Women’s Volleyball Rules (2025-2026)

• Volley for serve to start the first game of the night. The ball must go over the net three times for the “volley” to count. After the initial volley, the serve stays on that side of the net for the rest of the games.
• To win the game your team must score 15 points, and games have to be won by 2 points.
• Each team needs at least 4 players on their side to be a legal team. If either team does not have at least 4 players on their side of the net by 5 minutes after the scheduled game time, they forfeit one game. They will forfeit the remainder of their games 15 minutes later (if they still do not have  at least 4 players).
• Call your own fouls, and only your own fouls. If there is a dispute about a foul, replay the point. Each captain is responsible to know the rules and to make sure that their players play by the rules.
• The lines are considered “in”. The ceiling and lights are considered “out”. The foul poles on the net are “out”. The rings that hang over the court at Thatcher Brook are considered “in”. If you hit those during play it is a “do-over” and the point should be served again. At Crossett Brook the divider screen over the net and anything else above the court is “out”.
• We do not use rally scoring. In order to score, your team had to have served the ball. We do not play a serve that hits the net. If your serve hits the net, the other team gets the ball.
• No carries or double hits are allowed. The ball must rebound cleanly and not be held or thrown.
• If your gym time runs out and neither team is ahead by at least 5 points, the game does not count.
• Feet can’t be used to return the ball, any contact below the waist is a foul.
• Touching the net while the ball is in play is a foul.
• Attacking a serve, by blocking above the net or by spiking from above the net, is a foul.
• You can’t hit the ball twice in a row (someone else has to hit it) unless your first hit was a block.
• You must serve from behind the back line, and from between the two side lines, on your side of the net.
• In order to play you must be female and older than 18 years of age, or out of high school.
• Your team is allowed one time out of no more than one minute per game.
• There are no games on days that school is cancelled. We do not play during school vacation weeks.
• If at 3:00 pm the weather prediction for 7 pm to 8 pm includes a winter storm warning the games will be cancelled and re-scheduled.
• If you can’t get enough players for a scheduled game, your team will have to forfeit. There are no reschedules except for weather, and cancellations caused Colonel Town Recreation. Please let Megan Vincent (recreation@coloneltown.com) know as soon as possible, if you must forfeit.
• A sub list may be made if there are individuals interested in filling in.
• Children are not encouraged in the gym while we play, but if your children must be present, you must keep an eye on them and ensure that they do not disturb the game or the other players.