In general, Hingham Girls Volleyball (HGV) follows the playing rules of USA Volleyball (USAV).  However, this is a developmental league having a focus on encouraging players to enjoy playing while improving skills, so the structure surrounding the game is far less strict: no line-up submission, etc.

Match referees are typically high school athletes working solo, and they cannot be expected to perform anywhere near the level of a trained refereeing team. Coaches, players and parents must treat them with respect: take it easy, and remember that HGV wants our daughters to have a positive experience.  Please direct any issues to the attention of the HGV Director or your Varsity or JV Coordinator.

Uniforms
HGV provides unnumbered team jerseys and expects that they are worn as such over any other clothing.  Players' shorts or long pants do not have to be of uniform cut/color.

Jewelry
For the safety of the player, wearing jewelry on the court is generally discouraged, particularly any on the wrists/arms or neck.  Small ear studs such as those used for maintaining newly pierced ears are acceptable (but still not recommended).

Serving
HGV allows service from a shorter distance (see below) to build player confidence and to get the ball in play more frequently. However, coaches should encourage players capable of longer serves to start farther back, particularly after a successful serve.

• In Junior Varsity, service is allowed from as close as the attack line (also known as the 10-foot or 3-meter line). 
• In the Varsity division, the coaches should place a tape mark on the floor about 20 feet from the net and use that as the minimum service point; however, during the regular season a coach may allow a Varsity player incapable of a 20-foot serve to move up as close as the attack line.

A player rotating into the service position will serve a maximum of three points.

• If the first service attempt does not get the ball into play, the player may continue serving ("re-do") but can only score a maximum of two points and no more "re-dos".
• If the third serve results in a point for the serving team, the serve transfers to the next server on the other team.
• (If a player makes more than three service attempts the referee should attempt to subtract any points scored on over-quota serves.)

Coaches should encourage players to limit pre-service routines to a few seconds. (Remember that if we were using stricter officiating it would be a fault if the server has not contacted the ball for service within 8 seconds of being directed to serve… or even 5 seconds for 14-and-under play.)

Scoring
Rally scoring will be used: each serve (except for a failed first service attempt subject to re-do as described above) results in a point for one of the teams.

During the regular season, a match consists of three sets.  The first two sets are played to 25 points (win by 2, else first to 30).  The third set is played to 25 points (win by 2, else first to 30) but may have to be curtailed to 15 points (win by 2 else first to 20) if court time runs out, per referee's discretion. 

The scoring format for Finale night will be determined and communicated by the JV and Varsity Coordinators.

Substitution
Our goal at this introductory level is to make sure that players can experience playing in all positions.  We do not have the libero role, and we do not support a player being substituted out of certain positions. To promote "equal time" the coach must maintain a line-up sequence that includes all present players that day, and should pick a position on the court where players will rotate to the bench then rotate back into play in the same line-up sequence. Coaches may opt for two rotation points, e.g. bench before going to front row and another bench before serving.

The coach must maintain the rotation sequence for the whole night (regular season or Finale non-elimination round, with Finale elimination round rules TBD). A subsequent set should start with the players in the same position as at the end of the prior set, with the following adjustments:

• For the team about to receive the first serve of the new set: If the player in the service position served the final rally of the prior set before reaching the three-attempt limit, the coach can opt to back up the rotation one position so that this player will rotate in as their first server for the new set.
• For the team that will deliver the first serve of the new set: If the player finishing in the service position served the final rally of the prior set and reached her three-attempt limit, the coach should rotate the team forward one position so that this player is rotated out of the serving position.

Ball hitting the ceiling or obstruction over the court
A ball that is played into the ceiling or high obstruction (e.g. retracted basketball backboard/support) over the opponent's court is considered to be out, as is a ball that hits over the player's court but then crosses onto the opponent's side.

If on a team's first or second contact the ball is played into the ceiling or high obstruction on that team's side and drops back onto the same side, it is still in play. A ball hitting a low obstruction (e.g. un-retracted basketball backboard over or near the court) may be replayed at the referee's discretion.

Player contacting the net or encroaching onto opponent's court
HGV considers net contact to be a fault, even if the player has completed her playing action.

Similarly, HGV considers it a fault if a player touches the opponent's court with any body part other than a hand or foot, and that hand or foot must have some portion on or above the center line.