RULES

Facilities, Equipment, and Match Format

Court Size

• Doubles: 27' x 27' on each side of the net.
• Triples & Quads: 30' x 30' on each side of the net.

Out-of-Court Play Near Other Courts

• A ball can be chased outside the lines, including toward nearby courts.
• If any player steps into another court’s playing area, the rally ends immediately and that team loses the point.

Scoring, Switching, Warm-Ups

• Matches use rally scoring unless the event listing says otherwise.
• Teams switch sides:
  • Games to 21+: switch every 7 total points.
  • Games to 15: switch every 5 total points.
• Warm-ups should be quick: max 4 minutes per team to keep courts on schedule.

Playing Actions

• Let serves are legal (a serve that clips the net and goes over is playable).
• A hard-driven ball can be played with a momentary double contact as long as it is not a “set-like” action.

Setting (Called Tighter Than Modern Rules)

• If your set feels questionable, it probably is. We encourage players to self-call doubles when appropriate.
• If your set stays on your side, your shoulders can face any direction.
• If your set goes over the net, it must travel in line with your shoulders. Square to your body at contact.

Lines, Net, and Crossing

• The ball is in if it touches any part of the boundary line.
• Net contact is a fault and results in loss of point.
• Touching the net after the rally is over is still a fault and loss of point.
• Anything you’re wearing counts as part of you:
  • If your hat/shoes/clothing touch the net while worn, it is a fault.
  • If a hat falls off and hits the net while not being worn, there is no fault.
• Hair may touch the net (not a fault).
• You may go fully under the net onto the opponent’s side as long as you do not:
  • interfere with their play, or
  • contact any opponent.

Attacking and Blocking

• Open-hand tips are not allowed. Knuckles are allowed.
• A block does not count as one of a team’s three contacts in grass.
• On an overpass, a blocker may not “steer” the ball. They can:
  • let it naturally rebound off their hands, or
  • stuff it straight down.
  Attacking an overpass is legal and not considered a redirection.

Interruptions to Play

• Timeouts: each team gets one timeout in set 1 and set 2 (1 minute each). If a 3rd set is played, each team gets one additional timeout.
• Substitutions: allowed in pool play only, and only for injury, and only if the team still has at least one pool-play set remaining. No subs are allowed once a team has finished all their pool-play sets.

Reverse Coed Format

Team Composition

• Teams must include one player of each gender.
• Two women may play together if one is clearly declared as the “guy” each set (can change between sets).
• Two men as a team are not permitted.

Attack Line and Jumping Rules

• A 10' attack line will be marked on each court.
• Women may jump and attack from anywhere.
• Men may jump and attack from behind the 10' line.
• Men may jump and attack from in front of the 10' line only if the ball has a clear upward trajectory.
• If a man contacts the ball above the net inside the 10' line (rare), it must be done at least an arm’s length away from the net, and the return must still have an obvious upward path.

Triples and Quads Format

• Teams may register an extra player:
  • Triples: up to 4 total players
  • Quads: up to 5 total players
  The extra player is a sub and may enter between sets only. No mid-set subs unless there is an injury.
• Reverse Coed Quads: typically 2 men + 2 women, but a 3–1 ratio is allowed either direction.
• If a team has 3 men + 1 woman:
  • one man must be declared the libero each set,
  • the libero cannot attack the ball above the net in any way (even with an upward trajectory),
  • standing downballs are allowed,
  • the libero may set from in front of the 10' line.
• If a team has 3 women + 1 man:
  • one woman must be declared as the “guy” each set and must follow all men’s rules for that set.
• A team of 4 women is allowed:
  • one player is designated as the “guy” for the entire tournament,
  • and for each set, one of the remaining three is also designated as the “guy” for that set.
• A team of 4 men is not permitted.