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 Volleyball Charlotte will operate under the competition rules and regulations as 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 Volleyball Charlotte and supersede the rules in the USA Volleyball handbook.
I. Match Time and Number of Sets
A. Each match will be played as the best of 3 sets. The first two sets of a match will be played to 25, utilizing rally scoring.
1. If a third set is necessary, it will be played to 15 utilizing rally scoring.
B. The first team in a set to score 25 points (or 15 in the third set) will be the winner of that set.
1. Teams will change sides at the completion of the 1st set. If a 3rd deciding set is necessary, teams
will switch sides after the first team reaches 8 points.
C. If the set score reaches 24-24 (or 14-14 in the third set), the first team to reach a two-point advantage (e.g.26-24 or 19-17) will be the winner of that set.
D. Matches are limited to 40 minutes of playing time.
E. If a match reaches the time limit before the completion of the deciding set, the teams will finish the current set. If the conclusion of that set does not determine the winner of the match (a 1-1 match score), then the third set will be played, but the score needed to win the set will be reduced to 10 and no game interruptions will be permitted (including substitutions).
II. Team Composition
A. A team will consist of a minimum of six (6) players and a maximum of twelve (12) players, including the Captain.
B. A team must have at least six (6) players present at match time.
1. If a team does not have six (6) players, that team will receive a forfeit.
C. After the forfeit has been recorded, the teams may choose to play a friendly scrimmage match if both captains agree to play.
1. Any scrimmage match resulting from a forfeit must end at least 5 minutes before the beginning of the next match.
D. The team captain should present the lineup to the opposing team at the beginning of each set. The team must maintain this rotational order throughout the set.
E. If a player is not present at the time when lineups are exchanged, they cannot play until the next set. The opposing team’s captain must be provided an updated lineup. No players can be added after the beginning of set 2.
III. The Uniform
A. Every player must begin play with the current Stonewall volleyball shirt.
B. Shirts may be modified for comfort, but the Stonewall logo, websites, and any sponsor logos must not be altered or obscured in any way.
C. Kneepads other protective equipment are not required but can be worn as long as it is not a hazard to other players.
IV. Referees/Line Judges
A. 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
A. The winner of single Rock, Paper, Scissors game has the choice of service or side of court. The opposing team makes the remaining decision.
B. The team not serving first in the first game shall serve first in the second game.
C. Service and side of the court will be determined for the third game and will be determined by an additional
game of Rock, Paper, Scissors.
D. Teams change courts after the first game.
E. 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.
F. Service may be underhand or overhand.
VI. Substitutions
A. No change will be made in the position of other players when substitutions are made.
B. There is no limit on the number of players permitted to substitute at onetime.
C. There is no limit on the number of times a player may enter and re-enter the game, but they may only play and re-enter in the same rotation order listed at the beginning of the game.
D. If a player is injured and there are no remaining eligible substitutes in that serving spot, then the opposing team must pick a substitute from a different serving spot on the injured player’s team to take that spot in the line-up.
1. Bleeding players, or players with blood on their uniform, must be replaced.
VII. Playing the Ball
A. A legal hit is contact with the ball by the hands or arms which does not allow the ball to come to rest even momentarily.
B. The ball must be clearly hit: throwing, lifting, or shoving the ball are illegal.
C. A team has three hits to return the ball over the net.
D. One player may not hit the ball twice in succession
E. 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.
F. Positions: Players are free to position themselves, there are NO determined positions on the court
G. Service:
1. Service order must be maintained throughout the set
2. When the receiving team has gained the right to serve, its 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 move freely within the service zone. At the moment of service hit or take-off for a jump service, the server must not touch the court. His/her foot may not go under or touch the endline.
H. Consecutive Contact: A player may not hit the ball two times consecutively
1. At the first hit of the team, provided it is not made overhand with fingers, consecutive contacts are permitted provided that the contacts occur during one action. During the first hit of the team if it is played overhand using fingers, the ball may NOT contact the fingers/hands consecutively, even if the contacts occur during one action.
2. When blocking, consecutive contacts may be made by one of more players, provided that they occur during one action
I. 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 he/she does not interfere with the opponent’s play before or during the attack-hit.
4. After an attack-hit, a player is permitted to pass his/her hand beyond the net, provided that the contact has been made within his/her own playing space.
J. 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.
K. The ball is allowed to hit the net while traveling over the net, this includes on the serve.
L. A player may not touch ANY part of the net while the ball is in play.
M. A player may not make contact beyond the center line of play onto the opponent’s side of the
court.
VIII. Interruptions
A. Each team may request a maximum of one time-out per set. All requested time-outs last for 30 seconds.
B. 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.
C. Should a serious accident occur while the ball is in play, the referee must stop the game immediately and permit medical assistance. The rally will be replayed.
1.An injured player is given a maximum of 5 minutes recovery time. If a player is unable to return to play at the conclusion of recovery time, they are ineligible to return during that match.
IX. Misconduct
A. During the game, if a player(s) exhibits any behavior that breaches a rule of the league or the Stonewall
Sports organization, verbal warnings and/or removal from the match can be issued by the game’s referee.
B. Warnings will be issued in 3 stages:
1. Verbal warning to the Captain (report to Volleyball Officer immediately)
2. Individual removed from the set by the Volleyball Officer but may return the following set (report to Volleyball Officer immediately)
3. Paper forfeit issued by Volleyball Officer
