Players

Each team shall have four players on the court; minimum 2 of each gender at all times to avoid defaulting.

As in volleyball, substitutions may be made on any dead ball.

The Match and Scoring

The first team to win 2 games wins the match.

If the first 2 games are split, a third tiebreaker game will be played, time permitting.

The first team to 15 points wins the game (there is no rule regarding a winning margin). The third game ends at 11 points.

A point may be awarded only to the serving team. A side-out occurs when the serving team fouls.

Service

Service order must be kept by each team throughout the game, and shall alternate between genders.

Servers may begin the serve from anywhere within three feet of their back wall.

Hitting the ceiling, net, opponent’s back wall, or two sidewalls are faults.

It is illegal to attack or block an opponent’s serve.

Live / Dead Ball

The back wall is considered out when struck by a ball hit by an opponent. A team may use its own back wall for play.

Sidewalls are in. However, it is illegal to “set” a ball off your own wall and over the net (the ball must be hit across the net).

The ceiling is considered in-bounds only if the ball strikes the ceiling on the same side that it was played and is subsequently played by that same team.

No hit that goes over the net, including the serve, may touch two or more walls before being played or before touching the floor.

Contacting the Ball

A team is allowed a maximum of 3 hits to return the ball over the net. One player may not have 2 consecutive hits. A block does not count as a hit.

Holding, pushing, scooping, lifting, or carrying the ball is not allowed; it must be a clean hit.

If the ball strikes a player anywhere below the waist (e.g. legs or feet), it is dead.

There is no rule regarding back-line play (as in volleyball). Any player may spike the ball.

Net Play

Touching the net is not allowed

A player must not play the ball when it is entirely over the net on the opponents’ side

A ball passing through the side openings of the net is considered out-of-bounds.