VOLLEYBALL LEAGUE RULES

General

  • Questions? Email leagues@volley-life.com.

  • All players must be registered on https://volleylife.leaguelab.com.

  • Players that are not listed on the team roster are ineligible to participate in playoffs or receive prizes.

  • The team captain can invite players to join their team from their team management page when logging into League Labs. If you need people to fill out your roster, you can use the Recruit Free Agents button to find more players.

  • Team Captains or a team representative must check in their team at the North Tiki Hut before their first match each week. Staff at Grant Park will check in with each team before their first matches.

  • Captains must report all scores online immediately after the conclusion of each match. The captain from each team should check that the score is reported accurately. Staff are available to help you if needed onsite.

  • Volleyballs will not be provided, although they can be rented for $5/hour with a valid picture ID.

NO ALCOHOLIC CARRY-INS AND ABSOLUTELY NO GLASS!!!

  • Support the beach by purchasing your food and beverages at The Dock at Bradford Beach, our restaurant partners at the Tiki Huts!

  • If you’re at Grant Park, check out Ferch’s Beachside Bar & Grille for some craft beers, juicy burgers, and delicious shakes!

Levels of Play

  • Top teams in a lower division and bottom teams in a higher division may overlap.

    • If you’ve been doing well in C, especially if you won in the previous two seasons, please consider playing in B.

    • If you’ve been struggling in B the past season or more, finishing near the bottom, then consider switching to C.


Please reach out to leagues@volley-life.com or give us a call if you need some help choosing the right division.

Reschedules, Subs, Forfeits, and No-Shows

  • Reschedules

    • Teams are responsible for knowing their own schedules. We will not change the schedule once it is published without contacting the affected teams.

    • To simplify the season and keep the standings fair, we will no longer accept reschedule requests during the season.

    • Teams have through May 19 to make schedule requests to leagues@volley-life.com, such as particular days off or particular time slots.

  • Subs

    • If your team cannot attend a scheduled match, we encourage you to find subs. The team captain can do this by recruiting free agents on the Manage Team page or by coordinating through the Volley Life Subs Group on Facebook.

    • Sixes teams only require a minimum of two men and two women on the court at a time to avoid a forfeit.

  • Forfeits

    • Teams are expected to use the above resources to avoid forfeiting matches whenever possible. Frequent forfeits are no fun for anyone!

    • If you cannot field the minimum number of players even with subs, we will not accommodate a reschedule request, and you must forfeit.

    • To forfeit a match in advance, you must email leagues@volley-life.com at least 30 hours in advance of your match.

    • On location, a 10 minute forfeit rule is in effect for all matches: after 10 minutes, the missing team forfeits game 1; after 20 minutes, they forfeit the match. You must consult with league staff before accepting a forfeit. It is possible that a previous match is running long.

  • No-Shows

    • Any forfeit notice less than 30 hours in advance, or no notice, will be marked as a No-Show.

    • After your second No Show, your team will be removed from the league without refund.

Weather Policy

  • Our leagues take place outdoors where weather can change quickly and unpredictably. Our goal is to play whenever possible while protecting the safety of players, staff, spectators, and beach goers. As such, we will take the following actions during inclement weather situations based on National Weather Service guidelines.

  • Leagues will play rain or shine. Rain, clouds, or cold weather will not automatically cancel leagues.

  • Should Volley Life determine that leagues are or may be suspended for the night, we will email that status to all registered players that accept emails through League Lab. We will also post on Instagram and Facebook.

  • If we do not email or post anything, then leagues are on as scheduled.

  • Should circumstances arise that result in potentially unsafe weather at the beach during league set up or play, we will follow this decision making timeline.

  • 2 Hours In Advance

    • Option A - leagues are on as scheduled. Teams should assume that no communication means that leagues are on as scheduled.

    • Option B - Weather Watch

      • If storms or other unsafe weather is possible but not certain, such as intermittent storms or a sever weather watch, we will issue a Weather Watch.

      • A Weather Watch means that leagues have not been cancelled at this time, but we are monitoring conditions and will make a final decision no later than one hour before league play.

    • Option C - Leagues Are Cancelled

      • We will cancel leagues for unsafe weather conditions during set up or league play that include but are not limited to a sever thunderstorm or tornado warning, thunder and/or lightning in the area, or a clear risk of severe storms from radar or alerts.

  • 1 Hour In Advance

    • This is the final threshold for Volley Life to make a decision about league cancellation.

    • If we issued a Weather Watch at the 2 hour mark, we will update players at this point on whether leagues will happen or not.

