Portland Volleyball association - outdoor playing regulations


Outdoor Rules for Sand and Grass Leagues

  • Home team chooses serve or receive
  • Visitor team chooses the game ball
  • Rally scoring with 2 sets to 21 points (no cap, win by 2) and third set to 15 (no cap, win by 2)
  • Sets 1 & 2 switch sides every 7 points and set 3 switch sides every 5 points
  • First and third sets begin with a coin toss (or ball spin or ...) to determine which team gets first choice of serve or side
  • For the second set, the team that lost the "coin toss" gets first choice of serve or side
  • A block does not count as a touch
  • No open hand tips or dinks (cobra or knuckles are allowed)
  • No setting (open hands) on a serve or any free ball overs, it is only allowed on hard driven hits
  • Coed serving order must alternate male and female
  • No rotational faults, but must keep service order
  • Let serves are allowed but not re-tosses
  • Hard driven hit can be set (official's judgement) but off-speed hit cannot be set (no finger action until 2nd or 3rd contact)
  • Directional blocking IS allowed
  • Posts are considered antennas
  • No center line violation unless you interfere with player on other side of court
  • No center line violation unless you interfere with player on other side of court
  • 2 players contacting the ball at the same time is considered 2 hits and either player can then take it over the net unless referee clearly sees only one person contacting the ball
  • No directional set over (shoulders must be squared when setting forward) If a set goes over the net without being square, even if due to wind, it’s a point for the opponent
  • Sets should be called that are a clear double or have lots of spin 
  • Sets that are held more than a normal breath should be called as a held ball 
  • One 60 second timeout per set
  • Replay if a tree branch interferes with a playable ball
  • Reminder, no alcohol permitted before or during play
  • Minimum number of players required to play - 3 
  • Must rotate servers
  • A net is a net (hair, sunglasses flying off, etc. is OK)
Additional Rules for Coed
  • Coed teams that have more than 2 female players need to let referee or opponents know which 2 female players will be hitting on the net. (Only 2 women are allowed to hit in front of the 10 ft. line and must be designated at beginning of the match. Any other female players must follow rules about hitting behind the 10 ft. line and cannot block female players.)
  • Men must take off behind 10 foot line to hit a ball with a downward flight 
  • Men must hit in a visible upward trajectory if they step on or in front of the 10 ft. line (this includes men taking the 10ft .line up with them)
  • Men may not block women unless the ball stays on blocker's side of net (i.e. soft block) - counts as the first touch
  • Men may block other men including when a man free balls the ball over
  • Men can fake block a woman as long as they don’t contact the ball above the plane of the net
  • No woman touch rule for multiple touches

Additional Rules for Sand  

  • Same as outdoor rules except teams playing with 5 or 6 players must use the following indoor rules: 
    • Players must line up alternating male and female and rotate accordingly
    •  A woman must touch the ball if there is more than one contact