The Serve

• The Service can be done anywhere behind the back line.  Your foot cannot touch or go past (under or over) the line while serving.
• The ball can touch the net.
• As soon the ball is thrown up in the air for the service, it is considered a service even if the player lets it fall on the ground.

Serve Reception

• Must be taken cleanly.  No double touch or lift is allowed. No volleys allowed on serve reception.
• If receiving players cannot see server, you can ask the opponent to move so your view is not obstructed.

Setting

• If done with a volley: cannot be a double touch, but players are allowed to hold the ball longer for better control.
• It is a fault if a players volleys the ball over the net which has a trajectory not perpendicular to the line of the shoulders. The exception is when the player is attempting to set to his or her teammate.

Hitting

• Open hand tips are not allowed. 
• When hitting, contact with ball must be “crisp”. If using finger tips, they must be rigid and together.
• Roll shots are ok.

Blocking

• The block counts as a hit, the team only has two more hits before they must send it over.
• The blocking player can block the ball and then pop it up but this counts as two hits.

Teams First contact

• Unless when in defensive action of a hard driven ball, the first contact cannot be a lift or double touch (no volleys on the first contact). When contacting the ball overhand, both hands must be touching or this is considered a double touch.

Other

• If the ball touches the line, it is in.
• When two opponents touch the ball simultaneously over the net and the ball remains in play, the team receiving the ball is entitled to another three hits. If such a ball goes "out", it is the fault of the team on the opposite side.
• Contact with the net by a player between the antennae during the action of playing the ball (attacking/blocking) is a fault.
• A player may enter into the opponent’s space, court and/or free zone, provided that this does not interfere with the opponent’s play.
• Teams usually switch sides every 7 points.  (ie: 2-5, 8-13, 21-21…)

Same rules as "2 vs2 - Doubles" apply but add the following

• Guys must hit behind the 3m line. They can step on the line but cannot pass it at all. (ie: toe mark that crosses the line is a fault). When the guy is in front of the 3m line, the ball must have an obvious/exaggerated upward trajectory when sending it over the net.
• Guys cannot block girls. (no jousting)
  
  

Tier Explanation

Once the season starts and teams have been placed in tiers based on last years ranking, the tiering system will work as follows. Most tiers will be composed of three teams. These teams will play 2 sets to 21 against the other two teams in their tier. The team with the best results will move up one tier the following week, the second place team will remain in that tier, and the losing team will be bumped down one tier for the following week.

Tier placement

Tier placement is calculated automatically with the scores from each tier. The following formula will decide which team will move up:

• Team with most sets won
• In case of a tie, Team with most games won (all sets vs 1 team)
• In case of a another tie, Team with best +/- (count all sets)
• In case of a another tie, Team that was in the lower tier the previous week

Teams that show up late

• if one team is late then the other 2 present teams play
• if 2 teams are late then the team that is suppose to play first defaults 1 point per minute, after 15 minutes they forfeit the first set and after 25 minutes they forfeit the game

Season games

• Spares play for free and they don't have to sign up on the site
• Existing OOVB league players can't substitute if they are playing that night
• Spares can't play for two different teams on the same night
• Spares should be approximately the same or lower caliber as the player they are replacing
• You don't need to let us know when a spare is coming. We only need to know if your full team won't be coming so that we can adjust the tiers before the games
• Spares have the option of signing up to the website and signing the spares list if they want to be contacted to spare for teams once in a while. (Again, no charge for this).

Playoffs

• OOVB league players eliminated in week one of the playoffs can substitute
• Spares must be the same or lower caliber as the player they are replacing

Tiering

• If you have one spare, your team plays as normal
• If you have two spares, your team cannot move up a tier, but can stay in the same tier (provided your team won enough games)
• If you can't find any spares, you forfeit and your team will go down a tier