(1) Rules - USA Volleyball is basically using FIVB (the international Governing Body for Volleyball in the World) rules this season to draw more in line with the rest of the world. USAV is allowed to make some modifications for safety reasons, which they have made. A big change is that the disciplinary card system (Yellow and Red cards for both individuals and teams) are good for the match (they don't disappear at the end of the set like they used to). Coaches beware!
(2) Pool Formats - the adult pools and tournament structure have not changed, so the tournaments should go as they have in previous seasons. Juniors have had a few changes. First, we've added a playing division in each age group due to the growth we've experienced (to help in finding facilities that can host). The divisions will now be called Gold (highest skill level), Silver, Bronze, and Copper. All pool play will now be 2-out-of-3 sets starting at zero (sets is same thing as games but FIVB calls them sets in rule book so we will too to be consistent). We have changed the 5-team pool format to play less matches to even up between 4- and 5-team pools the time required to play all pool matches (so if a tournament has a 5-team pool and a 4-team pool, they should end closer to the same time now - in past there were often LONG waits for the 5-team pool to finish).
(3) Unaffiliated Player List - For Adult Play only, we will create (if there is interest) a listing of unaffiliated players that adult teams can contact if they need players for a particular tournament (rather than having to withdraw). Teams and Individuals taking advantage of the Unaffiliated Player list are restricted by the following policies: (1) Teams picking up unaffiliated players must have at least FOUR of their registered players at the tournament; (2) Teams using the list may pick up a maximum of THREE players for a tournament; (3) Individuals on the list may only play as an unaffiliated player in THREE events. After the third event played by the unaffiliated player, they will automatically be added to the roster of the THIRD TEAM they participated with. At that time, that player is governed by the normal Player Movement policy (frozen to roster if unaffiliated team or may move within a "registered club" under the Club Movement Policy). An individual on the list may be added to a team permanently at any time up to the two weeks before Regional Championships when rosters are frozen; (4) All teams utilizing the Unaffiliated list must add the Players names to their roster at the tournament and mark them as from the UNAFFILIATED LIST. This roster must be turned into the Tournament Director at the tournament who will forward to the Region at the end of the event. Failure to follow these procedures will cause a team to be ineligible to use the unaffiliated list in future events.
(4) Day of Tournament Pickup - For Adult Play only, if a team show up with only FIVE players, they will be allowed to pick up ONE player from another team at the tournament in order to play. If the team's sixth player arrives during the day then the borrowed player must go back to the team with which they are registered. The borrowed player must be added to the new roster and reported to the Region with the post-tournament reports. A team may only use this option ONCE during the season (subsequent instances of only having five players at the start of the tournament would be handled under normal policy of dropping from the tournament if six players not present by the 2nd game of the 1st match).
(5) 2005 Junior Invitational - this year the 2005 Junior Invitational (June 30 - July 3, 2005 in Louisville, KY) is an open-entry tournament. Once the Tournament opens for entries, anyone may enter at any time and it will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. If a team enters the Junior Invitational and accepts a spot in the field, they will be INELIGIBLE to compete at the 2005 Junior Olympic Championships (even if they were to earn a bid to it somewhere else later). All junior teams should keep this in mind if they have interest in playing in the Junior Invitational.