Rules

Scoring

Points can only be scored by the serving team. The team that reaches 15 points while leading by at least 2 points wins the game. The first team to win 2 games wins the match.

Number of Players

League play is intended to be 6 on 6. Teams may play with as few as 4 – fewer than 4 will result in a forfeit of the match.

Positions

The primary distinction is between front row and back row positions. The number of front row positions is always 3. The number of back row positions will be ordinarily be 3 (a team fielding 5 or 4 players will have only 2 or 1 back row positions). Players in the back row may not block. Players in the back row may only attack if, in leaving the ground, both feet are behind the attack line (9’10” from the net). Players in the back row may it the ball over the net from within the attack line if their contact is not an attack (namely, if the ball is below the top of the net).

At the moment of the serve, players’ locations on the court must match their position. For example, the front left player must have some part of his/her foot closer to the left sideline than the front center player, and some part of his/her foot closer to the net than the back left player. Once the server has struck the ball, the players may move as they wish, but a back row player is still restricted from blocking and from attacking within the attack line.

Rotation

Upon regaining the serve (achieving a “side out”), the receiving team must rotate one position clockwise (as viewed from above). Exception: upon gaining the serve for the first time in a game, the team has the option of staying in their starting positions. Players may also rotate on or off the court to allow the participation of more than 6 people. The rotation order and location be set at the beginning of the game and maintained throughout that game. Players may be designated for exclusion from rotating out of the game – after a side out, these players simply move to the next position. Again, such patterns much be maintained throughout the entire game.

Net Play

Contact with the net by any part of a player’s body other than hair will result in loss of the point. Exception: the ball hits the net and pushes the net into contact with the player. You cannot reach over the net except to block an attacked ball. Even then you must not interfere with the hitter – you can only block the ball after the hitter has made contact. Of course, once the ball breaks the plane of the net, you may block or hit it. Thus, when the ball is over the net, both teams’ front row players may hit or block it (subject to the above rules regarding the number of consecutive contacts. You can only pass under the net to the extent that some part of your limb is still in contact with your side of the court (some part of your foot must still be directly under the net). The rule against passing under the net is arguably the single most important one, and the one rule with the least room for flexibility. Players striding under the net subject everyone to great risk for injury. Historically, the various net violations also represent the greatest source of ugly disputes on the court. Please respect the game and your opponents and call your own net violations of any kind – it will be a safer and more enjoyable game for all.

Serving

The server is the player in the back right position (or equivalent on a 5 or 4 player team) after rotation. The server may stand or jump from anywhere behind the back line and between the imaginary extension of the side lines. A serve that hits the net is in play. The receiving team may not block or attack the serve. It is fine for the receiving team to set the served ball.

Types of Contact

To quote USA volleyball, “the ball must be contacted cleanly and not held, lifted, pushed, caught, or thrown.” This is perhaps the trickiest rule for our league – strict observation of this rule would grind most games to a halt. For the most part, everyone seems to have developed a reasonable sense of where to draw the line. This line may move a bit according to the general level of play in that particular game.

Kicking is allowed – in fact, the ball may contact any part of the body.

Objects off the court

Balls that hit the tree are still in play. No replay on a ball that hits the tree – that’s pretty far off the court, so if you hit it over there you’ve dug your own grave. Balls that hit anything else off the court other than people are out of play, and the last team to touch the ball loses the point. Balls that hit or come near people off the court may result in a replay if a player could otherwise have made a play. No replay if your own off the court teammates get in your way though.

Assistance

Players may not lean, push, or otherwise use teammates, poles, etc. to reach a ball. However, a player may help to stop his teammate from committing a violation. For example, you may grad your teammate before he/she runs into the net.

Number of Contacts

A team may only contact the ball 3 consecutive times. Unintentional contacts still count toward the total. A block does not count towards this total. Simultaneous contact by multiple players or multiple body parts counts as only a single contact, and a ball that ricochets off more than one blocker still does not count towards the 3 allowable hits. A player may not hit the ball twice in a row. Exceptions: a) a player may contact the ball once again after blocking it; b) a ball that ricochets off multiple body parts of a player attempting to make his/her team’s first contact with the ball is not a double hit.

First serve/court side

Volley for the first serve/court side choice. The ball must pass over the net 3 times without attack – after that continue the point as usual. The winning team may choose to serve first or choose their side of the court. Sides and first serve alternate in subsequent games. In the third game, switch sides every 5 scored points (this rule may be ignored if both teams agree).

Rosters

You can only play for one team. Once you’ve played a single point for one team at any time in the season, playing for any other team will result in a forfeit of the latter match. This is really the only rule we have ever had regarding who can play on what team, and this openness is one of the more charming things about the Rhino league. With that freedom comes the responsibility to uphold the spirit of the league.