League Rules

GENERAL -
Please bring your own volleyball, as Gatsby's will not provide them. There will be no alcohol consumed in the parking lot or court area. Court lights must be turned out by 11:00 PM. If matches finish before the allotted time, league players may play "pickup" games until that time.

LEAGUES -
Entries will be taken on a first come, first serve basis.

LEAGUE COORDINATORS -
For each night of play, there will be a designated league coordinator who will be responsible for setting the schedules for both nets, making sure the referees arrive on time, the matches finish according to the time schedule, handling questions and suggestions, posting the standings and distributing league information, etc. to the team captains.

MATCH -
A match will consist of 3 games, with 50 minutes allowed for each match. The first two games are played to 25 with a 27 point cap and a maximum time length of 20 minutes/game. The third game will be played to 21 points with a 23 point cap and will be played until the official time allowed for the game/match expires. Teams must win by a 2 point margin unless official time limit for that game/match has expired, at which time the team leading by at least 1 point will be declared the winner.

TIME LIMITS -
Teams will be given a 5-minute grace period if they do not have enough players to begin the match. If after 5 minutes the team does not have the minimum number of players to begin the match, they will forfeit the first game and have up to 20 minutes (15 additional minutes) after the scheduled starting time to get the minimum number of players or all three games will be forfeited. Teams are given one 30 second time-out per game. The official game time is stopped during such time outs. If the game ball travels outside the fenced in area during the last two minutes of official game time, the official game time will be stopped until the ball is retrieved. The ref's will be instructed to stay on schedule.

ROSTERS -
Team rosters and waivers must be submitted by the first game scheduled for your league. Sixes teams will be allowed 12 names and Fours teams will be allowed 8 names on their rosters. Roster changes can be made to rosters up to the fourth week of league play. Players may play for only one team in each league (unless mutually agreed upon by both team captains prior to the start of the match). You must be 21 or over to play! For playoffs, only players on your team roster are eligible to play.

FORFEITS -
If a team forfeits 3 matches during the season, that team will be dropped from the league with no refund. If you know in advance that your team will forfeit on a certain night, please advise your designated coordinator so he/she can notify the opposing team.

RAIN OUTS -
Gatsby's almost never has to cancel our volleyball leagues, due to the excellent drainage of our courts. If the weather is bad and you think the leagues may be cancelled or delayed, check the Gatsby's Facebook.  If during a match we get a thunderstorm with lightning strikes nearby, the match will be stopped. If you continue to play after the official has stopped the match, you will play at your own risk. We will decide within 1/2 hour after stopping a match if it will resume, or be totally cancelled and rescheduled. There will be one week at the end of the season allowed for rainout make-up games.

PLAYOFFS -
Playoff dates will be listed on your team schedule. Captains are responsible for checking with the League Coordinator to get their match times for playoffs.

Ground Rules:

• Any ball touching any obstacle outside of the net or court area is considered out of play. This includes, but not limited to:
  • Net poles
  • Cables or ropes between the net and the net poles
  • Referee st netting above ands
  • Fencing andthe fencing
  • Lights and poles
• Any ball or player entering into the adjacent court area is considered out of play. This includes:
  • A player entering the adjacent court after playing a ball
  • A player touching the adjacent court lines

  Exceptions:

• If no game/match is scheduled to play on the adjacent court
• If the last scheduled game/match is completed on the adjacent court and with the consent of BOTH team captains
• Any ball, person, or other obstacle entering the court area during a volley AND in the referee's opinion interferes with the volley; a re-play shall be directed by the referee.
• Any ball, person, or other obstacle entering the area between the courts during a volley AND in the referee's opinion interferes with the volley; a re-play shall be directed by the referee.

• All Games scores will start at 0 - game 1 & 2 are played to 25 points (27 pt cap), game 3 to 21 points (23 pt cap or time limit)
• The first 2 games will have a 20 minute time limit; the third will be whatever time is left for the match so as not to exceed 50 minutes total time
• Exception: Game 3 will be adjusted so the whole match does not exceed 50 minutes
• All games will be over at the end of the time limit AND a team has a ONE point advantage

Players:

• Are allowed to have multiple contacts on a hard driven ball only
• Exception: Serve receive does not count as a hard driven ball
• Are NOT allowed to set the ball on the serve receive
• Are allowed to make "honor" calls against themselves or their team
• May not touch the net at any time during a volley or while the ball is in play

Exceptions:

• The ball pushing the net into a player is not a fault
• Must not have prolonged contact with the ball (Referee's Opinion)
• If the ball is stopped between a player and the net, it is considered prolonged contact
• Must not "scoop"/carry the ball with an open hand(s)
• Must not make disrupting comments or noises while an opponent is playing the ball
• Referees will warn the offender or award the opponent a point or side out immediately if disruption is quite flagrant
• A second offense of this rule MUST result in that player leaving the whole volleyball area or his/her team WILL forfeit all remaining games of the match

COED 4'S RULES -

• Minimum of two players (one must be a woman)
• If you have only 3 players, one must be a woman.
• If you have 4 players, two must be a woman.
• No open hand dinks allowed.
• The ball may be set over the net, but must travel in a direction directly in front of or behind you as judged by the official. [square to where you are setting]
• Players do not need to rotate around the court, but must keep same serving order.
• All players are eligible hitters.

COED POWER 6's RULES -

• Both a serving and a positioning rotation must be kept
• Teams must rotate after winning each volley resulting in a side out
• If a team has less than six players, only three players may attack and block at the net
• Minimum of four players.
• If both teams only have the minimum of four players during a match the captains may agree to play by the Coed Four's rules
• You must play a minimum of two women.
• There is no woman hit rule.
• Once a team gains another player, both teams must play by the Coed Six's rules
• Back row players may attack the ball from behind the 10' line (as judged by the ref)

COED FUN 6's RULES -

• The same rules as Co-ed Power 6's apply
• Exception: Woman hit rule will be enforced (if more than one contact, one must be a woman)

Referees:

• All decisions during a game/match made by a REFEREE'S OPINION IS FINAL!
• Any questions regarding the rules may be addressed to "Team Gatsbys" through your league coordinator.

**Characteristics of the Contact (Hit): The ball may touch any part of the body. At the first hit of a team (excluding serve receive), the ball may contact various parts of the body consecutively provided the contacts occur during one action. The ball must be hit, not caught or thrown. It can rebound in any direction. An exception shall be allowed during the defensive play of a hard-driven ball (an attack-hit or blocked ball traveling at a high rate of speed), as judged by the referee. In that case, the ball may be held momentarily overhand with the fingers**

© 2019 Gatsby's © 2019 Gahanna Volleyball Inc. All Rights Reserved.