5 minutes, a team has less than four players available to play (no more than 2 men), that team will forfeit the first game (21-0). If, 10 minutes later, the team still does not have at least four players available to play (no more than 2 men), that team will forfeit the second game (21-0). The teams can play for fun and final scores will NOT be recorded.
5.No smoking is allowed on the playing field or inside the gymnasium by spectators and players. No food or drink is allowed on the playing field or inside the gymnasium.
Courts and Service
1.The Captains shall toss for "courts" or "service." The winner of the toss may choose either to take the first service or his choice of sides.
2.At the opening of the game, the game ball shall be put in play by the first player on the serving order of the team that is to begin service.
3.No serves may be blocked or spiked. Players on the receiving team are not required to bump the ball on the serve.
4.Each server shall continue to serve until the referee has called "side out”.
5.Service shall alternate as "side out" is called.
6.The team receiving the call for service shall immediately rotate one position. The rotation shall be clockwise.
7a.A served ball is live if it touches the top of the net and goes over into the opposing court.
7b.If a served ball passes under or touches the net without going over into the opposing court or touches any player surface or object before the opponent's court, "side out" shall be called.
8.Teams shall change sides at the end of each game and may line up for the new game as they wish.
9.Referee will indicate to server to serve. Service must be made from between two hash marks on the end line within 5seconds of referee's "readiness-to-serve" whistle (hash marks apply to indoor event only).
10.Substitution is optional, but if started in must continue for entire game in a continuous manner. Substitution occurs when the player in server position leaves the court after the opponent’s side out and is replaced by an available player on the sidelines. Teams shall assign either a single sex order of substitution or a co-ed order of substitution or no substitutions. The manner and order of substitution shall remain the same throughout the game. Exceptions to this rule shall be permitted to comply with tournament rules (e.g. #males on the court), for valid personal reasons or for an emergency.
Playing the Ball
1.The ball may be batted in any direction. A player may use any part of his body to make it a legal hit.
2.A ball other than a service touching the top of the net and going over the net into the opponent's court is still a play.
3.A ball other than a service may be recovered from the net, provided the player avoids touching the net (not by same player unless off of the block).
4.The ball may be hit up to three times by one team before being returned over the net. The same person cannot hit the ball twice in a row. If hit three times, a female player must hit at least once. A block is a touch not a hit.
5.Back row players may spike the ball as long as they stay behind the 10-foot back line.
6.There will be a ten- (10) foot back line for spiking (indoor play only).
7.Contact with ball must be made on your side of the net. Only the follow-through of a spike or block of an attacked ball may extend over the net.
Points and Side Out
1.If any player of the serving team commits any of the following acts, it shall be "sideout", if any player of the receiving team commits any of the following acts, one point shall be scored for the serving team.
a)Cause the ball to go out of bounds or under the net.
b)Catch or hold the ball.
NOTE: The enforcement of this rule is most important when a player is placing the ball for a teammate to kill.
c)Play the ball while the player is raised off the ground by any player or object.
d)Touch the net with any part of the body at any time except when the ball is dead. However, if two opponents touch the net simultaneously, neither point nor side out shall be called, the ball is dead and shall be served over.
e)Touch the ball when it already has been played three times before being returned over the net.
f)Reach under the net and touch the ball or player of the opposing team when the ball is in play on that side, or interfere with the play of the opposing team by entering their court.
g)Serve out of turn.
h)A ball whose motion will take it over the net, but hits a rafter is considered out of bounds (indoor event only).
i)Contact with net line with foot or hand is legal as long as it does not interfere with play on opponent's side. Player must be on opponent's side completely for side-out or point.
j)When three men hit the ball in a row.
Tournament Player Conduct
1.CLOTHING (indoor event) -- It is highly recommended that players wear kneepads and elbow pads or other protective padding while on the court. In the absence of this special equipment, long-sleeved shirts and long pants or sweats are the preferred clothing to be worn by all players.
2.SHOES (indoor event) -- Only rubber-soled sturdy athletic shoes are allowed during tournament play.
3.SPORTSMANSHIP -- THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF SPORTING CONDUCT IS EXPECTED OF ALL WHO PARTICIPATE. ANY ABUSIVE BEHAVIOR TO OTHER PLAYERS, THE OFFICIALS OR THE TOURNAMENT COORDINATORS WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. ANY INDIVIDUAL WHO EXHIBITS ABUSIVE OR UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT WILL BE ASKED TO LEAVE THE TOURNAMENT.
4.Some acts that are subject to warning or ejection:
a)Discourtesy, profanity or vulgar remarks (acts) made to opponents, spectators or officials; .
b)Yelling, clapping of hands or stomping of feet in such a manner as to distract an opponent.
c)Addressing of referees concerning the correctness of their decisions in an argumentative, hostile or disrespectful manner.
5.An ejected player has 5minutes to be out of sight and sound of playing field. Failure to do so will result in forfeiture of the game by his/her team.
TOURNAMENT OPERATIONS
1.PRE-TOURNAMENT GAMES -- Teams may informally arrange games prior to the tournament. No official record will be kept of these games.
2.TOURNAMENT FORMAT – The tournament format will be determined by the team captains at a pre-tournament meeting.
3.TOURNAMENT AWARDS -- First and second place trophies will be awarded. Tournament perpetual trophy will be given to tournament champion. Individual awards will be given to players on championship team.
4.OFFICIALS -- Paid officials will monitor and score all games.
5.BALLS -- Official volleyballs may be provided for each court for tournament use. Teams are asked to bring balls for the event. In cases where official volleyballs are not available, team balls will be used. The team ball for each game will be determined by which team serves first.
6.NETS -- 30' nets will be provided.
7.HOLD HARMLESS -- A team member must sign a hold harmless clause in order to participate in the volleyball tournament.
"Your employer or its insurance carrier may not be liable for the payment of Workers' Compensation benefits for any injury which arises out of an employee's voluntary participation in any off-duty recreational, social, or athletic activity which is not a part of an employee's work-related duties."
8.MEDICAL ADVISORY --
Outdoor volleyball on grass is a fast-paced sport requiring teamwork and the ability to respond quickly to the placement of the ball. It involves short bursts of unpredictable movement on uneven terrain.
Players should be in good physical condition, free of injury and/or musculo-skeletal problems which may limit their ability to play. If a player is currently under the medical care of a doctor, it is strongly advised that s/he obtain written medical clearance prior to participating in this event. Further, it is advised that the player bring this document with him/her to the tournament in case there are any questions or concerns.
9.FEE -- A fee will be collected from each participant. These monies will be used to offset the direct costs of the tournament. No County monies are used to pay for thisevent.
10.TOURNAMENT DESK -- Central operations for the tournament will be coordinatedat a Tournament Desk and will be staffed throughout the tournament.
11.FIRST AID KITS -- First aid kits will be placed at the Tournament Desk and at various courts.
S:\DATAWELL\Recreational Events\Volleyball\2012\hfVB_Rules_2012.doc