Rhodes College Athletics

Teams
Before the start of the match, all participants must check in with the official with his/ her Rhodes ID.
Teams must be prepared to start a match at game time.
The first game of the match will be forfeited 5 minutes after the scheduled start time.
The entire match will be forfeited 10 minutes after the scheduled start time.
Team composition
Men's and Women's teams shall consist of 6 players;
Co-Rec teams shall consist of at least 2 players of the opposite sex. Example: (4 men 2 women, 3 women 3 men, etc.)
Men's and Women's teams may begin a match with a minimum of 4 players
Co-Rec teams may begin a match with a minimum of 4 players, with 2 player of the opposite sex.

Player's Equipment
Jewelry is not allowed (earrings, watches, necklaces, etc.)
It is preferred that all players were pants / shorts without pockets.
Hats are not allowed

Responsibilities of the Participants
The playing captain is the only player who may address the officials and shall be the spokesperson of the team.
A participant may play for one Co-Rec and one men's / women's team. All participants are permitted to play in both leagues (Greek, Dorm)
Offenses by the players or team members may result in warning, penalty, disqualification, and forfeiture.
Warning: For a first minor offense, a yellow card in administered at the first dead ball. The warning shall be recorded on the score sheet. No penalty is assessed.
Penalty: For a second minor offense by the same individual, or for a single serious offense, a red card is administered at the first dead ball. A point/side out is awarded to the opponent, and the penalty is recorded on the score sheet.
Captain's are the only people who may request time outs
Time-Out requests may be made during a dead ball by the team captain.
Teams are allowed one 30 second time-out per game.
Substitution of players may be made only when the player being is the current "server".

Scoring System and First Service
All matches shall consist of the best 2 out of 3 games, with all games scored by rally scoring (a point scored on every serve). (1st 2 games are to 21, 3rd game (if needed) to 15)
A rock, paper, scissors match between captains will determine who serves the first game of the match. The winner of the match chooses: 1) first serve or, 2) choice of court for the first game.
A new rock, paper, scissors match is performed before the third game, if necessary.
After each game of the match, the teams will switch sides of the court.
No game shall exceed 30 points.

Playing Area
A ball is considered out of bounds and becomes dead when it:
Touches a wall, or object mounted flush with the wall;
Touches the floor completely outside the court's boundary lines;
Touches the antennas or does not pass over the net entirely between the net antennas;
Touches the net cables or net completely outside the antenna, net supports or referee's platform;
Touches a non-player who is not interfering with a player's legitimate effort to play the ball;
Touches the ceiling or overhead obstructions beyond the vertical plane of the net and it's out of bounds extensions;
Touches or enters a non-playable area.
The official shall stop play when the ball contacts any part of a backboard that is hanging in a vertical position over a playable area. Supports are considered part of a backboard.
When, in the judgment of the official, the ball could have remained in play had the vertical backboard not been over the playable area, a replay is granted.

Service
The server shall have five seconds after the first referee's whistle for service in which to contact the ball for service.
The service is considered good when the ball passes over the net between the antennas. The serve may touch the net on the way over.
The team not serving to start the match will serve to start the second game.
The team, which is not awarded the first serve service, shall rotate one position clockwise before serving.
The player(s) of the serving team must not, through screening, prevent the receiving player from watching the server or the trajectory of the ball. Screening is illegal and a fault.
The ball may be served from anywhere along the back line, between the antennas.

Playing Faults
Each team is allowed a maximum of three (3) successive contacts of the ball in order to return the ball to the opponent's area.
The ball may only be contacted above the waist - i.e. no use of feet.
When the ball visibly comes to rest momentarily in the hands or arms of a player, it is considered as having been held. The ball must be hit in such a manner that it rebounds cleanly after contact with a player. Scooping, lifting, pushing, or allowing the ball to roll on the body shall be considered to be a form of holding.
It is technically legal to set a serve, but it is the official's judgment whether or not it done without a lift or a double contact.

Blocking
May be legally accomplished only by players who are in the front row at the time of service.
Back row players may not block or participate in a block, but may play the ball in any other position near or away from the block.
Any player participating in a block shall have the right to make the next contact, such contact counting as the first of the team's three hits.
Blocking or attacking a served ball is a fault.

Play at the Net
Players are now permitted to penetrate the opponent's court beyond the centerline with the hand and foot. Touching the opponent's area with a hand or foot is not a fault providing that some part of the encroaching foot or feet remains on or above the centerline.
Players may not touch the net while on offense, or defense.
A ball, which has penetrated the vertical plane above the net, may be played by either team.