Registration and League Fees
We prefer you register for all sand volleyball leagues through our online registration system which offers the ability to register only then pay cash, check or credit card at the Facility the first night of league play or register then pay credit card immediately through our online store. All league fees for a team must be paid on the 1st night of league or the League Director may remove that team from the league schedule until all team league fees have been paid.
Roster (Including Subs)
Roster makeup and size depends on division and format and includes a paying player section (Max of 2 for 2×2; 6 for 4×4 and 8 for 6×6.) and substitute player (“Subs”) section. When you register online, only the paying player section is displayed but you will be provided with the official roster form on the 1st night of league and can add up to three (3) Subs at that time. Teams can use these three (3) Subs as needed throughout league play and for playoff tournament. Because we do not like forfeits, we allow teams to use Subs not listed on their official roster as needed but require the Sub to be equal or less skill level than the player he/she is replacing or be approved by the League Director in her/his sole discretion. A Sub not listed on the official roster can be used by a team for the playoff tournament if the Sub has played in at least one league match and the Sub is not listed as a paying player on another team’s roster. Leagues are offered for men/boys, women/girls, coed, semi-coed, or open gender. Men leagues can have women but women leagues are for women only since played on women’s net. With coed and semi-coed, a 6×6 team must have a minimum of 2 women on court at all times while a 4×4 team must have at least 1 woman but please note a 6×6 team can play with 5 people – 4 men and 1 woman. Teams in open gender leagues can have any combination of men and women on court – including all men or all women. A team.may change roster up until their third match by submitting an email to league director notifying her of change. No changes may be made to the roster after the team has played its third scheduled game unless approved by League Director.
Match Play
Schedules. We have a central page for league schedules/standings. Match play start times are pursuant to this league schedule. The duration of the league varies by league but most leagues have 5 weeks of match play plus a season ending single elimination play-off tournament the 6th week. Matches for youth and adults are generally scheduled every 50 minutes and expected game times for certain days are as follows (time slots listed are for both youth and adults unless noted only for one or the other – Family time schedules follows youth). The beginning times of the 1st match of the day may be pushed back as much as 20 minutes depending on the league and schedule conflicts. Please know that we really try to work around time and other schedule conflicts:
- Monday through Friday: 6:00 pm (youth only); 6:50 pm; 7:40 pm; 8:30 pm (older youth and adults only) or 9:20 pm (adults only)
- Saturdays: 8:30 am (youth only); 9:20 am (youth only); 10:10 am (youth only); 11:00 am (youth only); 6:10 pm; 7:00 pm; 7:50 pm; 8:40 pm (adults only)
- Sundays: 4:00 pm; 4:50 pm; 5:40 pm; 6:30 pm; 7:20 pm; 8:10 pm.
Your team should be present, warmed up and at your assigned court ready to play at least ten minutes prior match time to ensure games start on time. See “Forfeits” for details on how to handle teams being late.
Match Play Format. RoShambo better know as rock, paper, scissors prior to match start will determine right to serve or to receive the serve. For each scheduled match, teams will play all three games with a 50 minute time limit. Each game will be played to 19 points, with rally scoring, no win by two. Teams are allowed a one minute break between each game. If a match runs out of time before completing the third game, the team that is in the lead as of time expiration wins that game. The team that wins two of the three games wins the match. The third game does count in the standings as a tie-breaker.
Playoff Tournament. All teams qualify for the playoff tournament but we may elect to divide the playoff tournament into two brackets (championship and consolation). This will be determined on a league-by-league basis, in the league director’s sole discretion, depending on the number of teams registered. The scoring format for the playoff matches will be designated on the playoff bracket sheet. Please note that league prizes are awarded to 1st place and 2nd place of the championship bracket for sure and league prizes to the consolation bracket champions will depend on the number of teams registered. Any League prizes awarded will be given to only paying players on a team (see Roster section for description and use of Subs during the playoff tournament).
League Desk. A clipboard containing the night’s league schedule and a place to record the set scores and match record for each scheduled match, will be located at the league desk. Either at the completion of each set or after the match, the winning team needs to record the scores of each set on this schedule.
Required Number of Players. A team may play with five players in the 6×6 format or three players in the 4×4 format but note with coed division, rules apply with respect to number of gender required on the court (see Roster above for detail). 2 x 2 has to have both players present.
Service/Rotation. No position rotation of players is required in 2×2 and 4×4 formats but you must rotate servers and keep the same serve order. 6×6 must also rotate positions and be aware of overlapping rules. Teams may not attack a serve. The service line is the back end line on both sides of the court and runs the length of the end line. No screening is allowed, (blocking path of vision to the server). The ball may touch the net on serve as long as it goes over the net.
