The City Beach Youth Tournament Series
R E G I S T R A T I O N A N D T O U R N A M E N T F E E S
You must register for all tournaments through our online registration system which offers the ability to register and pay online. There will be no walk-up, register and pay.
C H E C K - I N
Tournament check-in begins forty-five (45) minutes prior to tournament start time. Approximately 10 minutes prior to starting play, the Tournament Director will have a brief meeting with the teams to discuss rules and answer any questions.
T O U R N A M E N T P L A Y
Pool Play: Teams will be placed in pools according to their age (youth) or skill level (adult and family). Each team will play other teams in their pool and will be guaranteed to play at least to a total of 63 points. For 3-team pools, two rounds of one game to at least 16, no win by 2; 4-team pools, one game to 21, no win by 2; 5-team pools, one game to at least 16, no win by 2, 6-team pools, one game to 15, no win by 2. We may adjust scoring in pool play based on number of teams registered in each division and time constraints. Pool play usually concludes between 2 and 2 1/2 hours.
Bracket Play: All teams usually go to bracket play, but we may have to subdivide age groups based on court availability and time constraints. In the event teams are tied after pool play, the teams will be seeded based on head-to-head then point differential – no play-off sets. Bracket play is single elimination with teams playing one game to 21, win by 2 but cap at 25. We may adjust scoring in bracket play (i.e., do best 2 out of 3) based on number of teams registered and time constraints. We will make all efforts to complete Pool play and bracket play in approximately 4 hours. Deciding Serve or Receive. Rock, paper, scissors determine right to serve or to receive the serve.
Tournament Desk: A tournament director will be located at the tournament desk. The tournament director will maintain the pools and set up the brackets based on pool play. Teams will be given clipboards containing a score sheet, court numbers and teams. The scores of each game will be recorded on these score sheets. The score sheets for subsequent games on a particular court will be located at the tournament table too. After each game, the winning team should make sure the score sheet has the scores for the game and return the completed score sheet to the tournament desk
Required Number of Players: A team may play with five players in the 6×6 format, three players in the 4 x 4 format and with two players in the 3 x 3 format but note with co-ed division, rules apply with respect to the number of genders required on the court. No substitutions are allowed with 2 x 2 format.
Service: Server rotation is required. Teams may not attack a serve. The service line is the back-end line on both sides of the court and runs the length of the end line. No screening is allowed, (blocking path of vision to the server). The ball may touch the net on serve as long as it goes over the net.
Switching Sides: Due to certain conditions (i.e., sun in eyes, wind), teams switch sides every 5 (for games to 15), 6 (for games to 18) or 7 points (for games to 21 or any other score).
Time Outs: Under normal circumstances, each team is allowed one thirty second (:30) timeout per game. Time out may be called prior to the server receiving the ball on either side of the court (between plays).
Referees: Sand volleyball is self-managed. For youth tournaments, we require youth to ref/score matches per a determined schedule. For family and adult tournaments, we often waive this requirement.
Scoring: Each team when reffing will keep score for the match.
Ball in Play: Each team has up to three contacts at the ball before the ball returns to the opposing team’s side of the court; blocks do not count as a contact in all divisions except 2×2 where the block does count as first contact. A player may not contact the ball two times in a row. Two players may contact the ball at the same time; however, it is considered two hits. You cannot lift, double contact or throw the ball. A double contact is only allowed on a hard-driven ball. On the service receive a “Single Contact” is required when playing the ball above the shoulders. Technically you can receive a serve with your fingertips (“set the serve”) if perfectly clean but since this is primarily a self-ref sport and too subjective, we do not allow you to set the serve. You can spike, roll, fist, knuckle or poke a ball with your hand but you cannot push, tip or throw. If you set the ball over the net, the ball must travel directly in the path the shoulders are facing, with back or front (no deceptive setting).
R A I N O U T S / P O S T P O N E M E N T S / T O U R N A M E N T
C A N C E L L A T I O N S
Our court rarely rains out if heavy rain prior to the start of a tournament due to its great drainage system. However, we postpone tournaments if heavy rain and/or lightning during tournament and sometimes cancel tournaments depending on how long the heavy rain and/or lightning will last. Any notice concerning a rainout or other tournament cancellation or postponement prior to the start of the tournament will be emailed or texted to the team leader, whichever he or she prefers AND posted on Dallas Starlings Beach page as soon as a decision is made. If you have not received notification and unsure of the status, please call (214) 641.8811 or check the Website again before heading to the playing facility for your games. We will strive our very best to provide you as much advance notice as possible but please keep in mind that weather is very unpredictable so we may not be able to make a weather decision until closer to a scheduled tournament time. In the event a tournament has to be cancelled prior to the start of the tournament and the tournament cannot be rescheduled, all tournament fees will be refunded. **Once a tournament has started, there will be no refunds due to weather.
U N I F O R M S
Uniforms are not required. Family Friendly attire for players. Players must play barefoot or use some approved sand sock.
T O U R N A M E N T W I N N E R S
Gold 1st Place will receive T-shirts; 2nd Place Medals | Silver 1st Place will receive Medals
ALCOHOL POLICY
Players are not allowed to consume alcohol during play. Anyone drinking alcohol must of legal drinking age for the state of Texas. The tournament has the right to dismiss anyone off the premises for irresponisble alcohol usage.