Campus Recreation

Intramural Sports - Sport Rules
 

Sand Volleyball

USA Volleyball Rules will be used with Clemson University modifications.

GROUND RULES

  1. A ball striking an overhead obstruction above a playing area shall remain in play provided the ball contacts the obstruction on the side of the net extended that is occupied by the team that last played the ball, and the ball is legally played next by the same team.

  2. Players
  • Each team may have no more than 3 players on the court at a time.
  • CoRec: A team can play with either 2 men and 1 woman or 2 women and 1 man.

BALL IN AND OUT OF PLAY

  1. The Serve
  • A serve is contact with the ball to initiate play. The server shall hit the ball with 1 hand, fist or arm while the ball is held, or after it is released by the server.
  • The server shall serve from within the serving area and shall not touch the end line outside the lines marking the width of the serving area at the instant the ball is contacted for the serve.
  • The server's body may be in the air over or beyond the serving area boundary lines, having left the floor from within the serving area.
  • A team's term of service begins when a player assumes the right back position as the server and ends when a side-out is awarded.
  • A team continues serving until it commits a foul or the game ends.
  • The serve alternates when there is a foul by the serving team and a side-out is awarded.
  • The team not serving alternates when there is a foul by the serving team and a side-out is awarded the opponent.
  • A serve is illegal and the ball remains dead if the server:
  1. Hits the ball illegally
  2. Is touching the end line or the floor outside the serving area when the ball is contacted
  3. Does not contact the ball to serve within 8 seconds
  4. Is out of serving order or is from the wrong team
  • A served ball is a service fault and becomes dead when the ball:
  1. Does not legally cross the net (touching net on serve is legal!)
  2. Passes under the net
  3. Touches one of the server's teammates
  4. Touches the floor on the server's side of the net
  5. Crosses the net not entirely between the net tape, or lands out-of-bounds
  6. Touches any obstruction
  7. When a receiving team player is out of position on the serve and
  8. The ball is served illegally, the serving team is penalized
  9. A service fault occurs, the receiving team is penalized

SERVICE PENALTIES

  1. For an illegal serve, a service fault, or the receiving team being out of position when there is an illegal serve, side-out is awarded the receiving team.
  2. For the receiving team being out of position when there is a service fault, a point is awarded the serving team.
  3. For a server having a second re-serve during one term of service, a side-out is awarded the receiving team.

I. DURING PLAY

  1. Live and Dead Balls
  • A live ball is one in play, from the moment the ball is legally contacted by the correct server until a dead ball occurs.
  • A dead ball is one declared by an official for any decision temporarily suspending play until the ball is legally contacted for serve.
  • A live ball becomes dead when:
    • the ball does not pass entirely between the net tape
    • the ball lands out-of-bounds
    • the ball hits an overhead obstruction and is not legally played next by the offending team
  • The ball contacts an overhead obstruction after the third hit
  • The ball contacts an obstruction which is over a non-playable area
  • The ball becomes motionless in the net or on an overhead obstruction
  • The ball touches the floor
  • The ball passes completely under the net
  • The ball contacts a non-player in a playable area
  • A player or ball breaks the plane of a non-playable area
  • A player commits a foul
  1. Contacting the Ball
  • A contact is any touch of the ball by a player
  • A hit is a contact/touch of the ball which is counted as one of the team's three allowable plays before the ball is returned to the opponent
  • A team shall not have more than 3 hits before the ball crosses the net into the opponent's playing area. (When the team's first contact is simultaneous contact by opponents, or an action to block, the next contact is considered the team's first hit.)
  • A ball is considered to have crossed the net when
    • it has passed beyond the vertical plane of the net
    • it is partially over the net and is contacted by an opponent
    • no part of the ball has crossed the net and it is legally blocked
  • Legal contact is a touch of the ball by a player's body above and including the waist which does not allow the ball to visibly come to rest or involve prolonged contact with a player's body
  • Simultaneous contact is more than one contact of the ball made at the same instant
    • When one player contacts the ball with two or more parts of the body at the same instant, it is permitted and considered one hit (except for a block which does not count as a hit).
    • When teammates contact the ball at the same instant, it is permitted and considered one hit (except a block which does not count as a hit). Any player may make the next hit.
    • When opposing players contact the ball at the same instant, the player on the opposite side of the net from which the ball falls shall be considered the player to have touched the ball last. The other player may participate in the next play and the simultaneous contact shall not count as a hit.
  • Successive contacts of the ball are two or more separate attempts to play the ball by one player without interrupting contact by a different player between the two plays. A player shall not have successive contacts of the ball unless there is:
    • simultaneous contact by teammates
    • simultaneous contact by opposing players
    • successive contacts by a player whose first contact is a block; then the second contact shall count as the first hit by the player's team.
  • Multiple contacts are more than one contact by a player during one attempt to play the ball. Multiple contacts are permitted only when the ball rebounds from one part of the player's body to one or more other legal parts in one attempt to:
    • block
    • save a hard-driven spike on the team's first hit, provided there is no setting action

