Stonewall Sports Charlotte: Volleyball Indoor League

Cost: $40 Registration Fee, includes league shirt.

Registration Information: 

A team is formed when 6-10 players register and pay. Each team must have 6 players. Any groups that have not met the required 6 registered players when registration closes will revert to free agents and will be assigned to the formed teams. We will do our best to keep groups together. If a team has fewer than 6 they will be assigned free agents to get up to 6-10 players.

Captains:

If you plan on being the captain of a team, you will need to register first and then have players register under your team name. An email will be sent once you have signed up with additional team information and responsibilities as a captain. Captains and Co-Captains are also required to attend a Captains’ / Referee meeting!

Captains and Co-Captains will be expected to be the assigned referee for their teams unless they appoint someone else before the Captains / Referee training.  Two Referees are required!

Players: 

I plan to create a team: If you plan to create a team you will need to register as a team captain (see above). Then you can tell your friends to register as a team player and join your team. 

I plan to join a team: If you already know with which team you are going to play on, you will need to register as a team player. Keep in mind that you can’t randomly join any team; captains may ask that a player be removed from their team prior to the close of registration. Captains can email charlotte.operations@stonewallsports.org to move a player from their team but, only after the captain has communicated with the player first and explained why.

I want to play but I don’t have a team: That’s fantastic! This league is about making new friends! Register as a Free Agent. We will place you on a team randomly.

After Game Activities: Sidelines Sports Bar is the place to be after games! After the matches,
teams head to Sidelines to socialize about their weekend or bowling skills. Note: Sidelines Sports Bar is a Stonewall Sports Charlotte Sponsor, please support our great partners!

Fundraising: Monies raised throughout the season will be distributed back into the community to local 501c3’s.

Zero Tolerance Policy: Stonewall Sports Charlotte, Inc. has zero tolerance of any bullying or harassment of any kind and for any reason of any player, captain, referee, official, participant, sponsor, director, officer or spectator. Harassment can be verbal, physical or visual, and includes all unwelcome conduct that affects someone else. The Stonewall Sports Charlotte Board of Directors has an open-door policy and welcomes you to report any conduct by any player, captain, referee, official, participant, sponsor, director, officer, or spectator that makes you feel uncomfortable. The Board of Directors takes all allegations and reports seriously and will thoroughly investigate all claims, and if warranted, will take all appropriate action. 

Stonewall Sports Charlotte – Indoor Volleyball will operate under the competition rules and regulations outlined in the Domestic Competition Rules and Regulations as adopted by USA Volleyball and available at www.usavolleyball.org. The rules below are specific to Stonewall Sports Charlotte – Indoor Volleyball and supersede the rules in the USA Volleyball handbook.

I. Match Time and Number of Sets

1. Each match will be one set played to 25 points. Rally Scoring is utilized. Matches must be won by 2 points.
2. Overtime rules will not be employed but referees and/or league leadership reserve the right to call final set, next point wins.

II. Team Composition

1. A team will consist of a minimum of six (6) players and a maximum of ten (10) players.
2. A team must have at least four (4) players present at match time.
   • If a team does not have four (4) players, that team will receive a forfeit.
   • Note: Stonewall Sports Charlotte is a “If you pay, you play” organization.  Any intentional benching or dissuading of players from playing in the league will be handled in accordance with the player code of conduct.
3. If a player is not present at the beginning of a match, they cannot play until the next match. 

III. The Uniform

1. Every player must play with the current Stonewall Sports Charlotte Volleyball shirt. 
2. Shirts may be modified for comfort, but the Stonewall logo, websites, and any sponsor logos must not be altered or obscured in any way.
3. Kneepads and other protective equipment may be worn as long as it is not hazardous to other players.

IV. Referees/Line Judges

Each team must have at least one (1) head referee and two (2) line judges for all games they are scheduled to referee.

V. Starting the game

1. The winner of a single Rock, Paper, Scissors game has the choice of service or side of court. The opposing team makes the remaining decision.
2. The referee sounds the whistle and signals for service before each serve.
   1. Note: A team will receive only one warning per game for serving before the whistle.
3. Service may be underhand or overhand.

VI. Playing the Ball

1. A legal hit is contact with the ball by the hands or arms which does not allow the ball to come to rest.
2. The ball must be clearly hit: throwing and lifting the ball are illegal.
3. A team has three hits to return the ball over the net.
4. One player may not hit the ball twice in succession
5. Simultaneous contact by two or more players on the same team is considered one play, and any player is eligible to play the ball again.
6. Positions: Players are free to position themselves, there are NO determined positions on the court
7. Service:
   1. Serving rotation order must be maintained for each match.
      1. Failure to maintain order will result in a warning.  Subsequent infractions will result in match forfeiture.
      2. Note: In event of injury, if a player is unable to serve in their assigned order, the player may be skipped.  The player may not play in any additional matches for the remainder of the game day if their serve is skipped.  In the same match in which the first injury occurred, if a team already has an injured member and another member is injured, the rotation order must be maintained and additional injured players unable to serve will result in the loss of a point.
   2. When the receiving team has gained the right to serve players do not have to rotate positions
   3. Only one toss or release of the ball is allowed. The server must hit the ball within 5 seconds after the 1st referee whistles for service.
   4. The server may server from any point within the service zone. The server’s foot may touch or go in front of the endline before contact is made with the ball.
8. Blocking:
   1. Blocking is the action of players close to the net to intercept the ball coming from the opponent by reaching higher than the top of the net.
   2. To block an opponent’s service is forbidden.
   3. In blocking, a player may touch the ball beyond the net, provided that they do not interfere with the opponent’s play before or during the attack-hit.
   4. When blocking, consecutive contacts may be made by one of more players, provided that they occur during one action.
9. If two opponents simultaneously contact the ball above the net, the ball remains in play, and the team receiving the ball is entitled to another three hits.
   1. If the ball lands out of bounds, it is the fault of the team opposite the net from where the ball lands.
10. The ball is allowed to hit the net while traveling over the net, this includes on the serve.
11. A player may not touch ANY part of the net while the ball is in play.
12. A player may not make contact beyond the center line of play onto the opponent’s side of the court.

VII. Interruptions

1. Each team may request a maximum of one time-out per match. All requested time-outs last for 30 seconds.
2. If a ball from a neighboring court enters the play area, play will be stopped ONLY if it is judged to be a hazard to active play. Game interruption is at the discretion of the officials. The rally will be replayed.
3. Should a serious accident occur while the ball is in play, the referee must stop the game immediately. The rally will be replayed.

VIII. Misconduct

1. During the game, if a player(s) exhibits any behavior that breaches a rule of the league or the Stonewall Sports Charlotte, verbal warnings and/or removal from the match can be issued by the game’s referee and/or league leadership.
2. Warnings will be issued in 2 stages:
   1. Verbal warning to the Captain (report to Volleyball Officer immediately)
   2. Individual removed from the match by the referee but may return the following match permitting the decision of league leadership (report to Volleyball Officer immediately)