Switching Sides. Due to certain conditions (i.e. sun in eyes, wind), switching sides every 7 points (for games to 19 or 21) is recommended (Default Switching Sides). However, we will allow teams to only switch sides at the completion of each of the first two games and 1/2 way through game 3 (10 for games to 19 or 21) or other mutually agreeable side switching. If both teams can not agree, the Default Switching Sides rule will apply.
Time Outs. Each team is allowed one thirty second (:30) timeout per game with the clock running. Time out may be called prior to server receiving ball on either side of court (between plays).
Substitutions During Play. Substitutions of extra players during set play are allowed in all formats with the exception of Adult 2×2 and Youth 2×2 (Family 2×2 allows substitutions after each set i.e. a child plays 1 set and another child plays 2nd set). When substitutions are allowed, any extra player must sub for same person or at the completion of a set, or team can continuously sub extra players after server spot. The team must follow the same substitution rule, it elects at the beginning, throughout the match. .
Ball in Play. Each team has three contacts at the ball before the ball returns to opposing team’s side of the court; blocks do not count as a contact in all divisions except 2×2 where the block does count as first contact. A player may not contact the ball two times in a row. Two players may contact the ball at the same time; however it is considered two hits. You cannot lift, double contact or throw the ball. A double contact is only allowed on a hard driven ball. On the service receive a “Single Contact” is required when playing the ball above the shoulders. Receiving a serve with your fingertips (or “setting a serve”) is technically legal if perfectly clean but this is highly subjective in a primarily self-ref sport, so for our leagues, no matter what, setting a serve is not legal and will be a point for the other team. You can spike, roll, fist, knuckle or cobra a ball with your hand but you cannot push, tip with your fingers, or throw. If you set the ball over the net, the ball must travel directly in the path the shoulders are facing, with back or front (no deceptive setting) and must be clean (no doubles, bad rotations, etc). Hand sets should be clean – with very little rotation – when in doubt if can have a clean set, please bump set. Coed divisions require a woman to make contact with the ball if hit more than once on a side; whereas semi-coed does not require a woman to hit the ball USA Volleyball Beach Domestic Competition Regulations apply if not listed here.
Forfeits
We do not like forfeits! Please contact us at least 24 hours in advance if you think your team will have trouble playing a scheduled match as we work hard to try to reschedule or find Subs if all possible.
No Call, No Show. If a team does not contact league coordinator about not being able to play scheduled match and then does not show up to play scheduled match, they will automatically record three (3) losses and as long as the opposing team shows up at the scheduled match time, the opposing team will claim three (3) wins. Teams that are late have ten (10) minutes to field enough players to start the first game before the first game is considered a forfeit. The same late team has ten (10) additional minutes to field a team for the second game before the second game is considered a forfeit. At thirty (30) minutes past the first game’s start time, all three (3) games are forfeited. If a team forfeits the entire match twice, they will be removed from the schedule, forfeit their league fees; and miss the playoffs regardless of their record. Only the on-site league coordinator can call forfeits and extend leniency where extenuating circumstance exist. In cases of a possible no show, the team in waiting needs to contact the on-site league coordinator.
Notification of No Show. If a team cannot make a scheduled match, a player from the team must contact us at least 24 hours in advance to possibly avoid forfeiting the match. Upon receiving notice, League Director will try to find Subs, reschedule the match to another day or find the opposing team a new opponent from the league and if successful, the two teams will become the new “scheduled match and the original match will be treated as if it was never scheduled. If the League Director is unsuccessful in find Subs, rescheduling the match to another day or finding a new opponent, the match will be forfeited and the details above of Forfeit – No call, No show will apply. Of course, the more notice that is given, the higher chance a Sub can be found, a match can be rescheduled or a new opponent will be found. If a player from the team contacts us in error or the team changes its mind, League Director cannot guarantee that they will have a match available for that night.
Rainouts/Postponements/Other League Cancellations
The sand courts rarely rain out if heavy rain prior to start of league matches due to its great drainage system. However, we postpone matches if heavy rain and/or lightning during scheduled match and sometimes cancel match depending on how long the heavy rain and/or lightning will last. Any notice concerning a rainout or other league match cancellation or postponement will be emailed or texted to the team leader, whichever he or she prefers AND posted on The Beach’s home page (right sidebar – “Weather Updates”) by 5:00 pm on the day of the scheduled play. If you have not received notification and unsure of the status or if weather moves in subsequent to this time, please contact us or check the Website again before heading to your games. We do our best to provide you as much advance notice as possible but please keep in mind that weather is very unpredictable so we may not be able to make a weather decision until closer to a scheduled match time. In the event a match has to be cancelled, the match will be rescheduled on another league day – this will either extend the league end date by one week or add a double header week for the teams. Teams are guaranteed the opportunity to play the number of matches designated for the particular league.
Uniforms
Uniforms are not required. Players must play barefoot or use some approved sand sock.
Referee Assignments
Teams self-ref.
Facility Rules
In addition to the rules of play, all participants must abide by Facility Rules and Regulations.