I. GENERAL ELIGIBILITY

1. Participation is limited to currently-enrolled, fee-paying FSU students, faculty members, and full-time staff. FAMU & TCC students and members of the community are not eligible. All areas of eligibility are covered in the Intramural By-Laws which are available through the Campus Recreation Office and online at the FSU Campus Recreation web site.

2. In order to participate in an Intramural contest each player must present their validated FSUCard. Exceptions must be directed to the Intramural Sports Office for consideration by the IM staff during regular business hours (9:00am-6:00pm). Bring a photo ID and proof of payment to obtain a waiver from the IM staff. No such waiver will be granted on the field.

3. Participants must be able to access the Leach Center. A valid FSUCard is required to enter the facility. Faculty and staff must have a Leach membership or purchase a guest pass in order to participate.

II. TEAM COMPOSITION

1. Teams consist of 4 players, male or female in any combination. A team must have 3 players to start a game. Players who arrive late may be added to the roster and may enter the game at a dead-ball situation.

2 . A team's roster may include an unlimited number of players. A team is not required to have a specific number of males or females on its roster (can be an all-male or all-female team). Team rosters will be formed based on the players who compete in the team's first regular season game (sign-in at the courts on the night of the game). Additions may be made to the roster at any time throughout the season and during the playoffs. New players will become part of a team's roster when they sign-in at a subsequent game. No player may participate on more than one team, unless his/her second team is a co-rec team.

3. Substitutions may only take place between games.

4. If a player becomes injured and cannot continue playing immediately, he/she must leave the court. If a team desires to have that player remain in the game, and if the player cannot continue immediately, that team must use a charged time-out. If an injured player must leave the court, an in-game substitute for the injured player will be permitted. However, the injured player may not return for the remainder of the match. If a substitute is not available or not made for an injured player, that injured player may return to the match when ready to participate.

III. EQUIPMENT

1. All players must follow Leach Center guidelines in order to participate.

2. All players must wear court shoes. Players will not be permitted to wear turf, black marring sole, or any type shoe that creates marks on the court surface. Shoes must be worn by all players. Sandals, flip-flops, and boots are not permitted.

3. Jewelry is NOT allowed to be worn by any participant during an intramural event. This jewelry consists of any visible rings (including wedding bands), watches, necklaces, earrings, studs, bracelets, and any other such similar jewelry. Only medical alert bracelets are permitted. A player is subject to ejection for failure to remove any jewelry after first warning.

IV. PLAYING AREA

1. The playing area is a standard racquetball court including all walls and the ceiling.

V. MATCH TIME & LENGTH

1. Match time is forfeit time. A team needs at least 3 legal players to begin the match. Any team that forfeits a match will not be eligible for the playoffs. If the forfeiting team wishes to play the rest of its regular season matches, the team captain must come into the Intramural Sports Office by noon on the next working day to present their case.

2. All matches will be best 2 of 3 games.

3. All games will use the standard scoring system with a point awarded only when the serving team scores.
A. In the first and second games, the game will be won when one team has scored 15 points and has at least a 2-point advantage over the opponent. No game shall exceed 17 points. If the teams are tied at 16-16, the next point scored will determine the winner.
B. The third and final game will be won when one team has scored 15 points and has at least a 2-point advantage over the opponent. There will be no cap on points in the third game.

4. The choice of serve or playing area shall be decided mutual agreement of the team captains. If agreement cannot be made, a coin toss by the match supervisor between the designated captains of each team shall occur before the first game. If more than one game is played, the team not serving first in the previous game of the match shall serve first in the next game. A coin is tossed again if a third and deciding game is needed.

5. One (1) time-out will be allowed per team per game. The time-out shall be 60 seconds in length.

VI. METHOD OF PLAY

Serving
1. The service area is three (3) feet from the back wall.
2. The player in the right back position shall put the ball in play by hitting it with one hand only in an attempt to send the ball over the net and into the opponent's court.
3. The serve may contact one (1) side wall on either side of the court. A serve that contacts more than one (1) side wall or the back wall before contacting the ground or an opponent shall be considered illegal and a side-out shall be awarded. Serves that hit the net are considered in play.
4. Hitting two (2) or more walls consecutively on the serve shall be considered out of bounds / illegal.
5. At the moment of service it is illegal for players of the serving team to wave their arms, jump, or form groups of two or more players for the purpose of forming a screen to conceal the action of the server.
6. The serve may not be blocked or attacked by the receiving team.

