APEXSAND

Rule Differences

Beach Volleyball (doubles)
USAV 



There are several differences between indoor and outdoor rules of the game.  Be sure to read and familiarize yourself with the differences.

1. Teams: 
Two players with no substitutes and one player is designated as captain
Either player may occasionally ask the referee to explain a call
The referee(s) must offer a brief but succinct explanation, based on rule.
The players have the option to protest rules interpretations, but not judgment.
2. Uniforms:
Uniforms are bathing suits or shorts/tops and must be of similar color/style.
Numbering recommended:  Only the numbers 1 and 2 are legal
Barefoot unless socks authorized by referee
Hat, glasses and etc. may be worn at player’s own risk.  No items that may present hazard.
3. Spirit of the outdoor game:
Know the rules and abide by them.  Respect the spirit of the game.

During the Set:
1. Position Faults:
No requirement other than both players must be on their court at service

2. Service Order:
Players must alternate terms of service. 
At the coin toss the captain indicates who will serve first for the team.
Each rally begins only when teams are prepared and ready.
Scorer confirms that correct server does serve. 
Referees must inform players if wrong player attempts to serve.
If wrong player serves, immediately stop rally and replay with correct server.
If wrong player serves and rally is completed, that point will stand. 
Employ the correct server for next service attempt.
Referees confirm that receiving team is “ready” with no screens.
Receiving team should raise a hand to indicate that a screen exists.
Serving team must alter positions if requested to avoid screen.

3.  In and Out:
The ball is IN when it physically touches the line, or the court within the lines.
Note:  That in beach volleyball the lines move, and are effected by the condition of the sand.  Care
should be taken to straighten the lines every play, and to rake or level the sand near the lines
routinely to keep the court uniform.
The ball is OUT when it lands out of bounds, touches objects outside the free zone, hits the
antennae or net support structure, completely crosses the lower space under the net or passes
entirely beyond the plane of the net partly or totally outside the antennae during the serve or after
a team’s third hit. (Pursuit is legal in beach volleyball!)

4:  Result of a fault:
Rally scoring:  If a team commits a fault it loses the rally, including both a point and the right to
serve.  Only the first fault in a rally is counted.  Simultaneous faults by opponents leads to a
replay.

5:  Playing the ball:
Each team gets 3 hits and THE BLOCK COUNTS AS A TEAM HIT (except a joust).
Contact may be made with any part of the body and the ball can rebound in any direction.
Simultaneous contact by teammates is counted as TWO team hits.
The ball must be hit.  It may not be caught or thrown.  (TIPS ARE ILLEGAL)
Simultaneous contact by opponents (joust) is legal, even if momentarily held.
Both teams retain the right to three hits after a joust
Players may not take support from a person or object in order to play the ball.
Possible Faults in playing the ball include:
Four Hits  Held Ball
Double Contact Illegal attack
Service Faults  Block Faults 

6.  Digs:
During the team’s first contact it is legal for the ball to strike two or more parts of a defenders’
body during a single action to play the ball. 
In Beach Volleyball, however, there are exceptions that come into play:
1) Double contact with overhand finger action is NOT allowed
unless;
2) the double-contact was in defense of a “hard –driven attack” 
Also note:
“Hard driven” balls may be momentarily held (as well as “doubled with finger action”).
Simultaneous contact by teammates counts as TWO hits.
SERVED balls are (by rule) declared “NOT AN ATTACK-HIT”.
       It is legal to receive serve open-handed, but strict hand setting judgment applies.

7.  How to judge defensive plays:
If a player DELIBERATELY uses open-hand finger-action to contact ANY ball, that contact must
be judged as a set.  (The “hard driven” ball is considered to move too fast for “deliberate decision”
to employ setting action… that’s why we don’t call the defender’s “double” if we declare a ball
hard-driven).
In judging defensive actions involving finger action, the referee must evaluate:
   1) Speed:  Was the ball hit very hard?
   2) Distance:  How far did the ball travel?  Thus:  How much time was there?
       and ultimately;
   3)  Was the defensive play “reactive” in nature?  Or,
      4)  Did the defender “decide” to employ overhand setting action?
In the end the referee must come to a decision: “In this case, based on the three guiding           
criteria, this action will (or will not) be JUDGED AS A SET.”

