*Key* CT Volleyball Tournament Rules
USAV Memberships
You must have a valid current 24-25 NERVA Adult USAV Membership in order to play at Yankee Sanctioned Tournaments.
Strict no membership, no play policy. No exceptions
Uniforms / Jerseys
Team uniforms do not need to be matching in color or design. Numbers cannot be taped on, but may be written on with an indelible marker. Numbers must at least 4" on the front and 6" on the back. Placement of numbers does not need to be centered on the front and back, but needs to be clearly identifiable while contrasting in brightness and color with the jersey by the use of either a contrasting border around the number or the number itself contrasting. If a libero is being used, the libero's shirt must be contrasting to the other team members' uniforms and legality of the libero's uniforms is at the sole discretion of the head referee. Long pants are allowed in Yankee tournaments.
Teams may use their time outs in order to obtain legal uniforms or use a ghost player if the other 5 players on the court have a legal uniform however, if a ghost player is subbed in, that player may not re-enter until the next set. Teams also may choose to play the round robin or pool play with illegal uniforms (provided all shirts have some sort of unique number), in which case they will be disqualified from the playoffs.
For USAV Tournaments, teams wearing uniforms not conforming to USAV regulations will be assessed a 6 point penalty at the beginning of each set until the regulation is met to the satisfaction of the referee. USAV tournaments other than regionals may be designated to allow Yankee uniform rules.
The tournament head referee has the final decision on all uniform questions.
Ghost Players
Teams may play with one ghost player. If a team starts with 5 players, the 6th player must be entered as "G" on the line up sheet and must be maintained in the rotation. When it is the ghost player's turn to serve, the first referee will award an immediate point/side-out to the receiving team. Teams playing with a ghost are eligible for tournament playoffs.
A ghost player may be substituted for an injured player with an abnormal substitution if and only if there are no other players on the bench. The normal injury time-out is allowed prior to substituting a ghost for the injured player. If a ghost player replaces an injured player, the injured player may not re-enter the set.
A team may substitute a player from its roster for the ghost at any time, if there were no other players on the bench when the ghost entered the set.
If a player is expelled or disqualified, a ghost player may not be substituted for that player. If the team has five players or fewer after the sanction, they shall be considered an "Incomplete Team" as defined by USAV.
The Yankee rating for a ghost is the same as the level of the tournament (e.g., a C+ tournament will have C+ rated ghosts), regardless of whether the ghost starts the day or is a replacement for a player later in the day.
Team Affiliations
Individuals in Yankee may play on as many different teams as they desire during the season (but only one per tournament). Playing on teams in Yankee tournaments does not affect eligibility for USAV-registered teams.
Individual Ratings
All players participating in a Yankee Tournament will be rated for their individual skill level, in a range from A+ (highest) to D (lowest) and are subject to all standard Yankee Rules and Regulations. This rating includes JO players that have participated in any Yankee Tournament.
An individual's overall rating evaluates their ability relative to other players in New England in each of the basic skills of the game: serving, passing, setting, hitting, blocking, and defense.
Initially, new members will rate themselves when filling out their membership application. Team Representatives are expected to help new members determine their appropriate rating level and will be held responsible for the accuracy of the rating. Any player who has played in any Yankee/NERVA tournament in the last five years (as a full or one-day member) must register as a renewing member at their previous rating (or higher). Player ratings for the last five years are available on the Yankee website. Players that have questions should contact a Ratings Chairperson.
It is ultimately the player's responsibility for joining Yankee at the proper level. If a player joins at the wrong level (e.g., played before at a higher level), when the error is caught, the rating will be immediately corrected. If caught at a tournament, any change may affect the team's qualification for the tournament.
Any Yankee member can request a ratings change for himself/herself or recommend a ratings change for other members. The Ratings Chairpersons or their designated representatives will evaluate all requested or recommended ratings changes. If a ratings change is warranted the Ratings Chairpersons will notify the member in writing, giving approximately two weeks notice before the change is effective so that individuals and teams can adjust.
Team Ratings
Team Ratings For participation in tournaments, a team rating will be calculated by totaling the individual ratings of the top six players on each team's roster for that tournament. This total cannot be more than 3 points above the tournament level.