1. ROSTERS & PLAYER ELIGIBILITY - Rosters must be completed and turned in to the referee before your first match. - Players may be added through the last day of league play. - No roster additions may be made once league play is complete. - To be eligible for the End-of-Season Tournament, a player must be on the completed roster and have played in at least one regular season match. - All Adult League players must be 16 years of age or older. - Players age 16–17 must have a parent/guardian signature on the roster.
2. LEAGUE STANDINGS & TIEBREAKERS - Standings are determined by games (not matches) won/lost. - Tournament seeding is based on league standings. - Tiebreakers (in order): Head-to-head games, Head-to-head points, Overall points, Coin flip.
3. FACILITY RULES - No smoking or alcohol allowed in Fargo Park District or school buildings at any time. - Possession of alcohol is punishable by law. - Do not bring pop/soda into schools or Park District facilities. - Clean up all spills immediately. - No food or spillable drinks in court areas (hallways/lobby areas are acceptable). - Anyone vandalizing property, smoking, or consuming alcohol will be punished by law. - Treat facilities with respect.
4. MATCH FORMAT & SCORING (LEAGUE PLAY) - Matches consist of 3 games to 20 points (rally scoring). - A 2-point advantage is required to win. - 22-point cap per game. - 45-minute time limit per 3-game match. - Referee announces remaining time only at the start of Game 3. If time expires during Game 2: Finish Game 2; Game 3 played to 10 points (1-point advantage). If time expires during Game 3: Game ends when a NEW 1-point advantage is reached with a minimum of 10 points. Each game counts toward standings. TOURNAMENT PLAY - Best 2 out of 3 games. - Same scoring rules. - No time limit. - One forfeit in tournament play = removal from entire tournament (unless 24-hour notice given).
5. WARM-UPS & TIMEOUTS - 5-minute warm-up if previous match lasted 45 minutes or longer. - 1 minute between games (or when both teams are ready). - Two 30-second timeouts per 3-game match (includes tournament). - Clock stops only for injury or unusual occurrence. - Delay of game = unsportsmanlike conduct (side-out or point penalty). - Teams must vacate court promptly after match.
6. FORFEITS - First game forfeited if team lacks enough players at scheduled start time. - Entire match forfeited if team is 5 minutes late. - Two forfeits = removal from league (unless 24-hour notice given). - Satellite/Cell Phone time is official time.
7. TEAM COMPOSITION (COED) - No automatic forfeits — teams may play with fewer than 6 players (more than one). - Must always have at least one male and one female on court in coed. - Unlimited number of women allowed. - NEW RULE: Team may play with one more male than female. - No 5-minute grace period to begin games. - If playing with fewer than 4 players, there must be a back-row player. - Women may not play in men’s leagues; men may not play in women’s leagues.
8. MULTIPLE TEAM PLAY RESTRICTIONS - Players cannot play on two women’s teams. - Coed players may only play on one coed team per night. - Players may not play more than one level up or down (Upper/Middle/Lower). - Exceptions require approval from Recreation Specialist, Recreation Manager, or Volleyball Coordinator.
9. SPORTSMANSHIP - Only the team captain may question referee rulings. - Only non-judgment calls may be discussed. - No unsportsmanlike conduct (yelling, swearing, arguing, fighting, etc.). - Referees may eject a player from a match. - Aggression toward officials/opponents = 1-year suspension. - Expelled player/fan must leave within 2 minutes or game is forfeited. - Only Volleyball Coordinator may eject a player for the season. - Players ejected for a season may return next season but any misconduct results in immediate suspension.
10. GAMEPLAY RULES - Ceilings are in play. - Let serves are allowed. - Multiple contacts on first ball allowed. - Pressing the block allowed. - Any player may attack. - Back-row players cannot attack above net height in front of the 10-foot line. - Net contact is always a violation. - Entire shoe must cross center line to be a violation. - Adjacent courts are always out of play. - Serve cannot be blocked or attacked. - Contact below the waist is legal under USAV rules.
11. SERVING RULES - 8 seconds to serve after referee whistle. - One team warning for serving before whistle; second offense= illegal serve (side-out). - One reserve toss per service turn. - Server gets additional 5 seconds after reserve.
12. SUBSTITUTIONS - Rotation substitutions only. - Must occur after serving position. - Male substitutes for male; female for female.
13. EQUIPMENT & ATTIRE - No objects that may cause injury (pins, bracelets, casts, etc.). - No watches or dangling earrings. - Padding required for braces/casts if permitted. - Fitbits/activity trackers allowed. - No hats. - Sweatbands/headwear at official's discretion. - Proper athletic, non-marking shoes required. - Marking shoes = removal from court.
14. COIN TOSS - Coin flip determines Serve/Receive or Side. - League play: Winner chooses Games 1 & 3. - Tournament: Second coin toss if Game 3 is needed.
15. HONOR CALLS - Only the team negatively affected by the call may correct it. - Used to assist officials on missed or screened calls.
16. CHILD SUPERVISION - Parents/guardians are responsible for children brought to the facility. - If children are disruptive, you must supervise or remove them.
