1.1 – GENERAL RULES

• Each team is permitted one 30-second timeout per game, And they do NOT accumulate. (Medical issues do NOT require a timeout).
• If there is a disagreement or question on a rule/play, the captain is the only one allowed to engage with the present referee.
• NO PROFANITY!
• No smoking or tobacco products on the sand courts or near the entrances of the building.
• No outside food, drinks, or coolers.
• Animals are NOT permitted inside the facility (they are allowed outside the facility), per Ohio’s Health Codes. Exceptions for service animals only.
• No intentionally delaying the game.
• No unsportsmanlike conduct (see below).

1.2 – PLAYABLE AREA

• A Player may only use the sand covered area inside the retaining net(s) and or wall(s)
• A Player may play off the ceiling if the following conditions are met
• The ball does NOT protrude into the opposing side at any point along its trajectory
• The ball does NOT protrude past or contact the retaining net(s) and or wall(s)
• Any part of the net inside the metal poles (including the wooden dowels) is deemed playable.
• Any contact between the ball and the exterior nets/walls or the ref stand is instantly a dead ball and ruled out of bounds.

2.1 TEAM COMPOSITION

• If no original players of a team are present for their league game (all present players are subs), the match is still played but the wins will go to the opposing team.
• At least half of your team is required to be present on tournament night to be eligible to play.
• You may only play on 1 team per league on tournament night.
• Coed quads teams may play with as few as 2 players: 1 guy and 1 girl. You cannot have more than 2 guys on the court at one time and you can have as many girls on the court as you’d like.
• You may play down 1 level but NOT 2 levels (Example: a true C1 player can play in C2 but NOT C3).
• Coed sixes teams may play with 4 or 5 players present. If there are only 4 players, there can be 2 girls and 2 guys or 3 girls and 1 guy. If there are only 5 players, there must be at least 2 (or more) girls. No more than 3 guys can be on the court at one time.

2.2 – PRE-MATCH

• Each team will be allowed a 5-minute warm up starting when the court becomes available, or 5 minutes before game time whichever is later.
• Scheduled playing time is 55 minutes. If by 10 minutes past the start of the game a team does NOT have enough players to field a team, that team will forfeit one game. If by 15 minutes past the start of the game a team still does NOT have enough players to field a team, the match will be forfeited. (On tournament night the forfeit times are reduced to 5 and 10 minutes respectively.)
• Teams MUST start after their 5 minute warmup is completed if they have the minimum required players.

3.1 – SCORING

• Quads/Sixes League matches are played 3 games to 21, win by 2, cap of 25.
• Doubles League matches are played 3 games to 21 straight.
• Tournament matches are played best 2 out of 3 games. The first 2 games are played to 21 straight and the 3rd game if needed is played to 15 straight.

3.2 – ROTATION

• Only sixes teams must rotate clockwise upon siding out for the serve. All other leagues are allowed to stay in whatever formation they would like, as long as all players are rotated properly for the serve.
• In sixes, back row players may NOT attack a ball at the net. (Reach above the net while standing or jumping from in front of the 10 foot line).
• If a player enters after the game after it has begun. The new player enters as the next possible server (prioritizing gender rules).

3.3 – DOUBLES SPECIFIC RULES

• In doubles, a block is considered a hit.
• In coed doubles, males must serve to the half of the court with the other male. (One redo is permitted per serve if the ball lands on the incorrect side of the court. This does NOT include balls that land out).

4.1 – SERVING

• Foot Faults – On the serve, your foot cannot contact the line or go under the line
• A player may only stand/jump from behind the end line and within the side lines when serving.
• A serve must be performed by tossing the ball and contacting the ball with only one hand/arm.
• A server may drop the ball after toss to redo their serve attempt once per rotation (if a serve attempt was NOT made).
• A server has 8 seconds to perform their serve once the whistle is sounded by the referee.

4.2 – NET VIOLATIONS

• You cannot have any contact with the net inside the antenna.
• Exception: when the ball is driven into the net and the net touches a player, no fault is committed.
• Exception: A player touches the net outside the antenna to stabilize themselves.
• You may go under the net, provided there is no interference or contact with the opposing team.
• If the ball is down and a player illegally contacts the net as a result of a play, the fault is called.
• When two opponents touch the ball simultaneously over the net (joust) and the ball remains in play, the team receiving the ball is entitled to another three hits. If such a ball goes “out,” it is the fault of the team on the opposite side.
• In blocking, a player may touch the ball beyond the net, provided that he/she does NOT interfere with the opponent’s play, before the latter’s attack-hit.
• A player may NOT reach over the net to attack a ball that is completely on the opponent’s side.

5.1 – LEGAL CONTACTS

• Permitted only in sixes, you may open-hand tip (using the finger pads/tips to contact the ball) as an attack. You cannot however throw (prolonged contact) the ball.
• The ball may be played off any part of the body as long as it is NOT lifted/thrown.
• Receiving a ball with hands separated is considered a double contact unless the ball is hand set cleanly.
• The serve may NOT be blocked or attacked. Attacking the serve is performed when the ball is contacted above the top of the net and hit back towards the serving side.
• The ball can NOT be double contacted unless it is reactionary (by the ref’s discretion).
• NO lifts, carries or throws at any level.
• SIMULTANEOUS CONTACTS Two players may touch the ball at the same moment. When two teammates touch the ball simultaneously, it is counted as two hits (with the exception of blocking).

6.1 – SETTING

• Sets should NOT be called off of spin alone
• Setting the serve is legal but needs to come out of the hands VERY clean.
• Hand setting is allowed but may NOT be double-contacted or lifted. These rules apply for ALL levels.
• You must be facing squared forwards or backwards when hand setting the ball clean over the net. If a ball is hand set over sideways or NOT square to the direction you are facing, it is a point for the other team (only exception is if there is wind).

6.2 – INTERFERENCE

• A player touches the ball or an opponent in the opponent’s space before or during the opponent’s attack-hit.
• A player interferes with the opponent’s play while penetrating into the opponent’s space under the net.
• If a ball or other foreign object interferes with the play at hand the play is immediately stopped and a redo is called.
• A player may not run under/around the net with the intent to play a ball on the opposing side.
• A player interferes with the opponent’s play by (amongst others):
• -creating an unfair advantage over the opponent by touching the net,
• -making actions which hinder an opponent’s legitimate attempt to play the ball
• Players close to the ball as it is played, or who are trying to play it, are considered in the action of playing the ball, even if no contact is made with the ball. (JUDGMENT NOTICE: Play MUST MAKE AN ATTEMPT, and it be playable, falling around someone close is NOT an attempt, it is a flop).

7.1 – UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT

• (Verbal warning on first offense)
• (Removal from court on second offense)
• Participants must NOT refute or dispute a referee’s decision. (Clarification may be asked by the team captain).
• Participants must refrain from using actions aimed at influencing the decisions of referees or covering up faults committed by their team.
• Rude conduct: Players must NOT act contrary to good manners or moral principles.
• Offensive conduct: Players must NOT use defamatory or insulting words or gestures including any action expressing contempt.
• Aggression: Players must NOT engage in an actual physical attack or aggressive or threatening behavior (IMMEDIATE REMOVAL FROM COURT, REFS PLEASE CONTACT MANAGER).