Table of Contents
I. Application:
Unless otherwise stated, these rules apply to all Sandia Volleyball Association (SVBA) indoor volleyball leagues during both the regular season and the post-season tournament.
II. Eligibility and Registration:
A. Player Eligibility
The SVBA is coordinated by volunteers working to benefit the goals of the Sandia Employee Recreation Program and is hosted by the JCC. Therefore, player eligibility is limited to participants who have an affiliation with those organizations or their close partners and all players must meet one of the following eligibility criteria:
- Sandia employees, their spouses, and dependents (current)
- Retired and former Sandia employees
- Sandia contractors and other members of the workforce (current)
- JCC members and employees (current)
- DOE/NNSA (current or retired)
- Service Members (current or retired)
- KAFB/DOD Contractor (current)
- SVBA participant since January of 2025 (grandfathered players who do not meet other eligibility requirements)
B. Additional eligibility requirements:
- A player may be rostered on up to two teams. However, each team must be in a different, adjacent division.
- All players must register with the JCC each season and submit a completed waiver
- A player may only receive one SERP subsidy per season
- All SERP subsidized players must be current SERP members and have an annual SERP waiver on file.
C. Teams and players will register for a season according to the instructions provided during the registration period.
D. Roster changes (additions/deletions) should be emailed to the JCC as well as the SVBA
secretary.
III. Leagues, General Information:
A. Each team will play as many matches as the season will allow including a post-season
tournament.
B. Each match during the regular season will consist of 3 games.
C. Each match during the tournament will be played until one team wins 2 games.
D. There will be Divisions such that teams will be grouped according to skill level.
E. A team must move up a Division for one season if, in any two consecutive indoor seasons, it places first three times in any combination of the regular season and the tournament.
F. Exceptions:
i.) A team may petition not to move up if:
a) Substantial changes have been made to the roster(s) of the winning team(s) and
b) The proposed team is clearly appropriate for the Division the team is requesting.
The written request and team roster must be submitted to the SVBA Board at least one week prior to the sign-up deadline. If the request is approved, subsequent roster additions must also be approved by the SVBA Board. Note: If a team is approved to not move up, the move-up criteria remains applicable, i.e. Division and tournament championships from the previous season still count toward move-up criteria. A team does not need to move up or petition to stay in the same Division if there are three or fewer players from any
of the three championship teams on the roster. A team not playing a season will be considered equivalent to the team having moved up for the season.
ii.) At the discretion of the SVBA Board, a team may be allowed to remain in its Division even after winning three times in two consecutive indoor seasons. However, the team will be ineligible for regular season prizes. The team will not be allowed to play in the post-season tournament for their Division but may elect to play in the tournament for the next-higher Division. The written request and team roster must be submitted to the SVBA Board at least one week prior to the sign-up deadline. If the request is approved, subsequent roster additions must also be approved by the SVBA Board.
G. Advanced Division teams will be formed by one of the following methods, as determined by the SVBA Board prior to the start of the season:
i.) Individual teams formed with their own rosters.
ii.) Teams formed by the SVBA Board using a lottery or draft system.
H. For all other Divisions, teams must form their own rosters.
I. Divisions are defined with the following Levels and Playing Guidance. Teams and players should match their team composition and playing levels to match Division
descriptions.
i.) Advanced – Players perform volleyball skills with consistently accurate/effective results. High degree of team consistency. Desire highest level of competition.
ii.) Upper Intermediate – Players possess sound volleyball skills. Moderate level of team consistency. Desire good competition in a competitive environment.
iii.) Middle Intermediate – Moderately competitive atmosphere. Players consistently perform basic volleyball skills with good results.
iv.) Lower Intermediate – Recreational atmosphere. Players can perform basic volleyball skills but are still developing the ability to produce good results.
v.) Recreational – Recreational atmosphere, entry level volleyball skills.
IV. Postponements and Reschedules:
A. Matches will not be rescheduled at the request of the teams.
B. Any match postponed by the SVBA Board will be rescheduled, if possible.
C. If a match that has already started needs to be rescheduled, it will start from where it was stopped.
V. Forfeits:
A. Teams must have at least 4 players at the published start time, otherwise a forfeit will be declared for the first game. However, if the prior match ends with less than 5 minutes remaining prior to the next match, or if it ends late, forfeit time is 5 minutes after the end of the prior match. If the team still does not have at least 4 players after another 15 minutes, the entire match (all three games) is forfeited. Exceptions to this guidance can be made (e.g., allowing fewer than 4 players on a side), but must be agreed upon by both captains and the referee.
B. If a team forfeits 2 or more matches during any one regular season, they will be considered for being dropped from the league for the remainder of that season, without reimbursement.
VI. Protests:
Player eligibility and misinterpretation of a playing rule will be the only protests allowed. Player eligibility protests may be brought up at any time prior to the end of the season to the Division Representative. All other protests must be brought to the attention of the referees at the time of the match, with a written note included on the score sheet; the Division Representative should also be notified as soon as is practical.
