Rules for Volleyball

General Rules

• Individuals utilizing this facility do so at their own risk. The property owner(s), league operators, officers and owners and staff of Rockville SportsPlex assume no liability for any injuries or accidents, which may occur. Please refer to your Liability and Injury Waiver Release Forms.
• Conduct within the facility and on the field should be conducted in the spirit of good sportsmanship.
• No food, drinks, chewing tobacco, chewing gum permitted on playing surface. No sunflower seeds or similar type products are permitted in the facility.
• No glass containers are permitted on the courts.
• Rockville SportsPlex reserves the right to refuse play or service to anyone

Sign Up Guidelines and Fees

• To guarantee your team spot, a $100 non-refundable non-transferable deposit is required. Teams can sign up anytime before session start date. New teams may be placed on a waitlist as current teams get priority.
• Full-payment is required by your first game. If full payment is not received a late fee will be incurred. Your team will not be allowed to play their second game until full payment is received.
• Teams that are currently registered in a league at the SportsPlex may receive discounts from time to time. Any team incurring forfeiture during a previous session shall not be eligible for discounts.
• No individual will be allowed to participate in any league games, practice session, tournament, clinic, open pick-up game, or other activities until a release form has been properly completed and signed.
• Individuals that sign up will be placed in a Rockville SportsPlex database where other teams may contact you to recruit you for their team. If you still are not on a team, and there is space an additional team in the league, the Rockville SportsPlex will create a team from all the individuals in the database. These teams will also be filled on a first come first serve basis. If there are not enough players to create a team, the SportsPlex will reimburse your deposit.

Sportsmanship

Individuals are expected to play under control and within the rules of the game, and to the best of their ability will avoid causing injury to themselves and other persons using the facility.

The team captain or floor captain is the only player who may address the official and shall be the spokesperson for the team.

The officials shall have the power to warn, declare a side-out or point, or disqualify from the game or match, any player who:

a. Addresses officials persistently in regard to decisions.

b. Makes derogatory remarks about or to the officials.

c. Commits acts which are intended to influence the official’s decisions.

d. Makes personal or derogatory remarks about or to opponents.

e. Commits any other act which is deemed unsportsmanlike like.

The sanctions the officials will be issuing for misconduct are as follows:

a. Yellow Card – loss of point of side out.

b. Red Card – Player, manager or coach is ejected from the match. The ejected participant must leave the facility immediately.

Any person ejected from a contest must leave the facility within three minutes of the contest will be forfeited by that players team.

Players or teams displaying unsportsmanlike conduct, before, during, or after a match shall be disqualified from the remainder of the match and the next subsequent match, and may be eliminated from the league. No foul or abusive towards the official will be tolerated.

A player or coach red carded for "assaulting an official" will automatically be suspended from any further activities at the Rockville SportsPlex.

Officials

Officials appointed to officiate each game have complete authority on the field of play, and their decisions on points of fact connected with the game are final.

Officiating will be monitored and assessed periodically and management will always try to provide quality officiating at the facility. Constructive comments regarding officiating are welcome and encouraged. Please submit any such comments in writing. Complaints regarding officials should be submitted in writing, contain points of fact, and have your name and the name of your team at the top. Teams may not discuss the officiating in a game immediately following their game. Teams may fill out a official complaint form and turn it over to the commissioner of the league. The commissioner will take seriously all complaints written on a complaint form and turned in 24 hours after a game. The commissioner will not take seriously complaints directed at him immediately following a game, verbal or written. The commissioner will not overturn any calls made by the official during the course of a game. If a team suspects an illegal player or other illegal activity associated with other team, they should inform the commissioner immediately. If this activity is discovered after the game is completed, the team should file a formal protest to the commissioner. Please read our rules below to understand how to file a formal protest. Do not discuss officiating or the officials with the facility staff during or immediately after your game.

Game Length and Scoring

Matches will consist of 3 games with rally scoring. Matches will have a 60 minute running clock. The first two games will be to 25 points and must be won by two points or by the team that first reaches 27 points regardless of the point difference. No time limits will be imposed during the first two games unless they run over the 60 minute clock.

The third game will also be to 25 points if it is completed within the 60 minute match time allotment. If the third game is not completed before the 60 minute match time allocated, the end of the game will be called in favor of the team that is ahead at the end of this period. If the third game is tied at the end of the 60 minute period, the first team to score a point will win the game. The official will periodically notify teams of the remaining game time and will always notify both teams when three minutes remain in the match. No timeouts will be allowed during the final three minutes of the third game if the match time is within three minutes of the 60 minute limit. If the first two games exceed the 60 minute mark, the third game will be rescheduled for a prior date. Team captains are responsible for arranging a make-up game with management.

Warm-Up Tine

Rockville SportsPlex does not guarantee any areas for teams to warm-up prior to their games. Teams will have approximately two minutes to warm-up prior to the start of the game. There is no guarantee that these two minutes will be available. 

Levels of Competition

The facility will offer the following divisional structure:

AA - Premier division for the most advanced players and teams. Some collegiate and professional players involved.

A – Champion division with several years of volleyball experience, but not necessarily at the collegiate level. No professional players allowed.

BB - For the competitive recreational players and beginners. No professional or collegiate players allowed.

B – For recreational players and beginners.

The Rockville SportsPlex reserves the right to combine divisions if necessary without notice. The Rockville SportsPlex reserves the right to make the necessary changes within league divisions to ensure an equal level of ability and competition.

Any players with current or former Collegiate or Professional experience must play AA. Any Collegiate players that want to play in a lower division must get permission from the league commissioner. No professional player, current or former, can play in a division lower than A. Any professional players, current or former, caught playing in a lower division will be removed from that team's roster and that team will forfeit every game in which that player played.

