Pool play will consist of 4-team or 5-team pool formats. 4-team pools All teams advance to the playoffs. Playoffs will comprise of a GOLD BRACKET and a SILVER BRACKET. Playoff positions into the tournament bracket will be based on each pool's seeding. There will be a quarterfinals, semi-finals, and finals in each bracket. 5-team pools Top 2 teams in each pool advance to the playoffs. There will be a semi-finals and finals

Pool play: 4-team pools Teams will play a guaranteed total of three (3) matches, with two (2) sets played per match. 5-team pools Teams will play a guaranteed total of four (4) matches, with two (2) sets played per match. All games will play using All-Rally scoring rules. There are no side-outs. Each team is allowed only one (1) 30 second timeout per set. Games will be played to 25 starting at 4, win by 2 cap at 27. (May be subject to change if schedules are running behind.) Warm-ups are included in the time slot given for each game. There should be 5-minute warm-ups prior to the start of each game. • If previous games end early, next set of teams may start warming up for their games. Reffing team should make sure games follow the timed schedule. o If team is late to their scheduled start time, there will be a four (4) point penalty granted to the opposing team. o Second set will end at the given time regardless of match point. • It will be at the discretion of the scheduled teams to use their time to accommodate any warm-ups/hitting lines. Playoffs & championships: • Playoff structure will be dependent on number of team sign ups in each division. • All sets will be played starting at 0. • Quarterfinal rounds will be single elimination, while semifinals** and finals will be best of three (3) format. **This may be subject to change if schedules are running behind. o First two (2) sets of each playoff match will be played to 25, win by two (2), cap at 27. o If the third set is needed, it will be played to 15, win by two (2), cap at 17. Teams will switch sides of the court at eight (8) points. • Teams who lose in the playoff round will be required to ref an additional match after their playoff game/loss.

• Each team consists of six (6) players on the court at one time. Teams may have ten (10) players max on their roster. - For COED TOURNAMENTS: A team must have at least two (2) women on the court at all times. Teams may play with one (1) female but can then only play with five (5) total players. A team cannot play without any females. There is no maximum number of females that can be on the court. - The libero can be female. In one (1) rotation, she may replace a player in the service position to serve. The libero may only serve in one (1) position in the serving order. • Each team must provide two (2) line judges and one (1) up referee during the pool play games. They will be utilized when teams are sitting out. o During playoffs, teams must provide one (1) additional down referee. • Teams may not machine players. • Only players named on the team roster may participate during the event. o If a player drops from the team on the day of the event, they must reach out to a Tri-State organizer for approval on any roster changes. They may not pull a player from another team in the tournament. o Players may not play for more than one (1) team. o Once the first game starts, roster changers will no longer be allowed. o If a team is missing any players from their roster during their scheduled game, they must play the game with their available players. No substitutions will be allowed. o There must be a minimum of four (4) players from each team on the court to start the game. If there are less than four (4) players available to play, they will only be allowed to play with the approval of the opposing team. Otherwise, for every minute that there are less than four (4) players available, there will be a two (2) point penalty granted to the opposing team until the minimum number of players on the court are met.

• Bring Your Own Ball (BYOB) – Refs will confer with team captains on the game ball that will be used for each match. • A legal serve crosses the net and is either touched by an opposing player or lands within the opposing team’s area of the court within the boundary lines. • The server may not step on or over the end line until the ball has been contacted. The width of the service area is from sideline to sideline. The depth of the service area is infinite. • One (1) service tossing error is allowed. • A defensive block does not count as one of the allowable contacts. A player may reach over the net to block a ball if any portion of the ball breaks the net plane. • You cannot block a set that does not cross the plane of the net to the other side. • The service may not be blocked or spiked. • Players can return the serve by a bump pass, clapping their hands together, a closed first, a set (AS LONG AS THE BALL IS NOT CAUGHT OR CARRIED). • No part of the body may touch the net at any time unless a ball or person driven into the net causes the contact. Player contact with the net in a manner not directly relating to or affecting the course of play is not a violation. Contact with hair or part of the uniform will not be considered a fault. • Contact of the ball when spiking is legal only if a portion of the ball is in contact with the net plane or on the spiker’s side of the net. Spikers may follow through over the net after legal contact. • The ball must be cleanly hit when spiking with an open hand. Guiding or carrying is illegal. • A carry is any use of an open hand(s) while making contact with the ball that is not in a firm manner. If the ball sits in your hand at any time, it is a carry. • A player may touch but not completely cross over the center line with his/her foot. • The ball can contact any number of body parts down to and including the foot.

Each team and player must demonstrate good sportsmanship conduct. It is important that participants respect and handle all disputes in a civilized manner. Failure to do so will result in the team's disqualification from the tournament. Please direct any concerns to the Tri-State organizers so we can resolve any matters accordingly.

• No smoking/chewing tobacco, e-cigarettes/vaping, drugs. • No animals (with the only exception being service animals) are allowed onsite. • No outside food or drink, tailgating, or glass containers. Food and drinks are available at outdoor concessions, the indoor Café, and the various vending machines located through Iron Peak. Personal water containers are allowed as there is a refill station located inside the venue. Water and sports drinks are also permissible. • Please make sure you throw out trash or recyclables in the appropriate places around the facility. • There is limited seating available on the courts. You are welcome to bring your own foldable chairs into the area.

Entering event premise constitutes consent to photographs, audio recording, video recording and to the release, publication, exhibition, or reproduction in connection with Tri-State Volleyball to be used on websites and/or social media. Entering event premise waives all rights to make any claims for payment or royalties in connection with any use, release, publication, exhibition, or reproduction of these photographs, audio recordings, video recordings irrespective of whether a fee for admission or sponsorship is charged. Participants also waive any right to instead or approve any photo taken by Tri-State Volleyball.

In the case of a medical emergency, refs can use their judgment to provide a 3-5 minute timeout to tend to the issue. During this time, a Tri-State organizer should be contacted in the event that more time is necessary to tend to the emergency. If a team loses a player due to a medical incident, the remaining players on the roster must continue playing the game. No roster substitutions will be allowed during the game. Every medical emergency that occurs will be reviewed on a case-to-case basis and our organizers reserve the right to make decisions that will be fair and equal to each team in the tournament.

USA VOLLEYBALL rules apply unless stated otherwise. Tri-State Volleyball reserves the right to revise the rules for this sport at any time to provide a smoother social sports experience.