VII. Rosters:
A. Rosters are mandatory for all SERP and Non-SERP teams. All SERP team rosters must be submitted to the SERP office prior to the first regular season game. Any changes to SERP team rosters must also be submitted to the SERP office using the roster ADDITION/DELETE form via email. All SERP team captains must assure that all players have current liability waivers on file at the SERP office. All SERP and Non-SERP team captains must assure that all players have JCC liability forms on file at the JCC. These liability forms will be available with the referee or in the JCC office and may be filled out immediately prior to play. Any roster additions must be provided to the SERP office prior to the next match the player participates in. Players added to a roster immediately prior to a match must play as a substitute for the match.
B. All players must be on the team roster prior to participating, with the exception of substitutes (see rule VIII below). Players may not be on more than one roster within each Division.
C. In the case of roster protests, a picture ID must be shown to the referee upon request. If an ID is not provided, the player will be assumed illegal and not allowed to play.
D. The last day players may be added to the roster is two weeks prior to the final night of regular season league play (i.e., all divisions have the same deadline).
E. Players can only be added to SVBA-formed Advanced Division teams (i.e., draft/lottery teams) by the SVBA Board.
VIII. Non-Roster Player Substitutions:
Substitutes must be on a roster within the Division that is playing or registered on the SVBA substitute player list (https://www.sandia.gov/volleyball/sub-pool/). Substitutes must only play for teams in a Division/level matching their rostered team or self-selected level(s) of play. For example, a Lower Intermediate Division (L2) team may use substitutes that are registered as being available to play at level L2. Substitute players are expected to select the most accurate level for themselves (based on the SVBA description) and can optionally select to play one level above or below. For example, a player that typically plays at the L3 level, could elect to substitute at L2, L3, or L4 level. Substitutes must stop playing when rostered team members can replace them.
A. Team captains must declare to the opposing captain and referee prior to commencement of a game that they will have substitute players by marking them on the sign-in sheet. Failure to do so may result in forfeiture of that match. Further action may also be warranted as determined by the SVBA Board.
B. Regular Season – All teams with their own rosters:
i. A team must have a minimum of 4 players to play and may pick up as many as 4 players to get 6 players. Permission is not needed from the opposing captain.
ii. In order to avoid forfeits, a team with one rostered player on the court may still play with up to 5 substitute players, however, the win for the match will go to the opposing team (assuming they have at least 2 rostered players on the court).
iii. If an injury brings a team below 6 players, a non-roster player may reenter the game, or the opposing captain may approve other subs.
iv. Substitute players must sign any relevant waivers before substituting for a team. If they are not on a regular season team, they should register for the “free agent” team in order to sign required waivers.
C. Tournament – All Divisions: A team will be allowed only one substitution in order to get the team up to four players, and none are allowed if the team already has four or more players.
IX. Rules:
The current USA Volleyball Rules will be used in addition to these bylaws. In case of conflict, the Bylaws take precedence over USA Volleyball rules:
A. All players will be dressed appropriately. Only athletic attire is allowed. It is forbidden to wear hats, jewelry, or street clothing. An exception will be made for flat band rings or if items are taped in a manner as to not create a safety hazard.
B. Only non-marking basketball, volleyball, cross trainer, or tennis shoes will be permitted.
C. A team must have a minimum of 4 players on the court and no more than 6 for both the regular season and the post-season tournament.
D. A coin flip or rock-paper-scissors will be used at the beginning of the match to determine choice of side, serve, or receive (per USAV rules). The coin flip or rock-paper-scissors will be repeated before the beginning of the 3rd game only if each team has won a game and the match is tied at 1-1.
E. All games will be rally point scoring.
F. Each regular-season match will start on time or 5 minutes after the previous match if it ended late, and will consist of the following:
i.) There will be a 55-minute time limit on each match with a maximum 3-minute break between individual games. If the time limit is reached during a game, the team that is ahead at the time will win the game. If there is a tie when the time limit is reached, one additional point will be played to determine the winner.
ii.) Three games to 25 points with a 2-point margin and a 28-point cap.
iii.) If there is a forfeit or if match ends sooner than expected, teams may use the court until five minutes before the next scheduled match.
G. Tournament matches will be played until one team wins 2 games. Each match will consist of the following:
i.) There will be no time limit on each match.
ii.) Two games to 25 points with a 2-point margin, capped at 28. If necessary, a third game to 15 points with a 2-point margin and no cap.
iii.) There will be up to two 30-second time outs per game per team
H. If the ball hits anything above the court (ceiling, rafters, wires, etc.) it is still in play if it remains on the team’s side where the last contact was made and can be legally played. The other team is awarded a point if the ball crosses to their side after contacting anything above the court.
I. “Mercy” Rule: For Recreational Division only, no more than 10 consecutive serves will be allowed for any one player. After the 10th point is won on service, a side out will be awarded to the opposing team (with no point awarded to the team siding out).
