Diablos OutSports Assoc. - Intermediate 6's Rules

🏐 INTERMEDIATE 6'S

RULES & POLICIES

SKILL • TEAMWORK • COMPETITION • SPORTSMANSHIP

The Intermediate 6’s Division is designed for players who have developed solid volleyball fundamentals and are ready for more structured, competitive play.

Players should demonstrate consistent skill execution, teamwork, court awareness, and good sportsmanship. Teams are encouraged to use three controlled contacts whenever possible to create organized offensive plays.

👥 1. TEAM COMPOSITION & ELIGIBILITY

Roster Size

Teams may have 5–8 registered players.

Player Skill Levels

Teams may include players classified as:

✓ Rec-Beginner
✓ Intermediate
✓ Intermediate Plus

A team may have a maximum of 2 Rec-Beginner players.

Teams with more than 2 Rec-Beginner players will be moved to the Rec-Beginner Division.

Playing Up

Rec-Beginner players wishing to "play up" may request a status review.

Intermediate/Advanced Players

Players with an Intermediate or Advanced status may not play or substitute in a Recreational Division.

Policy effective Spring 2025.

Dual Rostering

Players may not be rostered on two different teams within the league.

🏐 2. GAMEPLAY & BALL CONTACT

Service & First Contact

A serve may be received using:

✓ Forearm/bump pass
✓ Closed hands
✓ Open hands

Attacking the Serve

A player may not jump and attack a served ball directly back over the net.

If the first contact is being returned over the net, the receiving player's feet must remain on the ground.

A player may jump to receive or play a serve if the ball remains on their team's side.

✋ Setting & Open-Hand Contact

The ball may never be caught, held, lifted, or thrown.

Open-Hand Sets

Open-hand sets must be clean and controlled.

Excessive rotation or a double contact is considered illegal and results in a point for the opposing team.

Sending the Ball Over the Net

An open-hand set or push over the net on the 2nd or 3rd contact is permitted only when the contact is clean and the ball has minimal rotation.

Underhand Contact & Lifts

LEGAL

✓ Forearm platform pass
✓ Single-forearm contact
✓ Closed-fist contact
✓ One-handed contact with a closed hand

ILLEGAL

❌ Open-palm underhand contact that catches, scoops, or throws the ball

❌ Using separated forearms to scoop or carry the ball during a platform attempt

A lift violation results in a point for the opposing team.

🚨 3. NET & CENTERLINE VIOLATIONS

Net Contact

Players may not contact the net between the antennas while the ball is in play.

Centerline

A player may not step completely across the centerline while the ball is in play.

A violation results in a point for the opposing team.

🔄 4. ROTATION & POSITIONING

Rotation Is Required

All Intermediate 6’s teams are required to follow standard volleyball rotation rules.

Players must begin each rally in their proper rotational positions.

Teams may use designated setters, hitters, and other offensive systems by transitioning after the serve, provided all rotational and front-row/back-row restrictions are followed.

⏱️ 6. TIMEOUTS

Each team receives:

ONE 30-SECOND TIMEOUT PER SET

Front Row / Back Row Rules

Front-Row Players

Front-row players may:

✓ Attack at the net
✓ Block or attempt to block
✓ Transition into their team's offensive system

Back-Row Players

Back-row players:

✓ Must begin each rally in their proper back-row rotational position
✓ May transition after the serve
✓ May attack the ball if they legally take off from behind the 10-foot attack line

Back-row players may not:

❌ Block or attempt to block at the net
❌ Complete an illegal back-row attack from in front of the 10-foot line

Teams may never have more than 3 rotational front-row players.

Setter Transition

Teams may use a designated setter.

A back-row setter may transition toward the net after the serve to run the offense but remains a back-row player and is subject to all back-row restrictions.

Rotation Violations

Players must:

✓ Begin in the correct rotational order
✓ Maintain the proper serving order
✓ Follow front-row and back-row restrictions

Failure to do so may result in a rotation violation and loss of rally/point.

🔁 5. SUBSTITUTIONS & PLAYER ENTRY

Substitutions may occur only between points and on the team's turn to serve.

The substitute must enter for the appropriate player while maintaining the team's rotational order.

Illegal Entry

Entering at the incorrect time or position results in a point for the opposing team.

🏆 7. SCORING & MATCH FORMAT

Regular Season

21 POINTS

✓ Rally scoring
✓ Must win by 2
✓ No point cap

Tournament — Main Bracket

25 POINTS • CAPPED

✓ Rally scoring
✓ First team to 25 wins
✓ No win-by-2 requirement

Tournament — 2nd Chance Bracket

15 POINTS • CAPPED

✓ Rally scoring
✓ Teams switch sides at 8
✓ First team to 15 wins
✓ No win-by-2 requirement

⏰ 8. GAME TIMING

40 MINUTES

When timed play is being used, games consist of 40 minutes of continuous running time beginning with the first serve.

The timer continues to run during timeouts.

Timer Enforcement

Teams are responsible for starting the official timer immediately.

If the timer is not started, 3 minutes will be deducted for every 5 combined points scored when the error is discovered.

When Time Expires

If time expires during a rally:

✓ Finish the current rally.

❌ No additional serve may begin.

The game ends after that rally regardless of the score.

⌛ 9. GRACE PERIOD & DELAYS

Teams receive a 5-minute grace period from the scheduled game time or when the court becomes available.

After the initial grace period, the delaying team has up to 10 additional minutes to field a legal team before forfeiting.

Delay Penalty

After the initial 5-minute grace period, the ready team may be awarded:

1 POINT PER MINUTE OF DELAY

👤 10. SUBSTITUTES TO AVOID A FORFEIT

Teams with 6+ Rostered Players

At least 3 original rostered players must be present.

The team may use a maximum of 3 substitute players.

Teams with 4–5 Rostered Players

At least 2 original rostered players must be present.

The team may use a maximum of 2 substitute players.

📋 12. ROSTER CHANGES

Captains must report any player replacement before the replacement player participates.

Roster replacements occurring after Week 3 require league approval and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

⚠️ 11. FORFEITS & FINES

Advance Notice

To avoid a fine, forfeiture notices for Sunday or Monday games must be emailed by the Friday before the scheduled games.

Forfeit Notices

diego@diablosoutsports.com

Game-Day Forfeit

$25 FINE

No Call, No Show

$50 FINE

The No Call, No Show fine is applied to the team captain.

Multiple Forfeits

Teams with multiple forfeits may be removed from the league without a refund.

📈 13. PLAYER STATUS CHANGES

A Rec-Beginner player may receive official Intermediate status by:

1. Completing one full year of play in the Intermediate Division

2. Requesting and passing a mid-season player evaluation

⬆️ 14. MOVING TO INTERMEDIATE PLUS

Teams wishing to move from Intermediate 6’s to Intermediate Plus (B+) must demonstrate a proven competitive record.

Factors considered may include:

✓ Top-three finishes
✓ Division championships or strong tournament results
✓ Consistent competitive performance
✓ Retaining approximately 90% of the same roster

Movement to Intermediate Plus is not automatic and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.