Diablos OutSports Assoc. - Rec-Beginners 6's Rules

🏐 REC-BEGINNERS 6'S

RULES & POLICIES

LEARN • PLAY • COMPETE • PLAY PROUD.

Welcome to the Rec-Beginners 6’s Division!

This division is designed for players who are new to volleyball or are still developing their fundamental skills. Our goal is to provide a fun, welcoming, and supportive environment where everyone can learn, build confidence, improve teamwork, and enjoy friendly competition.

Good sportsmanship, fair play, and respect for fellow players are expected at all times.

Sportsmanship & Player Conduct

Diablos OutSports expects all participants to create a respectful, welcoming, and competitive environment.

Arrive on time, warm up, and be prepared to play.
Respect teammates, opponents, umpires, and league officials.
Accept officials' decisions, even when you disagree.
Demonstrate self-control in victory and defeat.
Avoid harassment, taunting, profanity, degrading comments, and disrespectful behavior.
Understand and follow the rules to help maintain safe competition.
Treat everyone with the same respect you expect to receive.

Unsportsmanlike Conduct: Verbal abuse or aggressive arguments toward an umpire may result in immediate ejection, suspension, or removal from the league. Repeated offenses may lead to league expulsion.

1. TEAM COMPOSITION & ELIGIBILITY

Team Roster

6–12 registered players per team.
A 5-player roster may be permitted with advance approval from the Volleyball Director.

Player Eligibility

Sunday Recreational Division
All players must have Recreational status, with an exception for 1 Intermediate 6's player per team.

Monday Recreational Division

Recreational players only.
No Intermediate 6's or Advanced 4's players permitted.

Dual Rostering

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

Player Replacements

Captains must notify the league of any roster replacement before the new player participates.
Replacements after Week 3 require league approval and will be reviewed individually.

2. GAME FORMAT & SCORING

Regular Season — 7 Weeks

21 POINTS

Rally scoring: A point is awarded on every serve.
Teams must win by 2 points.
No point cap.

Tournament — Winners Bracket

25 POINTS • CAPPED

First team to 25 wins.
No win-by-2 requirement.

Tournament — 2nd Chance Bracket

15 POINTS • CAPPED

First team to 15 wins.
No win-by-2 requirement.
Teams switch sides when the first team reaches 8 points.

3. GAMEPLAY & BALL CONTACT

Service Receive

Players may receive the serve using:

A forearm/bump pass
Closed hands
Open hands

Attacking or blocking a serve is prohibited.

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

Jumping to receive a serve is permitted only when the ball remains on the receiving team's side.

Setting & Open-Hand Contact

The ball may not be caught, held, lifted, or thrown.
Overhead sets must be clean, with a single, quick contact and minimal spin.
An open-hand push over the net on the second or third contact is allowed only when the contact is clean and has minimal rotation.
Illegal double contacts result in a point for the opposing team.

Underhand Contact & Lifts

ALLOWED

Forearm platform passes
Single-forearm passes
Closed-fist passes
One-handed contact using a closed fist or knuckles

NOT ALLOWED

Scooping or lifting the ball with an open palm
Using separated forearms to carry or throw the ball
Catching, holding, or throwing the ball

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

4. ROTATION & SUBSTITUTIONS

Rotation Requirements

Teams with 5 or more players on the court must rotate.

Teams playing with 4 players are not required to rotate.

When rotation is required, teams must maintain the correct serving and rotation order.

Player Substitutions

Players may enter only when their team has the serve.
All substitutions must occur between points.
Substitutes must follow the established rotation order.
Substitutes must replace the appropriate player or enter as the next server.

Illegal entry results in a point for the opposing team.

5. NET & CENTERLINE VIOLATIONS

Net Contact

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

Centerline

Players may not cross completely over the centerline underneath the net while the ball is in play.

Violations result in a point for the opposing team.

6. TIMEOUTS

Each team is allowed:

ONE 30-SECOND TIMEOUT PER SET

7. GAME ARRIVAL & DELAYS

5-Minute Grace Period

Teams have 5 minutes from their scheduled game time, or when the court becomes available, to be ready to play.

Delay Penalty

After the initial grace period, the ready team will be awarded 1 point for every additional minute of delay.

Automatic Forfeit

A team that is unable to begin play within 15 minutes total will forfeit the game.

8. FORFEITS & FINES

Advance Forfeit Notice

Teams must email their forfeit notice by the Friday before their scheduled Sunday or Monday games to avoid a fine.

Send notices to both:

diego@diablosoutsports.com

volleyball@diablosoutsports.com

Same-Day Forfeit

$25 FINE

Applies to game-day forfeitures, regardless of the reason or notice provided.

No Call, No Show

$50 FINE

Applies when a team fails to appear without prior notification.

Repeated Forfeits

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

9. SUBSTITUTES TO AVOID A FORFEIT

Teams with 6 or More Players Present

At least 3 original rostered players must be present.
Up to 3 substitute players are permitted.

Teams with 4–5 Players Present

At least 2 original rostered players must be present.
Up to 2 substitute players are permitted.

These exceptions are intended to help teams avoid forfeiting when rostered players are unavailable.

10. MOVING TO A HIGHER DIVISION

Teams interested in advancing to Intermediate 6’s must demonstrate consistent competitive performance.

Consideration may include:

Top-two divisional finishes
Multiple divisional or tournament wins
Consistent improvement and competitive results
Retaining at least 90% of the same team roster

Division advancement is not automatic.

All requests are reviewed by league leadership on a case-by-case basis.

PLAY FAIR. HAVE FUN. PLAY PROUD. 🏐

Our goal is to create a welcoming volleyball community where players of all experience levels can improve their skills, make connections, and enjoy the game.

Respect the rules. Support your teammates. Enjoy the competition.

PLAY SMART. PLAY FAIR. PLAY PROUD. 🏐