In general, we use USA Volleyball outdoor rules, with a few exceptions. Listed below are rules that tend to need clarification.

1) Receiving serve with an overhead setting motion is a fault, even if perfectly clean.

2) Double contacts are allowed on "hard driven" balls. For our purposes, a hard driven ball is defined as any ball that has a downward trajectory during its entire flight after contact is made by the hitter, regardless of speed. If a ball is touched by the block and at any time it has an upward trajectory, a double contact will be illegal.

3) You are allowed to receive a "free ball" or non-"hard driven" attack with a setting motion as long as the set is perfectly clean. Note that it is very rare for someone to be able to set a ball cleanly enough to avoid a fault.

4) In 2 on 2, the block counts as one of your 3 touches, however the same player may make the second team contact in addition to the block.

5) Hand sets must be exceptionally clean. Generally, a full rotation or more on the ball is a good indicator that a double contact has been made, but that in and of itself does not constitute a double contact. If there is any question about whether a set was not clean, then it probably wasn't. If you can't set very cleanly every time, you should be bump setting. There is no shame in bump setting!

6) Directing the ball with the fingertips is not allowed. You may, however, use a "cobra" motion (fingers locked together with the ball bouncing off of the end of the fingers) or a "camel toe" motion (fingers bent, contact made with the knuckles).

7) If a ball is set across the net with an overhand setting motion, the ball must travel in a path directly in front of or in back of the setting player. This applies even if you are attempting to set the other player and the ball drifts over the net (it would be a fault if the ball goes over the net and does not travel directly in front of or behind the setter).

8) We play doubles (and triples) on the short court! (8 meters x 8 meters)

9) We play on a men's height net (except women's & Juniors' divisions, which play on a women's height net).

10) Let serves (serves that hit the tape and go over) are legal.

11) All games are rally scoring.

12) For coed competition: teams of all women ARE allowed, teams of all men are NOT. In 2 on 2 competition, 1 of the women must be designated as the "male" for serving and serve-receive purposes (males serve male players & females serve male or female player).

13) For triples competition: teams must have at least one female player. The female player does NOT have to contact the ball during any individual rally, no matter the number of team touches.