II. PENALTIES FOR ILLEGAL CONTACT

  1. Point or side-out is awarded the opponent when:
  • A team has more than 3 hits
  • There is any illegal contact, successive contacts and/or multiple contacts of the ball.

III. PLAYER ACTIONS

  1. Definitions
  • Pass - A play in which the ball is hit into the air so another player can get into position to contact the ball.
    • Forearm Pass - a controlled skill, generally used as a team's first hit, in which the ball rebounds the forearms of the receiver to a teammate.
    • Overhead pass (setting action) - two-hand finger action directing the ball to a teammate.
    • Set-two (or one) hand finger action directing the ball to an attacker.
    • Dig- An underhand or overhead defensive saving skill in which the ball is contacted by the forearms, fists, or hands.
  • Attack - Any play adding force and/or direction to the ball with the intention of returning the ball to an opponent. A team's third hit is always considered an attack.
    • Spike - an attack play in which the ball is forcibly hit into the opponent's court with a one-hand overhead motion.
    • Tip/Dink - a fingertip attack on the ball which directs the ball into the opponent's court.
    • Dump - a fingertip attack most commonly used by a setter on the second hit.
    • Overhead Pass - two-hand finger action directing the ball over the net.
  • Block - a play approximately arm's length from the net in which a player(s) whose hand(s) is raised above the head, contacts the ball near the top of the net in an attempt to:
    • prevent the ball from crossing the net, including a served ball
    • return the ball immediately
    • deflect the motion of the ball
    • return a ball which is completely above the height of the net while positioned
      • on or in front of the spiking line or its out of bounds extension
      • in the air, having left the floor on or in front of the spiking line or its out-of-bounds extension.
    • A foul shall not be called on a back line player until the ball is considered to have crossed the net.
  • Net Play
    • A ball contacting and crossing the net shall remain in play provided contact is within or above the vertical tape markers and entirely within the net antennas.
    • Recovering a ball hit into the net shall be permitted.
    • A player shall not contact a ball which is completely on the opponent's side of the net unless the contact is a legal block.
    • Blocking a ball which is entirely on the opponent's side of the net is permitted when the opposing team has had an opportunity to complete its attack. The attack is considered complete when the:
      • attacking team has completed its three allowable hits
      • attacking team has had the opportunity to spike the ball or directs the ball with intent to return it to the opponent's court
      • ball falling near the net, and in the official's judgment, no member of the attacking team could make a play on the ball
      • a net foul occurs while the ball is in play and:
        • a player contacts any part of the net including net cables or net tape. It is not a foul when a player's hair touches the net, or the force of a ball hit by an opponent pushes the net into the player.
        • a player gains an advantage by contacting the floor/wall cables,standards or referee's platforms
        • there is dangerous contact by a player with the floor/wall cables, standards, or referee's platform
        • there is interference by a player who makes
          • contact with an opponent which interferes with the opponent's legitimate effort to play the ball.
          • intentional contact with a ball which the opponent has caused to pass partially under the net and the opponent is attempting to play it again.

