Volleyball teams will spend their entire match on the same side this fall according to the latest safety modifications approved by the MIAA COVID-19 Task Force last week, and there will be no roster requirements or written scorers at the scoring table.
The latest volleyball-specific safety modifications approved by the COVID-19 Task Force are:
- All equipment is to be set up to meet NFHS rule regulations (net height, ball pressure) and must be sanitized prior to the visiting team’s arrival to the playing area.
- Benches and warm up areas should be marked to indicate 6 feet of spacing between participants.
- Scoring table may need to be extended to accommodate 3 people, 6 feet apart.
- Game balls – minimum of 6 should be set apart from other balls
- Home team will choose a side to play on.
- Each team will provide their own balls for warmup.
- Tape will be applied to the floor 3 feet from the centerline on each side of the net.
- Limit attendees of the pre-match conference to the head coach from each team, first referee and second referee.
- The pre-match conference will take place at center court (with face coverings) with one coach and one referee positioned on each side of the net. All four individuals are to maintain a social distance of 6 feet.
- Teams warming up are required to be beyond the attack lines and their extensions during pre-match conference to provide for social distancing.
- Suspend roster requirements
- Suspend requirement for written scorer and or libero tracker, if untrained or school system has a “no paper” mandate.
- Visual scoreboard is required.
- Teams will remain on the same side of court throughout the match.
- In the event there is a clear and distinct disadvantage (i.e. sun), home teams should
consider scheduling start times to reduce the disadvantage.
- Team members shall be seated or standing six feet apart. Consideration should be given for use of bleachers behind the bench. Teams will be allowed to “curl” beyond the end line if their position does not interfere with play.
- When a team does not have exclusive use of the court they will social distance and will
not use balls.
- Starting players will go to their starting positions and not the endline for the first and all sets of the match.
- Once the lineup is confirmed by the second referee, the first referee will double whistle and waive indicating players should waive a hand toward their opponent to acknowledge “good luck”.
- Substitutions will take place at the attack line.
- Players entering the match will stand at the extension of the attack line (approximately six feet). Players leaving the match will stand near the sideline. There is to be no contact during substitution exchange.
- There are to be no team huddles or any physical contact (high fives, fist bumps)
- Time outs require social distancing of six feet.
- Balls are to be replaced with a clean ball after every rally. This task is to be completed by an adult.
- To reduce intermittent contact with opponents, front row plays will be restricted from traditionally attacking the ball while the ball is above or in front of the 3-foot line
- The deciding set coin toss will take place at center court. It shall be limited to one team captain and the second referee maintaining the appropriate social distance of 6 feet.
- A coin toss, called by the home team, will decide serve/receive.
- After the last point of the match is scored, the first referee will signal the end of the match.
- The referee will then double whistle and waive indicating players should waive a hand toward their opponent to acknowledge “nice match”.
- Line judges will not be used
- Each participant is limited to one personal bag.
- An area should be designated for officials to store their personal bag.
- Officials shall use electronic whistles.
