SVS REGISTRATION

To confirm your placement in a tournament, registration should be made no later than 9pm on the day before the scheduled event, however I will accept walk-ons the day of the event if there is room. For placement confirmations, contact Don Zanelotti by e-mail Register Here or by phone at (716) 465-2052. Please leave your message on the voicemail. Be sure to include in the message a phone number where you may be reached. This will be based strictly on a first come first served basis. All tournaments will be held rain or shine unless the course suspends play. We will accept the first 20 teams that register.

FEES

Any player that enters an event is required to notify the tournament director if they are unable to participate. Each player has until the night before the scheduled event to withdraw. If a player informs the tournament director that they are withdrawing from an event within the required time, they may do so without penalty. If a player does not notify the tournament director that they are withdrawing from the event, they will take a last place in the tournament, complete without any tournament points. If a player cannot participate in the event they are scheduled in and it is at least one day before the event, the player can allow another player to take their place without penalty providing the replacement player attends the event. This will not be considered a forfeit. However, players that do forfeit will still be responsible for the entrance fee. Persons that owe fees will not be allowed to participate in further events until ALL fees are paid in full.

TOURNAMENT FORMAT

Tournaments will be played using a variety of formats. Formats could include pool play, double elimination, single elimination or any combination there of.  The format will be determined by the number of teams entered in an event. The tournament director reserves the right to institute the format of the event regardless of what is stated above, however past precedent is rarely deviated from.

TOURNAMENT WEIGHTING

Each player assigns 10 points towards the tournament weighting. Therefore, if 12 teams enter an event, the weight of the event would be 240 (24 Players X 10). If only 8 teams attend an event, the weight of the event would be 160 (16 Players X 10), etc..

AWARDING POINTS

Points will be awarded based on how well a players finishes in each tournament. Rating percentage point's range from 0.00% to 100.00%.

PLAYER FINISH

The number of points for each tournament is then multiplied by the finish percentage, depending on where a player finished. For example: If the first tournament is weighted at 200.00 points, the players in that tournament that finished 1st would receive 200.00 points, 100% of 200.00. The players that finished 2nd would receive 180.00 points, because 180.00 is 90% of 200.00. Another example: If a tournament has 38 players (19 Teams), each assigning 10 points, the point value for the event would be 380. A players that finishes in first would receive 380 points. A players that finishes in second place would receive 90% of 380 points, amounting to 342.00 points. A player that finishes in 19th place, would receive 7.50% of 380 points, which calculates to 28.50 points, and so forth.

This percentage is determined by the following:

The player that has the highest diluted rating percentage designates that player as the overall leader.

RATING

Players are given a percentage based rating by taking the total points earned by a player and dividing by the total of all possible points a player could have earned had they finished 1st in every event they participated in. Rating will be used to determine the overall leader in the series. A player that has the most points does not necessarily designate that player as the overall leader.

PLAYER RATING (CLASS)
Restrictions in Play

Presently, there are only two levels of play: "A" Level and "B" Level.

The only restrictions in the entire series are that two "A" Level players cannot form a team in a "B" Level event, although players of that caliber are welcome and encouraged in picking up partners that are at the "B" levels. Exemptions or entry into an event within either series is ultimately left to the tournament directors discretion.

An "A" level player is defined as possessing one of the following:

• An all time pure rating of 60% based on tournament finishes in "A" Open Level events along with a minimum of 50% win/loss percentage in game play.

• "A" Level Tournament Win

• A pure rating of 60% based on tournament finishes in "A" Open Level events along with a minimum of 50% win/loss percentage in game play from the previous season.

• An all time pure rating of 85% based on tournament finishes in "B" Level events along with a minimum of 70% win/loss percentage in game play.

• More than two "B" Level Tournament Wins

• A pure rating of 85% based on tournament finishes in "B" Level events along with a minimum of 70% win/loss percentage in game play from the previous season.

For a complete listing of players and their status, please use the following link: Player Rating Class.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Don Zanelotti at (716) 465-2052. Remember: Ratings are not given, you must earn them, on the sand!

