Default & Forfeit
Default – An un-played match that is recorded as a loss rather than a forfeit. This occurs when the defaulting team’s captain notifies the coordinator and the opposing team’s captain at least 24 hours before the scheduled game time. The team that is defaulting will receive a two game loss and the opposing team will receive a two game win.
Forfeit – An un-played match that is recorded as a forfeit because the team failed to show up for its scheduled game and did
not notify the coordinator and the opposing team’s captain at least 24 hours in advance.
- The team that is forfeiting will receive a two game loss and the opposing team will receive a two game win.
- Forfeit consequences:
- 1 Forfeit – Team will receive a two game loss
- 2 Forfeit – 3 “points for” will be subtracted from the team’s final season record, in addition to receiving the 2 game loss.
- 3 Forfeits – automatically disqualified from playoffs
Late Policy
Teams are expected to be at the courts and ready to begin play at the designated starting time. Teams are permitted a 10-minute grace period. If at the starting time or during the grace period a team has the minimum number of players then the game must begin immediately.
If a team has fewer than the minimum at the designated starting time then the start of the game is delayed and the late
arriving team is penalized as follows:
- After 10 and up to 15 minutes after the original starting time, the first game will be played with the score starting at 10-0 in favor of the waiting team.
- After 15 and up to 30 minutes after the original starting time, the first game is eliminated and the opponent receives the win for that game.
- At 30 minutes after the original starting time the match is forfeited and a 2 game win is awarded to the opponent.
- If both teams are late in arriving, then only the time is deducted until 30 minutes after the scheduled start at which time the game is declared a double forfeit and both teams receive losses.
The Game
- Each match consists of three games.
- The best of three games will win all matches. Each non-deciding game will be won by the team that first scores 21 points with a minimum two-point advantage.
- If there is a deciding game, it will be won by the team that first scores 15 points with a minimum two-point advantage.
- Points will be scored on each rally. If the receiving team wins the rally, they score a point and gain the serve.
- Rest periods between games of a match should be no longer than 2 minutes.
- Volleyball is self-officiated – there are no referees; players are responsible for making their own infraction and boundary (including scoring) calls.
The Team
Each team consists of six players and unlimited substitutes who must meet eligibility requirements. A team must start a game with a
minimum of four players.
Substitutions:
- May be made during a dead ball.
- Substitutes must take the position of the player who s/he is replacing. Must maintain service order.
Rules & Definitions
NCCA Women’s Volleyball rules will govern play with the following clarifications:
Serving
- A serve is contact with the ball to initiate play.
- A serve contacting and crossing the net shall remain in play provided the ball is entirely within the net antennas
- The server shall serve from within the serving area and shall not touch the end line of the floor outside the lines marking the width of the serving areas at the instant the ball is contacted for the serve.
- The server’s body may be in the air over or beyond the serving area, having left the floor from within the serving area.
Serving Faults
- The ball fails to cross the vertical plane of the net completely within the crossing space
- The ball passes under the net
- The ball touches a player on the serving team or any object except the net before entering the opponent’s team court
- The ball lands “out”
- The ball passes over an individual or collective screen
Playing the Ball
Each team is allowed a maximum of three successive hits of the ball in order to return the ball to the opponent.
It is legal to contact the ball with any part of the body as long as the ball rebounds immediately. It may not “lay” against
the body. If a player touches the ball or the ball touches a player, it is considered as a play on the ball.
- Prolonged contact with the ball is a fault. The ball cannot be caught and thrown.
- Players are not permitted to scoop, hold, and lift or push the ball. The ball may never be contacted with an open-hand underhanded motion.
Successive Contacts
During blocking or during the team’s first hit, successive contacts with various parts of the player’s
body are permitted in a single attempt to play the ball. During any other team hit, contacting the ball more than once with any part of the body, without intervening contact by another player, is a fault.
Faults in playing the ball
- It is a fault when a team contacts the ball four times before returning it to the opponents
- Assisted hit: no player may take support from a teammate in order to reach the ball. It is legal for a player to stop or hold a teammate who is not making a play on the ball in order to prevent a fault. A player may not play the ball while gaining support from the pole, cable or net supports.
- Prolonged contact is a fault
- Double contact: when a player contacts the ball twice in succession, or the ball contacts various parts of the body successively. Exceptions to the rule include during blocking or during the team’s first hit.
- Illegal hit: it is a fault when a player in a nonplaying area plays the ball.
Attack-Hit
An attack-hit is an action, other than a block or a serve, that directs the ball toward the opponent. An attack-hit is completed the instant the ball completely crosses the vertical plan of the net or is touched by an opponent.
