Playing Rules
Updated August 14, 2024
General Rules
Florida State University does not provide accident insurance coverage for injuries received by Intramural Sports participants. Each participant should make sure that they have coverage either through family policies or the student insurance plan.
Florida State University PROHIBITS possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages on University property. Smoking and the use of smokeless tobacco is also prohibited at Campus Recreation facilities. This includes the Rec SportsPlex, Main Campus Fields, Westside Courts, and Tully Gym. Violators will be asked to leave the area. Failure to do so can result in forfeiture of the contest, suspension of individuals and/or teams, and appropriate action by the Office of Student Conduct & Community Standards and/or the FSU Police.
Sport Rules
Current Spikeball Roundnet Association rules will govern play with the following modifications:
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.
2. In order to participate in an intramural contest, each player must present their current, valid FSUCard. Check-in takes place at designated sign-in locations at the facility, not at the fields or courtside.
3. Additional information regarding player eligibility, team rosters, and participant check-in is available in the Seven Principles of Intramural Sports, available online at the FSU Intramural Sports web site and in the Intramural Sports Office at the Main Campus Fields (1001 W. St. Augustine Street). Requests for exceptions to any policy must be directed to the IM administrative staff during regular weekday business hours in the Intramural Sports Office. No exceptions are granted at the fields or courts.
II. TEAM COMPOSITION
1. Games are 2-on-2. Team rosters are a minimum of 2 and maximum of 4.
2. A team must have two (2) players to begin a game. One (1) player constitutes a default. No players signed-in at game time will result in a forfeit.
3. A team’s roster may consist of up to 4 players during a season (does not apply in tournaments).
III. EQUIPMENT
1. The Intramural Sports staff will provide Spikeball nets and balls. Only those nets and balls provided by Intramural Sports will be legal for play.
2. All players must wear shoes. Tennis shoes and soft-soled shoes are legal. No metal cleats or shoes with detachable cleats are allowed. Boots and sandals are also prohibited. Any player caught wearing metal spikes will be ejected from the game.
3. Select jewelry is allowed to be worn during intramural competition.
Below is a list of jewelry that is not allowed:
• Hard plastic / metal jewelry including rings, watches, bracelets, etc.
• Jewelry with loose hanging loops / hoops
• Non-stud piercings
If a finger could fit through the space of a loose piece of jewelry, then it must be taken off. Sport specific Jewelry Policies may still apply. There is absolutely no jewelry allowed beneath the elbow in the following sports:
• Flag football (7v7 & 4v4)
• Basketball (3v3 & 5v5)
• Volleyball (Indoor & Sand)
If necklaces are worn, they must be tucked in and always remain tucked in. Individuals wearing religious or medical alert jewelry will be allowed to participate while wearing jewelry containing necessary information. In such cases, the jewelry should be taped to the skin with the medical information visible. The Intramural Sports Staff and Supervisors have the final say on approved jewelry for each sport.
IV. GAME TIME & LENGTH
1. Game time is forfeit time. If the forfeiting team wishes to remain in the league, the team captain must contact the Intramural Sports Office by 12 Noon on the next business day to present their case.
2. A game will be the first team to 21 points. The best of three (3) games will be the winner of the match. Play runs continuously unless there is an injury or unexpected interruptions. There shall be three minutes (3) minutes between games.
3. Time Between Points – Points should be played in succession without breaks. After the rally has finished the ball should be recovered immediately. Once the ball has been recovered and given to the server, they must set their position, announce the score, and hit their serve. After calling the score and a momentary pause, the server has 5 seconds to hit the ball. Delaying these actions will result in a delay of game warning. After receiving a delay of game warning, any additional infractions will be considered a fault.
4. Teams are allotted one 60-second timeout per game. The timeout may not be called during a point. The time-out may not be called between the 1st and 2nd serve with the exception of an injury time-out.
5. Changing and Adjusting Equipment – In the case of a set or ball no longer being suitable for play, the game shall pause while a replacement is found. When replaced, the game resumes at the same score, player positions, and serving order.
V. INCLEMENT WEATHER
1. FSU Intramural Sports reserves the right to postpone or reschedule a contest if circumstances warrant such action. Regular season games cancelled by rain are generally not rescheduled. Contests postponed due to other reasons may or may not be rescheduled at the discretion of the Intramural Sports staff.
2. In the case of inclement weather, the Intramural Sports staff will not make a decision regarding the playing of games until after 4:00 pm. For information on cancellations, use the FSU Rec app or visit the Intramural Sports web site.
3. A game stopped because of inclement weather is a regulation game if four or more innings (3 1/2 if the home team is ahead) have been played. In the event that a game is stopped in the middle of an inning, the official score will revert the score at the end of the last complete inning.
VI. PLAYING FORMAT
1. To Score a Point – Spikeball is played using rally scoring; points can be won by the serving or receiving team. A team scores a point when:
(a) The opposing team fails to legally return the ball to the set.
(b) The opposing team commits a point-loss infraction.
(c) The opposing team’s server has two successive faults.
2. Replay – A point is replayed when:
(a) Teams disagree on the legality of a hit.
(b) Teams disagree on an infraction.
(c) Certain types of hinders occur.
(d) There is outside interference (i.e. a player, ball, or other object from outside a match impedes the game).
If a point is replayed after a legal serve is hit, the game resumes at the same score, player positions, and serving order. The server will start on their first serve. If a point is replayed because the teams cannot agree on the legality of the serve, the game resumes at the same score, player positions, serving order, and fault count.
3. Rally – A rally is a sequence of playing actions between the moment the serve is hit to the moment the ball is out of play.