DILUTION FACTOR

The dilution factor only effects a player's rating when the total number of tournaments in which a player participates in during the season is less than a predetermined minimum. If it is, then that players rating is diluted according to the following formula: Number of tournaments played, divided by the minimum number of tournaments required, equals the dilution factor. Currently, at the Open "A" level, each player needs to have participated in a minimum of FOUR events in order to avoid a loss of rating. At the "B" level, each player needs to have participated in a minimum of three events in order to avoid a loss of rating. 

CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Championship tournament is the last open tournament of the year. Any player that participated in at least one event earlier in the season is invited to play, regardless of finish. In the event a player wishes to participate in Championships, however they did not play in at least one event earlier in the year, their potential registration will be determined by the tournament director.

KING OF THE BEACH

Any person wishing to participate in the King of the Beach needs to have finished the series in the top 14 of player rankings. The current reigning champion is automatically invited to defend their title, regardless if that player finished in the top 14 or not. In the event a player that qualify's for the King of the Beach cannot attend, the next player in succession will be invited to fill the 14 player field. 

REFEREES

Due to the cost, SVS is unable to provide referees for tournaments. To do so would reflect in a much higher registration fee incurred on the players. Because of this reason, players participating in the tournament are required to officiate themselves. Everyone needs to make honor calls.

PRIZES

Prizes will be given to the players that finish in the top two placings in the tournament. Prizes could include trophies, plaques and medals noting their achievement as well as other prizes, which will be determined at a later date based on the weight of the event. Prizes will also be offered to the season ending points leader, as well as the series champion.

TOURNAMENT RULES

GENERAL RULES DURING PLAY: All play will be according to USA Volleyball rules and regulations unless otherwise noted. There will be no "let" serve in play, therefore any serve which makes contact with the net will be ruled a dead ball. Players will only be allowed one toss per serve attempt. If the toss for the serve is allowed to fall to the ground or is otherwise caught by the server, it will result in a side out.

PLAYERS/SUBSTITUTIONS: 2 players per team. No substitutions are allowed.

BALL: Specifically made to play outdoors, hand stitched, slightly larger and heavier, with a synthetic colored or white leather cover.

SCORING: 1-set sideout match is played to 15 points. (No rally scoring). Depending on the number of teams in a given pool, games may be 1 set sideout match to 11 points.

BALL CONTACT/PLAYING THE BALL: Maximum 3 shots per side (contacts). The block does not count as a contact. The net cannot be touched, except after the ball has hit the ground (No continuation rule). Ball can be played with any part of the body (except to serve). If the ball is attacked as a hard driven ball (not touching the net on the way over), the defending team may slightly hold their first shot in defense. The ball may be held by 2 players simultaneously at the net (joust). The attack cannot be completed with use of open hand or fingers (tip). If the ball is set over the net as an attack it must travel perpendicularly to the players shoulder line.

TIMEOUTS/COURT CHANGES: 4 timeouts of 30 seconds per team. Teams swap courts every multiple of a point points (eg: for 5 pts it is 4:1,6:4, etc…or in games to 11, every 4 points, 3:1, 2:2, etc...). No positional or rotational faults except service order.

OTHERS: Players can go under the net as long as they do not interfere with their opponents. Players cannot deliberately prevent the opposition from seeing the server (screening). In the case of injury a once only 5 minute-rest (maximum) is allowed. In rally scoring the served ball is allowed to touch the net but in sideout scoring the serve may not.

SPEED OF PLAY: Warm ups need to be restricted to five minutes per team before each match.

FORFEIT TIME: Each players must be ready to play at the required time. If a player has not arrived to check in by the start of their game, they will forfeit it.

BEHAVIOR: Any abusive behavior towards officials, players, event staff or facility staff may result in immediate expulsion from the tournament.

QUESTIONS: If you have any questions regarding any tournament procedures, event locations, statistical information or rules please contact Don Zanelotti by e-mail Tournament Director or by phone at (716) 465-2052.