SCORING AND TIME-OUTS

LEGAL SERVICE: The player in the back position of the court shall put the ball in play by hitting it with one hand only or any part of the player’s arm in an attempt to send the ball over the net and into the opponent’s court.  The serve is good if the ball passes over the net without touching a member of the serving team or the net.  A served ball that hits a wall on either the serving team’s side or the receiving side is good provided the ball contacted does not contact two or more consecutive walls before being played or landing on the floor.

PRELIMINARY SERVICE ACTION: Bouncing the ball prior to executing the serve is legal.  Tossing the ball and touching it before it drops to the floor is a service fault and side-out or point will be call by the referee.  The server has five (5) seconds after the referee calls the game score beckoning the server to release the ball and execute the serve.  Once the ball is tossed in the air, the ball shall be struck for service.  If the server catches the ball after being tossed, this action shall be counted as a faulted service and side-out will be called.  Guiding or directing or pushing the serve is illegal.  The serve must be cleanly struck.

SERVING BEFORE THE REFEREE CALLS THE SCORE: A serve that is attempted before the referee calls the score shall be canceled and replayed.

THE SERVICE LINE: When the ball is hit for service, no part of the server’s body can be in contact with the service line.  The server may step onto or over the service line after the serve has been executed.  The server’s body may be entirely in the air over the service line at the moment of service as long as the last contact with his body and the floor were within the legal serving area.

LENGTH OF THE SERVICE: Service shall continue by a team until a fault is committed by the serving team and the ball turned over to the opponents of the game is completed.

ILLEGAL POSITION OF THE SERVER: The game shall stop immediately when the server has been discovered out of the designated serving order.  Any points earned while the server was in an illegal position shall be canceled and a side-out declared.  If the server is discovered out of the designated service order after a side-out is called, all points shall count.  A verification of the service order may be requested from time to time by the team captains.  If  the responsibility of the playing captain to tell the referee if there is a player serving out of order.

SERVICE IN SUBSEQUENT GAMES: Except for a deciding game, the team that did not receive the first service of the first game of the match shall serve the next game of the match

SERVING ORDER: Players must maintain the serving order as listed in the official scorecard.  Serving order may be changed after each game only.  In four (4) person play, the server cannot attempt, fake or commit a spike or block.  This rule is in effect for the defense or the offense.

SCREENING: No members of the serving team may block the server from the opposing team by raising their hands above their heads, flailing their arms from side to side or forming groups of two (2) or more to hide the actions of the server.  Players on the serving team who deliberately switch their positions and block the server from the opposing team may be subject to penalty.

PLAYER POSITIONS AT SERVICE: All players, except the server, shall have both feet fully on the ground during the serve.  In four (4) person play, players must be in their designated serving positions.  After the service players may move to an alternative offensive or defensive position.  In two (2) or three (3) person play, only service order (rotation) must be maintained.

RECEIVING THE SERVICE WITH AN OPEN HAND FINGER PASS: The service may be received in any form except, with an open hand finger pass.

SERVICE FAULTS: Any of the following committed during the service shall count as a fault:
a)  A served ball contacts the net.
b)  A served ball lands in the next court or in the spectator’s gallery.
c)  A served ball passes through the net opening.
d)  A serve is not executed from the designated service area.
e)  A server crosses the service line at the same time the serve is executed.
f)  A served ball hits a member on the serving team.
g)  A serve is delivered by the wrong server.
h)  The serve was executed improperly
i)  Players on the serving team screen the server from the opposing team.