  • On-site Evacuation

    • Should weather conditions become unsafe during league play, Volley Life will issue an evacuation notice.

    • Because there is not adequate shelter at the beach for everyone, we will generally not delay and resume later. Instead, all remaining matches will be cancelled.

    • This is a last resort only used in emergencies. Due to how difficult and dangerous last minute beach evacuations can be, we will judge weather related cancellations conservatively.

  • An attempt will be made to reschedule matches later in the season, but this will not always be possible.

  • If needed, Volley Life may use a rain date during the week of August 26 - Sep 1. This is restricted by court and staff availability and limited daylight at the end of the summer.

  • No refunds will be issued for weather related cancellations.

Air Quality

  • Wildfire smoke, pollution, and wind patterns can impact air quality levels. Exposure to poor air quality can significantly impact respiratory and cardiovascular systems, especially in at risk populations. As such, to protect the health of our employees and players, we will take the following actions during dangerous air quality conditions based on Milwaukee Health Department recommendations;

  • We will make Air Quality decisions 2 hours before leagues.

  • AQI 100-150: We will play in this air quality range but will notify teams of the potential risks. Teams will be allowed to forfeit without a no-show strike if they send an email to leagues@volley-life.com before the start of leagues.

  • AQI 150 and up: We will cancel all leagues for the night. An attempt will be made to reschedule matches later in the season, but this will not always be possible. Refunds will not be issued for air quality incidents.

  • We will post any decision to suspend leagues on Facebook and Instagram, as well as send an email to all registered players two hours before the start of leagues. Teams should assume that no communication from us means that leagues are scheduled as normal.

  • An attempt will be made to reschedule matches later in the season, but this will not always be possible.

  • If needed, Volley Life may use a rain date during the week of August 26 - Sep 1. This is restricted by court and staff availability and limited daylight at the end of the summer.

  • No refunds will be issued for weather related cancellations.

  • For more information, read the Milwaukee Health Department’s page on outdoor air quality.

Play Format

  • Exact format is dependent on your league and division: teams will play 1-3 matches per night.

  • Unless specifically noted otherwise for your division, matches will consist of two games to 21, win by 2, cap at 23.

  • Should teams split games during the regular season, no tie-breaker set will be played unless specifically noted otherwise for your division.

League Playoffs

  • Playoffs will take place the last two weeks of the season, August 12-25.

  • Every team will make playoffs.

  • Teams will be placed in playoff divisions based on regular season performance with format being determined by the size of each division.

Rules of Play

  • All leagues will follow the USAV Beach Volleyball Official Rules except where noted below.

  • All Divisions

    • Any contact with the net during the act of playing the ball is illegal.

    • No lifting, throwing, or swatting the ball.

    • Three touches maximum per side.

    • No attacking, spiking, or blocking the serve.

  • Sixes

    • Setting the serve is allowed.

    • No coed or "girl" rule.

    • A block touch does not count as one of a team’s three contacts per side.

  • Doubles

    • You may not double hit the serve, which generally means you cannot set the serve.

    • The first contact may not be "doubled" unless it is hard-driven/reactionary.

    • A block touch counts as one of a team's maximum three touches.

    • Teams will switch sides every seven points.

  • There are no uniform requirements.

Team Composition and Substitutions

  • Coed Sixes

    • Maximum roster of 10 players.

    • Maximum ratio of 4:2 male:female players on the court or forfeit.

    • Minimum of 2:2 male:female players on the court or forfeit.

  • Coed Doubles

    • One male and one female player unless approved by the League Director.

  • Coed Fours

    • Requirement of 2:2 male:female players on the court or forfeit.

  • Substitutions

    • Substitute players must be registered as Free Agents and have signed the participation waiver before subbing at any regular season match.

    • Substitute players may not play in end of the season tournaments without advanced, written approval from the League Director.

    • Players may not sub within their own division.

    Rule Enforcement

  • These rules are designed to preserve the integrity of the sport while maintaining a fun, respectful, and safe environment.

  • Leagues are self reffed, which means that teams are responsible for knowing the rules and should try to call any violations on themselves.

  • Teams may call violations on their opponents in the case of clear rules violations. Such calls are a normal part of the sport and should be made and met with respect.

  • Teams should replay points that are under contention.

  • Team composition and substitution violations must be reported to Volley Life league staff before the start of a match. If a team cannot field a legitimate team, they may be required to forfeit that match, although teams could potentially still play for fun.

    • If such a violation is reported after the match has been played, Volley Life must assume that consent was given by both teams to play the match anyway with the invalid roster.