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Volleyball Rules Girls Middle School  Girls High School Age/Grade for Division Ages 11 - 14 Ages 15 - 18 Length of Game 75 Minutes for all 3 games # of players on the court 6 on 6 Roster Players 12 Net Height   Court Dimensions 59' X 29.5' Referee The referee’s decision is FINAL.  If the referee wishes, he may consult with both coaches concerning a decision but his decision is final.    Substitutions and Play Requirements All players must be rotated according to the same rotation during all three games. No substitutions will be allowed once a rotation lineup is established. In the event of an injury, the players will rotate into that player's position, and a new player will rotate off the bench.   Line Judge and ball person:  Each team is required to provide a ball person (retrieves balls hit out of bounds) and a line judge (signals possession of the ball on out of bounds plays on their side of the court).   No Jewelry allowed at practices or games (including earrings).   Knee pads must be worn during all practices and games. SOAR Specific rules   Equal playing time. There are six players on the court, 3 in each line. With each new change of service, the backline rotates to their left. The far left player rotates off to the bench. The front line rotates to their right. A player from the bench comes onto the front line with each new change of service. The far right player rotates to the back line to serve. Maximum of 5 points off an individual player’s consecutive serves. Once a player scores 5 points off serve, the team maintains possession of the serve but the players rotate one position. FOR FIRST 5 GAMES: On each player’s service rotation, if their first serve is a fault (fails to cross the net, hits a player on the serving team), they are allowed a second serve. After a team scores a point while serving, the serving player gets only one attempt on subsequent serves during that service rotation. After the 5th game of the season, there will be no second serves allowed. Games Rules Matches are the best of three games played to 25, 25, and 15. 75 minutes are allotted for games. The first serve is decided by a coin toss. First service on subsequent games is rotated between teams. Deciding games shall begin with a coin toss to decide service. Rally scoring – A point is scored on every serve and turnover, no matter which team served. The team that wins the point gets to serve the next point. Players rotate one position when they acquire the serve. Players may serve freely from the service zone (the entire width of the court). Players cannot touch the court (including the end line) at the moment of contact with the ball, or at the takeoff for a jump serve. Teams are allowed two 30 second time-outs per game. Contacting the Ball During Play Each team may have three successive contacts to return the ball to the opponent’s area. If the first touch is on a block, the team may have three additional contacts to return the ball. The ball may contact any part of the body above the waste and any number of body parts as long as it does so simultaneously. When the ball comes to rest momentarily in the hands or arms of a player, it is considered held and the point is lost. Double contact occurs when a player hits the ball more than once with no other player touching it between these contacts. However, a player who blocks the ball may touch it a second time without an intervening touch by another player. If the ball is held simultaneously by two opposing players, it is a double fault and results in a re-serve with no point awarded. If two players from the same team contact the ball simultaneously, this is considered as being one contact for their team. A player who places any part of the body above the height of the net is considered to have the intention to block; only front-line players may block. If two players contact the ball on a block, it is considered only one hit. Only front-line players are allowed to spike or return the ball with their hands in a position higher than the top of the net from in front of the attack line. Back-line players may not block and may spike only when they take off (jump) from behind the attack line. Back row players cannot strike the ball above the height of the net. Players cannot spike a serve Net Play The ball must pass from one side of the net to the other over the legal portion of the net. (Legal portion is within the antennas.) The ball remains in play if it touches the legal portion of the net in play (including the serve). A player may not touch the net during play except for insignificant contact by a player not in the act of playing the ball. If the ball is driven into the net with such force that it contacts an opponent, this is not a net fault. The hands may legally pass over the net after a spike on the follow-through. The only parts of the body allowed to touch the opponent’s court are the feet; however, some part of the foot or feet must remain on or above the centerline at the time of contact. A player may not spike the ball until part of the ball is on that player’s side of the net. A player may only touch the net when the foot is not completely over the centerline and the net contact does not impede an opponent. Players in the act of spiking cannot follow through on the opponent's net side. Brushing the player's side of the net on a block is allowed as long as it does not impede an opponent.  Source: Coaching Youth Volleyball, 3rd Edition, ASEP, 2001. All other rules will be enforced per National Federation of State High School Association if not addressed above