Macdonald Campus Intramural Volleyball Rules
Updated – August 2023
McGILL INTRAMURALS VOLLEYBALL RULEBOOK
ID. CARDS & Eligibility
Mac IM is open to McGill students. Complex members and JAC students may participate, but pay a $25 fee.
Prior to the start of intramural games students must present their valid McGill ID card to the timer.
Staff and Alumni must present their valid Sports Complex Membership Cards. Please indicate to
the timer which team you will be playing for. NO ID. - NO PLAY!
All player IDs will be inspected by the scorekeeper and immediately handed back to the
participant. IDs will NOT be kept by the scorekeeper and are not the responsibility of the McGill
Intramural program.
DEFAULT RULE
A five (5) minute delay to the start of the game will be granted if a team has an insufficient
number of players to begin. Due to the nature of class schedules, 5:30pm games will have a ten
(10) minute grace period.
Should a team still not have the minimum required number of players following this delay, the
offending team will default the game. The offending team will automatically lose the game 2-0
(21-0, 21-0). If both teams do not have enough players, it will be considered a double default.
To begin the game, each team must have a minimum of five (5) players to start the game, signed-
in and ready to play. PLAY-FUN teams can start the game with four (4) players.
EQUIPMENT
The last game of the night will have their nets taken down once their game has completed. They
will not necessarily have the entire 60 minutes if their game finishes early.
In Co-rec divisions, a women's height net is used for all games.
RULES
FIVB (Fédération Internationale de Volleyball) rules apply to all Intramural Volleyball games with
the following modifications and exceptions:
PLAYERS
CO-REC
Maximum: 3 males* or 3 females* on the court at any one time
Minimum: 2 males* + 2 females* + a 5th player (gender non-specific)
Should a team, at any given time (due to ejections or injuries), be unable to align at least 2
males* AND 2 females*, that team will forfeit the game
*For the purposes of our program, the terms 'male' and 'female' are inclusive of two-spirit, trans, and gender
non-confirming members of our community. We have trained our staff to understand gender as a spectrum
and encourage individuals to self-select where they feel they belong within the participation structure. McGill
Recreation welcomes and encourages all participants
TIMEOUTS
Each team has 2 timeouts per set (30secs). They do not carry over from set to set.
SCORING
All matches are played to the best of 3 sets, rally point system. The first two sets are played to 25
points. The third set (if applicable) is played to 15 points.
Matches will have a sixty (60)-minute time limit. In the event that a match approaches the
maximum time allotted, the 3rd set may be capped at a score less than 15 points.
The officials will notify captains of the point cap at the beginning of the 3rd set.
Games begin and end on the whistle of the officials.
MIXED SPIKING, BLOCKING, SERVING
SPIKES
• MALE players may only spike from behind the 3m line (i.e. must initiate the spiking motion
from behind the 3m line, but may land in front of the line after the spike).
• FEMALE front row players may spike from anywhere on the floor. Back court hitting
regulations still apply.
• If a MALE player contacts the ball above the height of the net (ball is entirely above the
net) and the player's foot is touching (or has touched) the ground on or in front of the attack
line, the attack/hit must have an upward trajectory.
BLOCKS
• MALE players can block ANY opposing MALE player touches. Cannot block FEMALE
players. FEMALE players can block anyone.
DINKS
• For MALE players, one-handed placement or redirection of the ball with the fingers (a
"dink" or open-hand tip) must have an upward trajectory after being hit, but may land
anywhere in the court.
SERVES
• Both overhand and underhand serves are permitted, for players of either gender.
SUBSTITUTION
• Substitution takes place on a rotational basis, taken from the service position.
• It is obligatory to substitute on every rotation
Note that if a LIBERO is used, the referee must be made aware before the match starts.
• CO-REC: the libero may only replace a player of the same gender