8.  Hand setting: 
Setting is judged very strictly.  Think “old school” indoor volleyball.   
The hands must act together smoothly, or a “double-hit” should be called.
Spin is not a fault… but spin is an indicating factor of a possible fault.
Sets that visibly come to rest or are re-directed are “held ball” faults.
When a beach player uses a hand setting action to attack the opponent’s courts, it MUST be
completed the trajectory of the ball perpendicular to the line of their shoulders.

9.  Ball Near the Net: 
Over:
The ball must be played across the net within the crossing space above the net.
Above the net, teams may play the ball only ON THEIR OWN SIDE (no reaching beyond the
plane to “bring back” a set above net).
Blocks on the opponent’s side may occur provided this action does not interfere with opponents
play or after the execution of an attack hit.
Under:
Balls passing under the net, but still in the plane, may be “played back.” 
Balls completely crossing under the net are “out” (signal “under”).
Note:  Pursuit is legal 
The first or second ball must pass over or outside of an antenna.
The ball must be played back over/outside the same antenna.
Within the teams three contacts, must send the ball properly through the crossing space.
Pursuit outdoors allows a player to pursue across the opponents’ court during their attempt. 
Referees must be aware potential interference!

10.  Player Near Net 
Net Contact: 
Net-contact is not a fault unless it occurs during the action of playing the ball or unless it interferes
with play.
Small contacts away from the play must be overlooked.
Over: 
You may only contact the ball within your own “playing-space” (exception:  blocking).
Setters/players may not reach beyond the vertical plane to retrieve the ball. 
Attackers must only touch that part of the ball which is on their side of the net. 
Follow-through across the plane of the net after the contact is legal.
Blockers may penetrate the plane over the net and block only after an attack hit. 

Under: 
There is no center line (literally) or in the sense of team possession.
Players may cross into the opponent’s area (generally during “pursuit” or during an attempt to
save a ball in or under the net) as long as they do not interfere with the opponents.

11.  Interference: 
Is the most difficult call that the (second) referee must consider.
Referees must use broad awareness of many factors in judging interference.
If a player interferes with the opponents’ play, he must be called for the fault.
Signal “interference” by pointing with index finger under net (and verbalizing “Interference”).
Note: Contact between opponents does not always constitute interference, (bump knees, step
briefly on toes & etc.) and that interference can also occur without physical contact. (i.e. fallen
player under net prevents defender covering short)
Interference is a fault that results in a point, not a replay!

12.  Service:
The serve must be contacted with one hand or arm, within a 5 second time limit.
Server is permitted one toss per service attempt.
Server must be in (or jump from within) the 8m width of the court.
The server may not step on or under the baseline prior to contact of serve.
Movement of the line by pressed sand is not a fault.
Reminder:  Officials prevent wrong-servers!

13.  Screening: 
The referee does not beckon for serve until both teams are prepared.
The serving team may not impede the receiving teams’ view of the server or ball.
The receiving team typically raises a hand to indicate a screen.
The serving team is thereby required to change alignment.
The first referee will not authorize service until screens have been resolved.

14.  Attack Hits:
Any contact that will send the ball to the opponents (except the serve) is an attack.
Attacks must take place within a team’s playing space… not on the opponent’s side.
Serves may not be attacked while still higher than the top of the net from anywhere on court.
Tips:
“Open hand” tipping is illegal (signal “illegal attack”).
To dink legally, all fingers in contact with the ball must be “rigid and together”.
Knuckles are exempted.  The rule is intended to address fingertip control.