(a) If the serving team wins a rally, they score a point and continue to serve.
(b) If the receiving team wins a rally, they score a point and must serve next.
VII. SERVING
1. First serve of the game – The winner of a coin flip or one game of Rock, Paper, Scissors gets to choose serve receive or starting positions.
2. Serving Order:
(a) The initial serving team decides which player from their team will start as the server. The server will start to the right of their partner. That player continues to serve until the receiving team wins a point.
(b) Once the receiving team wins a point, they get the service possession and the player on the left side will start serving for their team. From there on, service alternates between teammates after each change of service possession. This four-person order continues the rest of the game.
3. Serving Position – If the serving team wins the point, the server switches positions with their partner and serves to the other member of the opposing team.
4. Characteristics of the Serve:
(a) All parts of the server’s body and the ball must be behind the 6-foot service line when the ball is struck.
(b) Before serving, the server must set their feet.
(c) At least one foot must maintain a single point of contact with the ground until the ball is struck.
(d) The server may take one step in any direction. This action establishes the pivot foot. Once the non-pivot foot touches the ground, that foot must also maintain one point of contact.
(e) The ball must travel at least 4 inches away from the point of release before it is struck. Note: the spirit of this rule is to make sure the receiving team can tell the ball has been released and can see that it has been legally struck.
(f) Serves must be struck. The ball cannot be caught or thrown.
(g) Serves may be struck with any amount of force; short serves are allowed.
(h) Serves may not pass higher than the palm of a receiver’s straight-up extended hand. There is no limit to the angle at which serves can be hit.
Violations of these rules will result in a service fault.
VIII. PLAYING THE BALL
1. Hitting the ball
(a) A hit is any contact with the ball by a player.
(b) A team is entitled to a maximum of 3 hits alternating between players for returning the ball to the set. If more are used, the team commits the infraction of “Four hits” and loses the point.
(c) Consecutive Contacts – A player may not hit the ball twice consecutively.
(d) Simultaneous Contacts – If teammates touch the ball simultaneously it is counted as two hits. Either teammate may take the next hit provided they have not already used all three hits.
2. Hits on the net
Illegal hits on the net – When the ball is returned to the set, the return results in a loss of point for the hitting team if:
(a) The ball contacts any part of the ground.
(b) The ball’s initial contact with the set hits the rim or legs directly.
(c) The ball bounces multiple times on the net or bounces on the net then hits the set on the way down.
(d) The ball has a prolonged roll along the netting.
Pocket – During a rally, any shot that changes the trajectory of the ball due to the ball’s proximity to the rim, without contacting the rim (i.e. pocket) is legal. Note, this is not legal on a serve.
Roll-up – During a rally, a hard-struck shot where the ball lands completely on the netting, and subsequently rolls into the rim and then off the net (i.e. roll-up) is legal. Note, this is not legal on a serve.
IX. HINDERS
1. The players whose turn it is to play the ball are entitled to freedom from interference by the opponents.
2. To avoid interference players that are not playing the ball must make every effort to provide the other players with:
(a) Unobstructed direct access to the ball after completion of a reasonable follow-through.
(b) Freedom to hit the ball with a reasonable swing.
3. A hinder occurs if the opponent fails to fulfill any of the requirements, even if the opponent makes every effort to fulfill those requirements.
4. A player encountering a possible hinder has the choice of continuing to play or of stopping play. A player seeking a replay or point should stop play immediately and say “Hinder.”
5. A replay or point shall not be allowed if:
(a) There was no interference or the interference was so minimal that the player’s freedom to get to and play the ball were not affected.
(b) Interference occurred but either the player would not have made a good touch or the player has not made every effort to get to and play the ball.
(c) The player moved past the point of interference and played on.
(d) The player created the interference in moving to the ball.
X. SPORTING BEHAVIOR
1. The mission of Intramural Sports is to provide a recreational environment for the University community which is safe and enjoyable. While the game atmosphere is often competitive, ensuring participant safety, providing a fun, social atmosphere, and promoting sporting behavior among participants, spectators, and team followers are our primary concerns. The game atmosphere should remain good-natured at all times. Participants shall maintain good sporting behavior throughout their participation in all facets of the intramural program.
2. The Sporting Behavior Rating System is intended to be an objective scale by which teams’ attitude and behavior can be assessed throughout the intramural sports league and playoff seasons. Behavior before, during, and after an intramural sports contest is included in the rating. The team captain is responsible for educating and informing all players and spectators affiliated with their team about the system.
3. A team is responsible for the actions of the individual team members and spectators related to it. Additionally, FSU Intramural Sports does not recognize the use of coaches. Only the team captain shall speak to the officials regarding administrative matters (protests, ejections, disqualifications, etc). Furthermore, the team captain’s efforts in assisting officials/staff to calm difficult situations and to restrain troubled teammates are key to controlling team conduct.
4. Sporting behavior is vital to the conduct of every Intramural contest. In order to encourage proper conduct during games, officials, administrative personnel, and supervisors shall make decisions on whether to warn, penalize or eject players or teams for poor behavior. These decisions are final. The Intramural Sports administrative staff will rule on further penalties as a result of unsporting conduct.
5. Each participant should choose their team members carefully, as all team members will suffer the consequences of any disciplinary action taken by the Intramural Sports staff against that team for violation of the intramural rules and sporting behavior guidelines. Protests or appeals of sporting behavior ratings will not be recognized. The Intramural Sports administrative staff reserves the right to review any rating given to a team.
6. Additional information regarding team and participant sporting behavior including the rating method, factors, and scale is available in the Sporting Behavior Principle of the Seven Principles of Intramural Sports, available online at the FSU Campus Recreation web site.
