PLAYING RULES

AGADIR - MOROCCO

OCTOBER 2011

 Participation

1. Participation is open to teams of any level, divided into the following playing categories: 2x2 male (2 men); 2x2 female (2 women); 2x2 mixed (1 men and 1 women). Each team can have a maximum of one substitute. A maximun of one substitution for each team for each set is allowed.
2. The teams must be formed from the athletes stated on the Entry Form. At the check-in, new players could be add.
3. One athlete cannot be registered in more than one team of the same category. It is possible the registration of one athlete in 2 differents categories durin the same event, for example: 2x2 male and 2x2 mixed; or 2x2 female and 2x2 mixed.

Match Program

1. The match formula in every category provides a qualifying round  played according to round-robin playoffs with four/five teams. At the end of the qualification round, a provisional classification is drawn up , according to the number of points thus far scored by each team (if two teams have the same number of points, those who registered first in the Event will be favoured).
2. The teams with the best points share will pass onto the final round. The final round will be played according to the classification, with single elimination sistem through to the finals.
3. The matches of the qualification round are played in a single set to 15 points with a 2 points lead, except for a 14-14 tie, when play continues to a 17 point limit. The following matches are played in a single set to 21 points with a 2 points lead with a 23 points limit. The final matches 1º - 2º and 3º - 4º places are played to win two of three sets to 15 points with a 2 points lead and a 17 points limit.
4. The matches will be refereed in rotation, by the athletes themselves, according to a detailed match program that will be given to the teams at check-in.
5. The Organising Committee is free to change the match program at its discretion (e.g. playing sets to 15 points, with a 17 point limit) if bad weather (or other outside factors) delays the program, and, in serious circumstances, can suspend the event without any obligation on the part of the Organisers to reimburse the registration fees.

Main playing rules

1.    A team cannot begin or continue a match if there are less than 2 players in the field. If no substitutes can be used and the number of players falls below 2, the match will be suspended and the opposing team will be declared winner by default with a result of 0-21 or 0-15.

2.    The teams called to play or referee the matches that arrive incomplete or more than 15 minutes late with respect to the match program, are declared losers with a result of 0-21 or 0-15.

3.    During the qualifications, if a team losses more than two matches for forfeit, when the points are calculated no points will be considered for the matches programed for the same team.

4.    After each seven assigned points, the teams change court (every five points if the set is played to 15 points). The teams must change courts without delay.

5.    During the match, each team can request only one time out of 30 seconds per set.

6.      There are no fixed playing positions in the field or rotations (all players can block and/or attack from any position in the field) but the serving order must be maintained for each match. When the ball is hitted by the server, each player must be positioned inside its own court.

7.    The server must hit the ball within five seconds after the referee’s whistle. A service executed before the whistle is cancelled and repeated..

8.    When the ball is served, it can touch the net when crossing.

9.    When two players touch the ball simultaneously above the net and it remains in play, the match continues (a double fault is not whistled).

10.The ball may touch any part of the body. Each team is entitled to a maximum of 3 hits for returning the ball to the other court.

11.When blocking, the player may place his/her hands beyond the net, provided this action does not interfere with the opponents’ play, before or during their spike. The blocking team is entitled to a maximum of two more contacts. The first contact after the block contact can be hit by any player, including the one who touched the ball during the block action.

12.The ball must be cleanly hit and not caught. The only exceptions are defensive actions against a very fast ball, in which case it can be held for a moment.

13.The ball coming from service cannot be controlled with open hands.

14.The ball sent to the opponent’s court must cross the net within the crossing space. The crossing space is that part of the vertical plane of the net, limited below by the top of the net, at the sides by the antennas and their imaginary extension.

15.Players may penetrate the opponent’s court or free zone, provided that they do not interfere with the opponent’s play.

16.After the ball has been played or left by the server and falls to the ground without touching the server, or if the server catches it, it is considered a service and therefore the action is lost.

17.The players of the serving team must not prevent their opponents from seeing the server or the flight path of the ball. If requested they must move.

18.A player commits a fault when he/she hits the ball causing a passage that does not have a flight path at right angles to the his/her shoulder, unless it is aimed at a team member but ends up in the opponent’s court by mistake.

19.A player commits a fault when he/she touches the ball lightly instead of a hit, but the ball can be hit by the tips of the fingers (cobra hit), the knuckles or the fist, on condition that the hit is clean.

20.Players must play barefoot, unless authorized otherwise by the referee.

21.If there is an external interruption (e.g. ball in the court), the play is interrupted and the action repeated.

22.Participation in the Beach Volley Around the World tournaments signifies that these playing rules must be fully accepted.

23.    For anything not expressly given, the International Beach Volleyball rules apply.