J. Substitutions:
i.) Teams may substitute players in one of three ways:
a) Rotational Substitution: Players may enter the game in designated positions on the court as a team is rotating and must maintain their relative positions with other players. The captain must designate the locations (up to two) of the substitutions prior to the start of each game (examples: the serving position and/or left front position).
b) Modified Rotational Substitution: Substitution is done as is (a) above, but up to two designated setters are exempted from “rotating out” of the game.
c) Player-for-Player Substitution: A player in the starting line-up may leave the game and re-enter, but only in the previous position in the line-up rotation that s/he first entered. A player that substitutes for another player may exit and re-enter the game, but only in the same position in the line-up rotation. [In common practice, this means that two players can come in and out of the game, substituting for each other at any position on the court.] Additionally, libero substitution is allowed: The libero must be identified to the referee and the opposing captain prior the beginning the match; the libero is restricted to performing as a back-row player; the libero may not serve, block, or attempt to block; in most cases the libero may not hand set a ball from in front of the 10-ft line if it results in an attack-hit by a teammate; the libero is allowed to replace any player in a back-row position; and the libero can be replaced only by the player whom s/he replaced. For more details and a more complete discussion on the libero position, see the USAV rulebook.
ii.) Team captains must declare the substitution style to the referees prior to the start of each game.
iii.) Substitution of one or more players is permitted at the same time.
iv.) There is no limit to the number of substitutions during a game.
K. Fielding Players Appropriate to the Division
i.) A team may not field more than four higher Division players, including substitutes, at the same time. A higher Division player shall be defined as someone who has participated in a majority of matches (e.g., five or more matches during a ten-match season) for a team in a higher Division during two
of the past three seasons.
ii.) If a team fields any player whose skill level is consistent with a higher Division and that player allows the team to dominate its opponents, any captain from that Division may request a competitiveness review by the SVBA Board. The SVBA Board may limit, for that team, the number of higher-level players that can be on the court at any time.
iii.) An SVBA Officer, referee, or Division Representative may, even without a request from a captain, restrict or deny the participation of players who represent a safety hazard to other participants.
iv.) Players whose skill level is clearly consistent with a higher Division, should be considered as a higher Division player, even if they do not meet the defined criteria.
v.) Players that are playing “down” should use it as an opportunity to improve their weaker skills and facilitate their teammate’s improvement. Their playing objectives should be consistent with the Division descriptions. Players should avoid just using this as an opportunity to use their best upper-level skills against lower-level competition.
vi.) No children under 14 may participate in league activities. For children 14 and older, the parents need to evaluate their child and make an informed decision about risk and safety. The child needs to be physically and emotionally mature enough to safely participate with adults. Based on these factors, as well as team composition and Division, the SVBA board reserves the right to deem a player too young to compete safely.
L. Additional Rule Clarifications:
i.) A men’s height net set at 2.43m (7’11 5/8”) shall be used for all indoor games.
ii.) For player safety reasons, the following rules apply:
a) No contact with the opponent’s court with any part of the body above the feet is permitted.
b) No contact with the net is permitted except in instances where the ball pushes the net into a player.
c) Repeated uncontrolled or dangerous play may result in a player being warned, kicked off the court, and/or possibly banned from the league (e.g., attempting to save a ball by kicking which results in another player being kicked or forcibly struck by the ball).
iii.) Service zone and free areas around the court shall be limited by the available gym space and no additional court markings shall be added to increase the size of either area.
X. Standings:
The percentage of matches won will be used to compute standings. Any ties in the final standings will be broken by overall games won percentage. If still tied and all teams involved in a tie have played each other at least once, selection will be by win percentage of matches played between tied teams, win percentage of games played between tied teams, or average of point differentials played between tied teams, in that order. If still tied, final selection will be by average of point differentials over all matches or random selection, in that order.
XI. Play-Offs:
Tournament play will be by Division. Teems will be seeded based on their final regular season standings.
XII. Captains and Players Code of Conduct:
A. The team captain is solely responsible for his bench and players. The team captain will represent the team. Captains are expected to discipline their players so that their conduct on the court will result in team leadership and good sportsmanship.
B. Good sportsmanship is expected and required from all participants throughout all aspects of SVBA leagues. Lack of sportsmanship may result in a player being removed from a game or suspended from the league dependent upon the severity.
C. Any captain or player removed from a game for any reason will be disqualified for the rest of that match. A second expulsion will result in disqualification for the remainder of the season.
D. The consumption of alcoholic beverages or use of an illegal substance at SVBA sponsored recreation activities is strictly prohibited. Violations of this policy shall result in disciplinary action up to and including permanent removal and ban from all further SVBA participation.
XIII. Special Circumstances
The SVBA Board will rule on any point not covered in these rules.
SVBA Board Acceptance:
Dated: September 28, 2025
Nathanael Brown (SVBA President)
Jazmin Phlipot (SVBA Vice-President)
Todd Ritterbush (SVBA Treasurer)
Isaac Burns (SVBA Secretary)