SETXclub 4-on-4 Sand Volleyball Rules
Teams are composed of 4 players.
Minimum 1 female player on the court at all times. All-female teams are allowed.
A minimum of 2 players from your registered roster must be present to start a match (including at least 1 male and 1 female).
Teams may compete with 3 players if needed (minimum 1 female). Fewer than 3 results in forfeit.
Subs must be of similar skill level. No player may be rostered on more than one team.
Playoff Subs: Only players who’ve played 3 or more regular season matches are eligible. Subs must be of equal skill but are not required to pay.
Games start promptly. If earlier matches run long, warm up off court. No warm-up time is guaranteed between matches.
If a team is 10 minutes late, they forfeit Set 1. At 20 minutes, the match is forfeited.
Each team gets one 30-second timeout per set (maximum 3 per match). Two-minute break between games.
Matches are best 2 out of 3, but all 3 sets will be played.
Sets 1 & 2: First to 21, win by 2 (cap at 25).
Set 3: First to 15, switch sides at 8 (cap at 17).
Serve order: Rock-paper-scissors for Set 1. Set 2 serve goes to the other team. RPS again for Set 3.
In Set 3, switch sides when a team reaches 8 points.
Players may rotate on serve only, and the incoming player must serve.
Players may position themselves anywhere on their side. There are no positional faults.
Serve Receive (to avoid judgment calls): No open-hand receives. Use platform, fist, or overhand with closed hands.
Servers must stay behind the end line until contact.
Let serves are live.
Boundary lines that move without being touched = not a fault.
If the ball hits anything outside the court (poles, net structure, objects), it is a dead ball/fault.
Contact with any part of the body is legal.
A hard-driven first contact may be doubled only if not finger-directed.
The ball must be hit cleanly — no lifting, carrying, catching, or prolonged contact.
Sets must be clean. Spin doesn’t equal fault, but scooping or throwing is illegal.
Hand setting over the net: Your shoulders must be square to the direction you’re setting.
No attacking a serve (no jumping or spiking off a serve).
No open-hand dinks or fingertip pokes. Use knuckles, closed hand, or cobra.
Four hits before returning the ball.
Double contact (unless hard-driven).
Held or lifted ball.
Touching the net.
Crossing under the net if it interferes with play.
Sending the ball outside or over the antenna.
Attacking a serve.
Ball hitting poles or anything outside the court.
The ball may touch the net and be played.
A ball that rebounds off the net may still be played within 3 hits.
A block does not count as one of your 3 team hits.
Players may cross under the net only if it doesn’t interfere with opponents.
SETXclub is about competition and community — play hard, play fair.
Poor sportsmanship, arguing calls, or unsafe behavior may result in ejection from the match or league.
Questions? Issues? Email us: SETXclub@gmail.com