Setting over:
Setting the ball across to the opponent’s court with finger action is only legal if the setter’s body
position is established and the set is made directly forward or directly behind that position
(“square” to the attacker’s facing direction).
Setting the ball across to the opponent’s court while off-angle or pivoting and not setting a
teammate; should be called for an “illegal attack”.

15.  Blocks: 
A block is an action (close to the net and above the net) that attempts to intercept a ball coming
from the opponents court.
The block DOES count as first team contact.
EITHER player of the team may make the 2nd team contact.
Multiple contacts at the block are counted as only one hit.
Serves may not be blocked.
Small contact at the block requires special attention from the officials:
The 2nd referee and lines-judges should quietly show “touch at block” during play, to assist the       
1st referee in the event that the blocker makes contact, thus helping assure the correct outcome to
the play.  

16.  Regular Game Delays 
Timeout (T/O):
Each team may call one timeout per set. 
The total duration last no more than 60 seconds :
Teams get 15 seconds to reach the player box, 
The timeout itself is 30 seconds, 
We allow 15 seconds to return to play. 
Technical Timeout (TTO):
Conducted when a combined total of 21 point are scored in sets1and 2.
It is administered just the same as a regular T/O.
There is not a TTO in the event of a 3rd set.

17.  Improper Delays: 
The maximum time between routine rallies should be 12 seconds.
Extra time (perhaps an extra 10 sec) can be allowed after big rallies.
Teams who delay the flow of play are verbally asked to return to play.
If a team continues to delay the flow of play, they are sanctioned with a (yellow) delay warning and
subsequent delays are sanctioned by (red) delay penalty points.

18.  Exceptional Interruptions:
Injury:
Minor issues get the typical 30 second evaluation.
For serious medical issues (of any sort) a Medical Timeout can be granted.
For particulars, see the protocol section below.
Note: A player may only receive a Medical T/O once in a MATCH
Partners are not allowed to request Medical for each other.
External Interference:
Play must be stopped and a replay directed in the case of external interference.
Examples may include: 
Balls on from adjacent court, 
Birds, trees overhanging playable surface, 
court personnel,
mobile cameras and cameramen.   
Weather and Prolonged Delays:
Inclement weather, equipment failure, or tournament issues can delay play.
If delay is less than 4 hrs, match can resume from point of interruption (on any court).
Matches delayed longer than 4 hrs must be replayed entirely.

19.  Court Switches and Intervals:
After every 7 points, the 2nd referee whistles & signals for teams to switch sides of the court
NOTE:  Switch must not be whistled if a ball mark request is under consideration
Players may not switch before authorized.
Players may not delay in returning to play.
If a switch is missed, simply switch “late” with no penalty or change.
On the third switch (21 total points scored) teams receive a TTO.
Deciding Sets:
In a third (deciding) set, court switches occur every 5 points. 
There is not a TTO in a deciding set.
Between sets:
The interval between sets is one minute. 
Between sets 1 and 2 the 2nd referee meets with the team that has choice to determine
Serve/Receive/Side then gives opponents remaining choice.
In a deciding set, the 1st referee will conduct a new coin toss, as in the pre-match protocol.


MISCONDUCT:
(Yellow Card = Warning, Red Card = Penalty)
1.  Delay Sanctions: 
Teams who delay beyond the 12 second guideline, 
Teams who are overly-insistent in questioning the officials, 
“Yellow card” warning (max 1 per set),
Subsequent offense: “Red card” and loss of rally.  
Teams may receive multiple penalties within the same set.
2.  Individual Sanctions: 
Unsportsmanlike conduct  Inidividual Yellow (warning).
Rude conduct Individual Red (penalty point, loss of rally).
Multiple IRC penalties can be assessed within a set.
Escalation to Expulsion is not mandatory.
Expulsion or Disqualification are used only in extreme or violent circumstances.



During match:
Correct wrong server before the attempt to serve.