Volleyball Tournaments 

Beach volleyball tournaments

MAV Policies

Administrative/Registration

Registration

Teams must register online via the links found on our cover page or at https://mavolleyball.bracketpal.com/signup.   All registration is completed through Bracketpal (now SportsEngine).  Registration fees are per team, per event.  There is an additional fee added for registration the day of the tournament. 

All participants for the 2023 season must hold an up-to-date Silver or Gold Level Membership in AVP America in order to compete.  Silver membership in AVP costs $25 annually and has many benefits.  Check them out here: https://www.avpamerica.com/LoginPlayerInitial.aspx.

Refunds: Refunds will be given to all participants only if a tournament is cancelled prior to commencing play.  Once play has started there will be no refunds.  No refunds for no-shows at the tournament site.

Administrative

MAV and its tournament directors will be the final judge on the disposition of a tournament. Tournaments may be suspended due to field conditions or local environmental conditions (i.e. lightning, pollution alerts, high temperatures). MAV may alter the format of any match due to time and/or weather considerations. Players must register or check-in during designated registration times (7:45am-8:30am). Failure to have all team members present may  result in loss of entry. Any teams arriving after 8:30 will be assessed a $10 late fee.

All players must sign the appropriate MAV waiver.  Signature is done electronically and is required once for the season.  These can be found at https://mavolleyball.bracketpal.com/waiver

The first match begins at the designated tournament time (usually between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m.). You must be prepared to play or work at that time or risk forfeiture.  Ten minutes is allotted between matches; play must begin at the end of that interval. Teams not ready to play at the end of the 10 minutes forfeit  the 1st game of the match, with subsequent games forfeited every 5 minutes.  Work Teams are responsible for keeping time between matches (see above). Timing begins at the end of the previous match. If the work team fails to show, they will receive a 1-game forfeit in their next match. During pool play, if teams cannot mutually decide on a game ball, the work team decides. For playoffs, the higher seed gets choice of game ball.

CLEATS ARE NOT ALLOWED ON THE PLAYING FIELD. THEY POSE A DANGER TO OTHER PLAYERS AND TEAR UP THE FIELDS. Multi-studded rubber soles (turf shoes) are acceptable. Players may wear jewelry, although this is discouraged. Items that may fall off or pose a danger to players (e.g., beepers) may not be worn during play.

Honor calls are expected among competitors. However, work teams are responsible for making calls and settling disputes.

Work Teams:  Work teams are listed on the schedule.  Work teams provide the game official and scorekeeper (can be same person). The game official will resolve all conflicts.  Players are encouraged to call your own ball handling and net touch faults.

Scorekeeping is conducted through the use of the scheduled work team’s phone.  Scores are automatically uploaded into the tournament system.  To access the schedule and input scores go to www.bracketpal The work team of the last match in pool play is required to input the results in the tournament system or bring the results sheet to the tournament director. The team that loses the last game of pool play is required to stay and work the 1st round of playoffs. If that team is in the playoffs, their opponent in the last match stays. If both are in playoffs, the work team of the last match stays. The losing team in playoff matches works the next playoff match. The loser of the last semi-final match to finish stays to work the final.

Team Rosters:

Doubles:

o   Men’s, Women’s, CoEd, RCoEd:  Two person rosters only.

o   Juniors: Two person rosters

o   Senior divisions: Three person rosters. (No substituting during a game unless there is an injury).

Triples:

o   6 person rosters

o   No substituting player for player during a game

o   Rotational substitution allowed.  Teams must sub into the service position and must keep same lineup throughout the game (may not skip over a player during rotation).

Fours:

o   8 person rosters

o   Player for player substitution is allowed

o   For Coed Fours substitution must be male for male, female for female

o   Rotational substitution allowed.  Teams must sub into the service position and must keep same lineup throughout the game (may not skip over a player during rotation)

o   Coed indicates that no more than two players of either sex may be on the court at any time.

Sixes:

o   10 person rosters

o   Player for player substitution is allowed

o   For Coed Sixes substitution must be male for male, female for female

o   Rotational substitution allowed.  Teams must sub into the service position and must keep same lineup throughout the game (may not skip over a player during rotation.

o   Coed means COED.  Teams may not have more than 3 players of either gender on the court at one time.  Teams may play with 5 players (2 of one sex and 3 of another) however the rotation will maintain he 6th spot as a “hole”.  A sideout will be awarded each time the “hole” rotates into the service position.  Three of the six rotations the team must play with only two players in the front line.

