Referee Challenges

• Obstructed View: Sometimes, a player’s position might block the referee’s view of whether a ball lands in or out.
• Net Touches: A referee might miss a net touch while trying to track where the ball lands or if it touches a player before going out.
• Ball Landing: The referee might focus on players at the net and miss where the ball lands or a player’s touch in the back court.

Note: Referees can only call what they see and aim to be fair and impartial. Your patience and adherence to the “Honour Call” are appreciated. The “Honour Call” involves owning up to a fault even if the referee does not see it.

Serving

• The match and each point start with a serve.
• The referee will blow the whistle and signal when the server may serve.
• The game begins when the ball is served.
• The serve must be made from behind the service line and inside the (imaginary extended) sidelines.
• Touching the service line or serving from outside the (imaginary extended) sidelines is a foot fault.
• Service must rotate between team members.
• The service rotation sequence must be maintained throughout each set.
• Players are allowed only 1 toss of the ball to serve. No contact or catching of the ball on the first attempt is a fault.
• A serve must be performed with one hand or arm only. Kicking is not allowed.
• A serve that clips or touches the top of the net and continues over is allowed if within boundary lines.

Service Area

• Players may not block a serve.
• A serve may not be spiked from above the height of the net.

Playing the Ball

• After the serve has crossed over the net, each team is allowed a maximum of 3 hits per side.
• A block does not count as a hit. The team will still have 3 hits after a block.
• The first hit after the block may be executed by any player, including the one who touched the ball at the block.
• If a team plays the ball more than 3 times, it is a fault.
• The ball may be hit with any part of the body.
• The ball must be hit and not carried. (Except a deep dish set)
• No scooping (underhand lift), dumping (similar to a basketball dunk), or pushing (similar to a water polo throw). These are all examples of a carry.
• An attacker may hit any part of the ball that is on their side of the court.
• If an attacker hits a ball that is completely on the opponent’s side, it is a fault known as “Hand over.”
• In 6-a-side & 4-a-side, a block does not count as a hit.
• A player may only block a ball directed towards their side of the court.
• A blocker may reach into the opponent’s court to block the ball as long as they do not play the ball before it is hit.
• A joust (held ball between opponents above the net) does not count as a hit. The team who plays the ball after the joust gets another 3 hits.
• If the ball lands outside the court directly after a joust, it is the fault of the team on the opposite side.
• All boundaries, netting around the court, roofs, poles, net antennas, etc., are out of bounds.
• Players may play the ball from outside of the court.
• The ball is in if it makes any contact with the court lines. (A line moving does not necessarily mean that the ball touched it; it could be due to wind, sand, or a player.)
• If the ball lands in, it is indicated accordingly.
• If the ball lands out or hits any out-of-bounds area, it is a fault.
• Both teams are responsible for ensuring that the court lines are straight.
• If a ball is hit out but touches a player on its way out, the team that last touched the ball is at fault.
• Any net contact is a net fault, with exceptions for hair touching the net and no-pass situations where the ball pushes the net into the blocker or player. A net touch is indicated by pointing at the net.
• Players are allowed to cross under the net as long as they do not interfere with the opposing players. Interfering means clearly knocking the other player or blocking their path to the ball.
• If the referee makes a mistake during a point (e.g., blows the whistle accidentally) or if the point is interrupted (e.g., ball from another court, lights fail), it is replayed.

After the Match

• The referees will ask each captain to verify the match scores by signing the score sheet.

General

• Players: All players must know the rules of the game and abide by them. Only the team captain may address the referee.
• Conduct: The following actions are punishable:
  • Persistent addressing of the referees concerning their decisions.
  • Making derogatory remarks to the referee.
  • Actions that influence the referee’s decisions.
  • Leaving the court without the referee’s permission.
  • Distracting the referee during ball contact, especially during service reception.

The Game

• A team consists of a maximum of 8 players (6-A-Side), with 6 players on the court and 2 substitutes. For mixed games, a maximum of three males is allowed on court.
• For a game to start, a team must have at least 4 players in a 6-A-Side. Additional players arriving during play must wait until the ball is deemed dead or out of play.
• Matches consist of 2 sets, with each set lasting 20 minutes.

Ball Out of Play

• Ball Landing Outside: The ball is considered out when it touches the ground outside the playing area.
• Dead Ball: The whistle of the referee stops all play. The ball is then considered dead.
• Any part of the ball that lands on the boundary lines is considered in.
• A ball is deemed live if it hits any part of the roof and lands in your own part of the court. If it hits the roof and travels to the opposing side, it is out.
• Once the referee’s whistle has gone and the ball is dead, players must pass the ball to the opposing team. Kicking the ball between serves is not permitted.

Competition Points

• Points are awarded as follows:
  • 4 points for a win
  • 2 points for a draw
  • 1 point for every 5 goals scored
  • 2 points for matching shirts of the same style
  • 2 points for completing the register
  • 12 points for a forfeit
  • 10 points for attending the captain’s meeting
  • 10 points for paying the registration fee by the 3rd league game.

Remember the “Spirit of the Game” Rules