IV. PENALTIES FOR ILLEGAL NET PLAY

  1. For a net foul or over-the-net foul, point or side-out is awarded to the opponent.
  • Fouls
    • A foul is a failure to play as permitted by the rules.
    • A double foul occurs when opposing players commit rule violations at the same instant.
    • A multiple foul occurs when the same team commits more than one violation of a single rule at the same instant during play or dead ball.
    • A simultaneous foul occurs when a team violates more than one rule at the same instant during play or dead ball.
    • A double hit occurs when a player's successive or multiple contacts are illegal.
    • A foot fault occurs when a player violates the serving area or center line restrictions.
  • Out-of-bounds
    • A ball is out of bounds and becomes dead when it:
      • touches the ground completely outside the court's boundary lines
      • touches the net tape or does not pass over the net entirely between the vertical tape markers
      • touches a non-player who is not interfering with a player's legitimate effort to play the ball
      • touches overhead obstructions beyond the vertical plane of the net and itsout-of-bounds extension
      • touches or breaks the plane of non-playable area such as adjacent courts scheduled for play

V. PENALTY FOR OUT-OF BOUNDS

  1. Point or side-out is awarded the opponent.


CONDUCT

  1. Definition.
  • Unsportsmanlike conduct includes actions which are unbecoming to an ethical, fair, honorable individual. It consists of acts of deceit, disrespect, or vulgarity.
  1. Conduct: Players, Coaches, and/or Team Attendants.
  • No player coach and/or team attendant shall act in an unsportsmanlike manner while on or near the court before a match, during a game, or between games.
  • Unsportsmanlike conduct for a coach, substitute, or team attendant includes, but is not limited to the following:
    • entering the court while the ball is in play
    • disrespectfully addressing an official
    • holding unauthorized conferences
    • permitting re-entrance of a disqualified player
  • Unsportsmanlike conduct by a player includes:
    • use of disconcerting acts or words when an opponent is about to play the ball
    • derogatory remarks to officials or opponents
    • questioning or trying to influence officials' decisions
    • showing disgust with official's decision
    • using insulting language or gestures or baiting acts which engender ill will
    • making any contact with an opponent which is deemed unnecessary and which incites roughness or
    • using any part of a teammate's body or any object to gain physical support for advantage in playing the ball
    • deliberately serving prior to the signal for serve
    • abusing the re-serve rule

PENALTIES FOR ILLEGAL CONDUCT

  1. For a team refusing to play when directed by the referee, that team shall forfeit the game.
  2. For a team captain delaying,/refusing to attend the pre-match conference, point/side-out is awarded the opponent.
  3. For a player, coach, substitute, or team attendant, displaying acts of unsportsmanlike conduct, a point/side-out is awarded the opponents. Flagrant unsportsmanlike conduct or actions may result in player ejection.

Clemson University Sand Volleyball Modifications

I. TEAM REQUIREMENTS

  1. A team consists of three players. A team may start and play the match with a minimum of two players. Only two club players are allowed per team.
  2. If a team is forced to play with less than two players, the match will be considered a default.

II. SERVING AREA

  1. The serve must be made from behind the back line and within the sidelines.
  2. Teams must rotate clockwise prior to their new service.

III. GAME TIMING AND SCORING

  1. A match will consist of the best two out of three games.
  2. In the first two games, you must serve to score. If there is need for a third game, points will be made by rally scoring.
  3. For each game, the first team that scores 15 points and is ahead by two points is declared the winner. If both teams reach a score of 15, the first team to exceed the other by two points wins the game. If the score is tied after the first two games, a third game will be played until a team scores to 11 (using rally scoring) and is ahead by a margin of two points.
  4. Flip of a coin will decide which team gets choice of service or court. Second game, courts are switched and if a third game is necessary, courts are changed at eight points. Service is decided by a flip of the coin in the third game.

IV. CO-ED MODIFICATIONS

  1. Must be either1M/1F or 1M/2F or 2M/1F
  2. The rotation must go M/F/M or F/M/F