Attack-Hit Plays
- It is illegal for a player to complete an attack-hit on the opponent’s service while the ball is in the front zone and entirely above the top of the net.
- A player cannot initiate an attack-hit while the ball is completely on the opponent’s side of the net.
- If the initial contact with the ball is above the attacker’s side of the net and the follow-through causes the attacker’s hand or arm to cross the net without contacting an opponent or the net, this action does not constitute a fault.
Back-Row Attacker
- A back-row player who is in the front zone may not complete an attack-hit if, at contact, the ball is entirely above the top of the net. The contact does not become illegal until the attack hit is complete.
- A back-row player may complete an attack-hit if:
- At takeoff, the player’s feet have neither touched nor crossed the attack line or its indefinite extension.
- At the moment of contact, any part of the ball is below the top of the net.
- If a back-row player illegally attacks the ball into an opposing back-row blocker (including simultaneous contact), it is a double fault.
Blocking
Blocking is the action of a player(s) close to the net that deflects the ball coming from the opponent by reaching higher than the top of the net. A blocked ball is considered to have crossed the net. The blocking action ends when the blocking player makes a subsequent attempt to play the ball. Multiple contacts of the ball by a player(s) participating in a block are legal during one attempt to deflect the ball. During a block, multiple contacts are considered a single contact, even though the ball may make multiple contacts with one or more players of the block.
These contacts may occur with any part of the body.
Block Within the Opponent’s Space
In blocking, a player may place hands and arms beyond the net inside the antennas provided this action does not interfere
with the opponent’s play. Blockers may reach across the plane of the net outside the antenna, but may not contact the ball
over the opponent’s team area. If contact of the ball over the opponent’s team area is made while any part of the blocker or
member of a collective block is outside the antenna across the plane of the net, the blocker has committed a fault.
Blocking the ball across the net above the opponent’s team area is legal provided:
- The block is made after the opponent has executed an attack-hit (simultaneous contact with the attack-hit is a blocking fault)
- The block is made after the opponents have completed their three hits
- The block is made after the opponents have hit the ball in such a manner that the ball would clearly cross
- the net if not contacted by a player and no member of the attacking team is in a position to make a legal play on the ball
- The ball is falling near the net and no member of the attacking team can make a play on it.
Ball Contacting Top of Net and Block: If the ball touches the net and a blocker who is reaching above the net and then
rebounds to the attacker’s side of the net, the attacker’s team has the right to three team hits.
Blocking the Serve: Blocking a served ball is a fault.
Play at the Net
Ball Crossing the Net: The crossing space is the part of the vertical plane of the net limited at the sides by each antenna and
its imaginary extension, and by the ceiling. A ball sent to the opponent’s playing area must pass over the net within the
crossing space. The ball is out of play when it completely crosses the space under the net.
Ball Touching the Net: The ball may touch the net while crossing it. A ball driven into the net may be recovered within the
limits of the three team hits.
Ball Penetrating the Vertical Plane: A ball penetrating the vertical plane of the net over or below the net may be
returned to a team’s side by a player on that team provided the ball has not completely crossed the vertical plane of
the net when such contact is made. Once the ball penetrates the vertical plane above the net, opponents have an
equal right to play the ball.
- It is not a fault to penetrate into the opponents’ space under the net, provided that this does not interfere with the opponents’ play. If the ball inadvertently contacts an opponent while part of the ball is in the plane below the net, the ball is out of play and it is not considered to be a fault by the opponents.
- It is a fault to contact the ball or an opponent above or below the net over the opponent’s team area before or during the opponent’s attack-hit.
- It is a fault to intentionally touch the ball while it is in the body of the net on the opponent’s side.
Player at the Net
Contact with the net or antenna by a player is not a fault, unless it is made during an action of playing the ball, or it interferes with
the play. Playing the ball may include actions in which the player(s) does not actually touch the ball. If the ball is driven into the net
with such force that it causes the net or antenna to contact a player, no fault is committed. A player may touch a post, a rope or any
other object outside the antenna, including the net itself, provided this contact does not interfere with the play or is not used as a
means of support while contacting the ball.
Simultaneous Contact with the Net by Opponents: If opponents commit a net fault simultaneously, it is a double fault and the rally is replayed. Interference: It is a fault to interfere with an opponent. Interference is contact or an apprehension of potential contact that hinders an opponent’s play on the ball. Inadvertent contact that does not prevent an opponent from making a play does not constitute interference.
Crossing the Center Line
- It is not a fault to cross the center line after the ball is out of play.
- It is not a fault to cross the extension of the center line outside the boundaries of the court and enter the
- opponent’s free zone, provided there is no interference with opponents and it does not present a safety hazard.