Player Rosters

Player rosters must be turned in prior to the first league game. Teams can have a maximum of 10 players. This roster must include the names, signatures and phone numbers/e-mail address of every permanent player on your team. Changes will be permitted prior to the third week. Only rostered players can play in play-off and championship games.

Players may only be on one roster in a given division and league. Players may participate in more than one division and league. A lower division team may not field more than one player from an upper division. Rockville SportsPlex reserves the right to determine if a player is considered too advanced for a given division and remove the individual from the team roster. This is done in the spirit of maintaining parity in a given division.

Failure to comply will result in forfeiture of all games played with illegal player(s). Players may only be added later if a player is injured and removed from the roster for the remainder of the session. Proof of injury must be provided. Acceptable proof shall be a doctor's note. At the discretion of management, a team may claim hardship and add one player after the third game. Any player on a roster that is found to be illegal will forfeit all the games for the team during that season. It is the responsibility of the manager to know which players are legal or illegal. Management reserves the right to check the identifications of any player on a player roster to check and see if they are legal players under management guidelines.

Forfeitures

Teams must call or email the Rockville SportsPlex to inform them of the forfeit. The SportsPlex will then notify the other team. If a team shows up to play and the opposing team does not show up, then the team present will win by forfeit.  In the case of a forfeited game, players from the teams are normally allowed to use the field, to practice, scrimmage, etc. However, Rockville SportsPlex reserves the right to use the field, at that time, for other activities at the discretion of management.

Forfeiture will be incurred if a team has failed to field the minimum number of players (5 player minimum) within ten minutes from the start of the game clock.

Teams incurring forfeitures during a session shall not be eligible for registration discount in the following session.

Any team no show will result in a 25-0 victory for opposing team and no rescheduled game will be given.

Equipment

All players must wear gym shoes while playing. Rockville Sports Plex will provide the game ball for all matches.

Number and arrangement of players

Teams must have a minimum of five players to play a game. There will be no exceptions to this rule. When using only five players, there will be a loss of serve when the hole/phantom player rotates to the services position. Whenever there is only one man on the front row in coed games, a man may come up from the back row to block, but he is considered a back row player for attacking purposes.

Coed League Play

Coed Leagues must have at least two women on the field of play at all times, but may have more than three. If a team has only two women on the field of play, a team must play down a player until another woman fills that spot. No more than three men are allowed to play at a time. If a team has only one woman, the game is forfeited.

Guest Players

All teams are allowed guest players as outlined in the above rules. Guest players may not be rostered on another team in the same division. Guest players can be rostered in other division as long as the player is playing at the appropriate level. Teams violating any of the general rules regarding guest players will forfeit their game. Two guest players allowed per game

If a team picks up a guest player, they must fill out a waiver from the office and turn it into the one of the managers. Failure to do so may result in a forfeit. It is the responsibility of the team picking up the guest player to ensure that player is not rostered on another team in the same league. If that player is rostered on another team, your game will be forfeited.

Service

A coin toss will occur at the start of the first and third games.

Substitutions

All substitutions will be announced to, and acknowledged by, the official. Each team is entitled to unlimited substitutions.

Out of Bounds

Both feet must be within the lines of the playing surface at the start (motion/serve/toss) of the serve. If a player runs down a ball, at least one foot must be on the playing surface at the time of contact with the ball. If the player jumps from the surface, when running down a ball, some part of the body must land back on the playing surface.

Let Serves

Serves that hit the net and continue to the opposite court will be played in all leagues.

Feet in Playing the Ball

AA/A/BB/B league players are allowed to use their feet to play a ball. Please note that inadvertent contact with the ball will not be penalized; and is determined by the judgment of the official. If divisions are combined, the lower division’s rules will apply.

Jewelry/Headgear

A flat wedding band will be the only jewelry allowed on the court. For individuals who are unable to remove other rings, they will have to be taped over with white athletic tape. Religious medallions may be worn under the shirt. No hats are allowed on the court and other headgear may be subject to official's ruling. Penalty for violation is a time out charged to the offending team to allow the player to remove the inappropriate article. A second offense will result in a side-out/point (red card) at the discretion of the official.

Standings

Scores will be recorded directly onto the schedule that is posted each night and posted on the Internet. Please advise management of any incorrect scores.

Teams will receive 3 points for a win, 1 point for a tie, and 0 points for a loss. League champion will be determined by the team with the most points. Any tie breakers shall be determined in the following order:

1. The winner of any head to head league play

2. Most points allowed (goals against)

3. Highest point differential (goals for - goals against)

If teams are still tied after the above tie-breakers have been calculated, the SportsPlex will award co-champions and only team trophies will be awarded.

Awards

The Rockville SportsPlex will award various prizes to winning teams. Each team will receive a maximum of ten prizes under the cost of the team fee. If teams want additional prizes or awards, they may purchase them from the SportsPlex. Award orders must be emailed to the SportsPlex within two weeks of the end of the session.  If a team does not submit their discount or trophy order within two weeks of the end of the session, then they forfeit their trophies and/or discount. 

• Ten individual trophies
• One large team trophy
• Eight t-shirts
• !0% off the next session

Protest

Intention to file a protest must be noted in writing immediately following the game. A formal written protest with a $20 fee (refundable if upheld), must be submitted to Rockville SportsPlex within 48 hours after the end of a game. The league commissioner will review and have the final authority on all protests. Only violations of the laws of the game, rules or guidelines of the facility as published are matters for protest. Any protests regarding fielding of illegal players must be brought to the attention of the game officials prior to the suspected player(s) leaving the field of play. All decisions made by the commissioner are final.

Contact Information
Please contact Rockville SportsPlex at rockvillesports@rcn.com or 301-838-4455