Tie Breaking:

In the event of a tie for 1st place in pool play:

o   Head-to-head record,

o   Point differential in head-to-head match,

o   Overall point differential,

o   Coin toss.  

In the event of a tie for 2nd place in pool play, 1 game to 7 (side out scoring) or 11 (rally scoring) will be played. First team to reach the required number of points is the winner. 

Playoffs:

Unless otherwise noted by the Tournament Director, the top two teams from each pool will proceed to the playoffs for their divisions.

Seeding for the tournament will be as follows:

o   Pre-seeded divisions (Open division), teams will be seeded by their pool play records.

o   Un-seeded divisions, teams will be seeded by the records of the first-place team in each division.  Second place teams will be seeded by the placement of the first-place team from their pool.  This will insure that first and second place teams from the same pool will not meet each other until the finals.

Scoring:  Playoff matches consist of 1 game to 11 for sideout scoring (most grass) or 1 game to 21 for rally scoring (beach) with a 2-point cap. 

If a division has only 1 pool (7 teams or less), there will be no playoffs unless there is a tie for 1st or 2nd. This is subject to change by a meeting with the Tournament Director and all of the teams prior to the start of the tournament.

MAV Tournament Rules

Playing Rules for Grass Tournaments

MAV may alter the format of any match due to time and/or weather considerations.  

Men’s, Women’s, Coed and Reverse Coed Doubles and Triples:

• Side out scoring is used for all games. There is a 17-point cap for 15-point games and a 13-point cap for 11-point games. 

• Courts will be 30 feet x 60 feet.

• Service ball hitting the net will be a fault.

• Blocks do NOT count as a touch.

• First team contact (including serve receive) using open hand with fingertip control may NOT have multiple contacts (aka: must be a clean set!)
   

Senior and Junior Divisions, Doubles and Fours:

• Rally scoring (point per serve) will be used for all games.  There is a 2-point cap for all games.

• Court size will be 8 meters x 16 meters.

• Service ball hitting the net and landing within the opponents’ court will be considered a playable serve.  Not a fault.

• Blocks count as a touch.

• First team contact (including serve receive) using open hand with fingertip control may NOT have multiple contacts (must be a clean set!)

Playing Rules for Beach Tournaments:

• USAV Beach Volleyball Rules will govern play at MAV Beach Tournaments.

• Rally scoring (point per serve) will be used for all games.  There is a 2-point cap for all games.

• Court size will be 8 meters x 16 meters.

• Service ball hitting the net and landing within the opponents’ court will be considered a playable serve.  Not a fault.

• Blocks count as a touch.

• First team contact (including serve receive) using open hand with fingertip control may NOT have multiple contacts (must be a clean set!)

ALL RULES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE BY THE TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR.

USAV/FIVB Beach Rule on ball handling:

Defense:

• It is LEGAL for ANY first-team contact WITHOUT finger action to strike two or more parts of a player during a single attempt to play the ball. Including:  Any style of contact: hands or fists together or apart, heels of hands together or apart, tomahawk, etc. (see finger-action below).  All plays without finger action, even if the ball is observed to have been clearly double-contacted are legal.

• First-team-contact WITH finger action should be judged just as any setting contact:  The referee should call a double-hit if the player uses finger action and the ball contact is a clear double.  EXCEPTION: If the double contact was in defense of a “hard–driven attack” then the referee should allow play to continue.  In judging an attack as “hard-driven,” the referee must consider the following: Speed and trajectory of the ball, as well as the distance between the attacker and defender.  The referee must judge the player’s action: “reactive” (double allowed) or “intentional” handset (double-contact called).

• Serve Receive: In serve receive, a double contact is allowed. If finger action is used, the referee will judge the contact as a set.  It is legal to use techniques such as: hands or fists together or apart, heels of hands together or apart, tomahawk, etc.  REMINDER: It is legal to receive serve “open handed with finger action”, but strict hand-setting judgment must be applied to the contact.