Contacting the Ball
1. Three contacts, not including an unsuccessful block, shall be permitted during each team's volley.
2. A player may not reach over the net to attack the ball. A player may reach over the net during the follow through after a spike, or during a block on a team's attack or third team hit.
3. A ball may not be held, lifted, pushed, thrown, or carried at any time. Using an open hand to contact the ball in an underhand motion or to direct the ball forward from behind the head with an open hand usually constitutes a lift or carry.
4. Any contact with the ball below the waist of a player (intentional or unintentional) is illegal and a point/side-out will be awarded.
5. Climbing the wall to block a set or serve is illegal.
6. If two opposing players contact the ball simultaneously above the net, either may play the ball on the next hit for the first of their team's three hits.
7. If two teammates contact the ball simultaneously, this is considered one contact, and either of the players may make the next play on the ball. (This does not include action on block attempts.)
8. The net may not be touched by a player while the ball is alive. If the ball is driven into the net with such force as to cause the net to contact an opponent, such contact shall not be considered a fault.
9. Contact with any other part of a player's body with the opponent's side of the court during play constitutes a fault.

In Bounds / Out of Bounds
1. The ball shall be out of bounds whenever it contacts the ceiling or the back wall on the opponent's side.
2. The side walls are in play at all times. The ball may be played off a single side wall in any play.
3. When a team is volleying the ball on their side of the court:
A. The team may deflect the ball off of the back wall on their side of the court only. The ball does not need to touch another player before crossing over the net into the opponent's court. Such a play is considered legal and the ball will be live and in play.
B. The team may deflect the ball off of the ceiling on their side of the court only. In this case, another player must make contact with the ball before it passes over the net into the opponent's court. If the ball crosses the net after contacting the ceiling without making contact with a player, a side-out or point will be awarded.
C. The team may deflect the ball off of two (2) or more walls and/or the ceiling on their side of the court only. In these cases, another player must make contact with the ball before it passes over the net into the opponent's court. If the ball crosses the net after contacting two (2) or more walls and/or the ceiling without making contact with a player, a side-out or point will be awarded.
4. A ball that passes through the opening between the net and the wall on the first or second contact shall be considered dead and the point will be replayed. A ball that passes through this opening following the team's third contact shall be considered dead and out-of-bounds with a side-out or point awarded.

Rotation
1. The team which receives the ball for service after a sideout shall rotate clockwise before serving. This includes a team's first service in a game after their opponent's first serve.
2. Backrow restrictions apply only to the player in the server position of the rotation. Such restrictions apply to both the offense (actual server) and defense (player who most recently served). These players may not spike or block a ball or attempt to spike or block a ball. A backrow violation results in a side-out / point.

VII . SPORTSMANSHIP

1. Sportsmanship is an important part of intramural sports. Teams receive sportsmanship ratings at the conclusion of each game on a scale of 0 to 4 with 4 as an excellent rating. Teams must average a 3.0 during the regular season to qualify for the playoffs.

2 . Any player who uses foul language, violently protests a call, or curses an official or supervisor, will be removed from the match. In addition, he/she will have to meet with the Director of Intramural Sports during office hours (Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.) before he/she is eligible to participate again. Any player who touches an official or supervisor will be placed on suspension from all Intramural activities for an indefinite period from the time of the incident.

3. If at any time a team has 2 players or spectators ejected from the match, the offending team will immediately forfeit the match.

4. FSU Intramural Sports does not recognize the use of coaches. Only the team captain may speak to the officials regarding administrative matters (protests, ejections, disqualifications, etc.).

5. Teams shall assist in removing trash and equipment from their game area at the conclusion of their match.

6. Match supervisors can be identified by the FSU IM shirt or sweatshirt they will be wearing. FSU IM supervisors are veteran officials or trained tournament personnel who have complete authority to make decisions regarding problems or special situations. Supervisors have been selected for their knowledge of intramural sports regulations and rules, maturity, professionalism and a sincere interest in intramural sports.

7. Additional information regarding sportsmanship may be obtained from the Intramural Sports office or online at the FSU Campus Recreation web site.