🌟🌟 Beehive's Golden Rules 🌟🌟

Be nice to each other,

Be nice to your referees,

Show up on-time, 

Know the rules.

New Rules in 2026!

To keep play safe, fun, and accessible for all skill levels, the following plays are *not allowed* in Beginner Indoor Volleyball:

• Jump serves or jump overhead serves - All serves must be delivered with at least one foot on the ground at contact.

"Power" Spikes

Beginner League

• Power spiking is not allowed.
• Any intentional hard-driven attack that lands inside the 10-foot line will result in a loss of point for the attacking team.
• This standard is meant to keep play approachable and safe for newer players.

Intermediate League

• Power spiking is allowed, with one important safety restriction:
• If a spiked ball hits a front-row player in the head or neck area, and that player is not actively jumping to block, the spiking team loses the point.
• If the front-row player is actively jumping to block, play continues normally.

Key Clarifications for Intermediate Play

• Front row is defined as players positioned in front of the attack line at the time of contact.
• Referees will use judgment to determine whether a player is actively attempting a block (e.g., jumping with hands raised).
• Intent does not matter. If the ball contacts the head or neck of a non-jumping front-row player, the point is lost.

Other Beginner Division Rules

• Overhead attacking on the serve receive - No immediate overhead attacks on the first contact (no serve-receive-spikes).
• Hard, intentional blocking at the net
   Soft blocks or deflections are allowed; aggressive, press-style blocking is not.
• Targeting clearly inexperienced players (also prohibited in Intermediate divisions).
   Repeatedly attacking the same beginner player in a dominant or unsportsmanlike manner may be penalized at the referee’s discretion.

Teams

Players:  The game will be played between 2 teams of 6 players each.  A team must have at least 4 players (and at least 1 woman) present at game time to avoid a forfeit. If the minimum number of players do not show up within 10 minutes of the scheduled game time, a forfeit will be called. 

Players may play for more than one team but we cannot guarantee there won't be any overlapping games.

If a team only has one lady, they can only play with 5 players total (4 guys and 1 lady). You may play with more than 1 female, but you must always have 1 female on the court to avoid forfeit.

Courts

Court are equipped with a regulation Beehive coed height. Due to different pole sleeve depths from gym to gym the height ranges from 7'8 to 7'11".

Back, side and 10 foot lines will be clearly marked.

In leui of antennas, the playable area over which the ball must pass is set by the poles.

Game Play

The teams will play a best of 3 series of sets in order to determine the winner of the match

Each of the first two sets is played to 21 points, a team must win by 2 points. If the score is tied at 24-24, the winner of the next point wins the game. If a third set is needed it will be played to 15. In the third set, if the score is tied 18-18, the winner of the next point wins the match.

Points are scored in rally fashion (aka a point is scored after each and every serve).

The team who won the previous point gains the right to serve.

A player continues to serve provided they win the point, if their team loses the point, a new player must serve the next time that team regains serve. All players on the court must rotate through each position equally. NO LIBEROS :)

During a rally, a team must advance the ball over the net with a maximum of 3 hits. The same player can't contact the ball twice in a row. The ball can be played off any ceiling/basketball hoop on the possessing teams side of the net as long as it’s advanced over the net in 3 hits or less. If a team hits the ceiling/basketball hoop on the other side of the net, they lose the point immediately.

Cupping or holding the ball is not permitted.

Substitutions will be allowed after each sideout unless an injury occurs. Only one player may sub in per sideout. Two women must remain on the court at all times.

A player may never touch the net, if they do, they lose the point. If both team touch the net, the team that touched it first will lose the point. Long hair and hats excluded.

A player is allowed to reach one half of their hand over the plane of the net. Anything more than that will result in a 1 point penalty.

No serves are allowed to be blocked/spiked.

Beginner Indoor Volleyball – Prohibited Plays

To keep play safe, fun, and accessible for all skill levels, the following plays are *not allowed* in Beginner Indoor Volleyball:

•  Jump serves or jump overhead serves - All serves must be delivered with at least one foot on the ground at contact.
• Power spikes - Attacks must be controlled. Full-power overhead swings intended to put the ball straight down are not permitted.
• Overhead attacking on the serve receive - No immediate overhead attacks on the first contact (no serve-receive-spikes).
• Hard, intentional blocking at the net
   Soft blocks or deflections are allowed; aggressive, press-style blocking is not.
• Targeting clearly inexperienced players
   Repeatedly attacking the same beginner player in a dominant or unsportsmanlike manner may be penalized at the referee’s discretion.

 Referee Sportsmanship Discretion - The referee may restrict any play that clearly exceeds the intended
 skill level of the Beginner division.

Intermediate Indoor Volleyball – Prohibited Plays

To keep play safe, fun, and accessible for all skill levels, the following plays are *not allowed* in Intermediate Indoor Volleyball:

• Power spikes - Attacks must be controlled. Full-power overhead swings intended to put the ball straight down are not permitted.
• Overhead attacking on the serve receive - No immediate overhead attacks on the first contact (no serve-receive-spikes).
• Targeting clearly inexperienced players

 Referee Sportsmanship Discretion - The referee may restrict any play that clearly exceeds the intended skill level of the Intermediate division.
 

Mercy Rule

If the losing team is down by 10 or more points, the next rally is worth double the points (2 points per rally) only for the losing team, giving them an opportunity to close the gap faster.

Officials 

Beehive Sport & Social Club will provide an official for each match. The Beehive Sport & Social Club official has final say over all decisions.

Unsportsmanlike Conduct 

Any participant that does not conduct themselves in a sportsmanlike manner will be removed from the game.

Substitute Players

Subs are welcome to join Beehive during the regular season for up to 3 weeks. They can fill in for any reason without needing to notify us. Just show up with a good attitude and a basic knowledge of the rules. 

If they wish to continue playing they need to join the roster by registering on the website. No, we don't have an enforcement mechanism for this except our trust in your basic human integrity.

During the playoffs the following stipulations will be strictly observed:

• You must have all playoff subs approved before the start of playoffs. (This means your team should have a chat before the playoffs to ascertain if/when roster players aren't going to make games so the captain can find subs/contact the league with appropriate requests).

• There is a limit on the number of subs that you may request (Kickball/Softball/Flag Football - 3 subs; Soccer/Dodgeball/Sand Volleyball/Indoor Volleyball/Futsal/Basketball - 2 subs; Cornhole/Darts/Pickleball - No subs are allowed).

• You cannot request subs if you have enough rostered players to field a team. For example: Kickball is a 10v10 sport. If you have 14 players on your kickball roster and 4 are injured, you cannot request subs as you still have 10 (enough to field a full team). If you have 11 on your kickball roster and 3 are injured, you may request 2 subs so that you have 10 players.

• Teams found to be in violation of any substitute player rules here can be retroactively forfeited from advancing (ie we find out after your first round game but before your second round game that you violated the rules, the team you beat will advance in your place).

• In the past, subs would only be approved for injury and illness. Now, subs will be approved for whatever reason you deem them necessary (work trips, concerts, weddings, etc all fine).

• The season being extended due to inclement weather doesn't change any of the other substitute player stipulations listed here.

• Approved subs (or your rostered players) must be used the entirety of the playoffs (you can't have Jane and Sally sub the first week of playoffs and Joan and Sarah the second week of playoffs).