Tournament rules & format

tournament format

  • League or Knockout or both, decided by number of team registrations at close of entries

  • Format and grouping to be finalised and communicated after registration closes

Team composition

  • 6 players on court at any time

  • 2 substitutes, Maximum 8 players per squad

  • Substitutions can be made an unlimited number of times during the match

  • Substitutions must be made during a dead ball (between rallies), not mid-rally

game format

  • First to 15, win by 2, wins the set and the match

  • If scores reach 20-20 (golden point), the next point wins outright

  • No fixed front-row/back-row positions — since position rotation is not required (see Service Rotation below), the standard back-row-attack and back-row-block restrictions do not apply. Any player may attack or block from any part of the court.

  • If the match is abandoned mid-set (rain, time cutoff), the team with the higher point differential at the stoppage is declared winner

serving rules

  • Server must wait for the umpire's signal/whistle before serving — serving before the signal is a fault

  • Server stands behind the back line

  • Service must be completed within 8 seconds of the umpire's signal

  • Server may serve from anywhere behind the back line, within the width of the court

  • Server may not step on or over the back line until contact with the ball is made

  • A serve that touches the net and still crosses into the opponent's court is legal — play continues normally

  • A serve that touches the net and does not cross, or lands outside the court, is a fault

service rotation

  • Service rotates to the next player in serving order each time a team wins back the serve (side-out)

  • Only the serving turn rotates — players are not required to rotate court positions

play rules

  • Each team gets a maximum of 3 touches to return the ball across the net (a block touch does not count toward this)

  • Two or three players may touch the ball on the same contact (simultaneous touch is legal)

  • The ball may touch any part of the body

  • The ball must rebound cleanly off the hands/arms — it cannot be caught, held, lifted, or thrown (carry)

  • A player may not contact the ball twice in succession on their own — except on the team's first touch of a hard-driven ball, where an accidental double contact is allowed

  • A player may reach over the net to follow through after an attack hit, or to block, but may not contact the ball on the opponent's side before their attack

  • Touching the net during active play is a fault (does not apply to serve — see Serving Rules)

faults - points to opposing team

  • Serving before the umpire's signal

  • Server steps on or over the back line before contact

  • Serve fails to cross the net, or crosses outside the antennae/sidelines, without touching the net

  • Serve touches the net and does not land in the opponent's court

  • Four hits by the same team before returning the ball

  • Double contact by the same player (outside the allowed first-touch exception)

  • Catching, lifting, or throwing the ball (carry)

  • Touching the net during play

  • Reaching over the net to play the ball before the opponent's attack

  • Crossing the centre line so that the whole foot is over on the opponent's side

  • Screening — blocking the receiving team's view of the server

fair play

- Umpire's decision is final

- Organising Committee's decision is binding in disputes

- Abusive or foul language = player or team suspension

- Only team captains may approach the referee or organising committee