CGVA’s MISSION STATEMENT
To promote the pursuit of competitive volleyball in the Colorado GLBT community through a balance of athletic and social activities, including recruiting, coaching, mentoring, and development of leagues and tournaments to benefit all individuals.

LEAGUE PARTICIPATION
All participants must be currently registered for the league and have signed the CGVA waiver. Final decisions rest with the CGVA Board of Directors. Unsportsmanlike or improper conduct will not be tolerated and will be subject to the appropriate penalty, including, but not limited to, warnings, suspension, or expulsion from the league.

CAPTAIN’S RESPONSIBILITIES
1. The captain is responsible for knowing all of the league guidelines and rules which can be found on the website, www.cgva.org (sub policy, league participation, etc…)
2. The captain is responsible for having all of his/her team’s contact information, and making sure that team members have his/hers.
3. The captain is responsible for attaining subs when one or more of his/her players will not be able to attend, (this means that his/her players are also responsible for letting the captain know, in advance when possible, that he/she will be unavailable.)
4. The captain is responsible for making sure that his/her team shows up on time to get warmed up and ready to play/officiate the matches their team is scheduled to.
5. The captain is responsible for getting information and updates to his/her team.
6. The captain is responsible for signing the score sheet after the game and making sure that the information on it is correct.
7. The captain is responsible for designating an “acting captain” if he/she is absent.
8. The captain is responsible for letting CGVA have current contact information and e-mail addresses.
9. Captains must ensure that their team has a minimum of 1 certified referee. Teams not having a certified referee will be forced to forfeit matches as outlined below.
Captains, please get in the habit of checking the website and your e-mail often so that you and your team will be aware of any updated information, parties, and team standings that may be sent out or posted on the website.

MATCH RULES
1. Matches will start promptly at their scheduled time.
2. The 35-minute matches consist of a 5-minute warm-up and two games.
3. All games will begin at 4 and be played to 21 points with a cap of 23. All games will be rally scoring.
4. If two teams are ties at the end of the time allotted, then he next point scored will win the game.
5. Teams are granted two timeouts per game except the final two minutes of the allotted match time.
6. Teams may play with a minimum of four players on the court and can play with two permitted substitutions (see substitution policy). Teams with only three players must forfeit their game(s).
7. All Divisions – unless excluded by the League Director - will utilize the “ghost player” rule when less than six players are present on the court.
8. If an injury or emergency causes a team to have less than four players during a match, the team will not be penalized and the match will continue.
9. If a ball from another court enters the court and interrupts play, play must be immediately stopped and must be restarted with no penalty to either team.

OFFICIATING
Official volleyball rules will be followed as set forth by the current USAV rulebook and adapted NAGVA rules. Teams scheduled to officiate must provide four players to constitute a full officiating crew. Please, also have a personal whistle, or obtain a CGVA whistle before the match begins. If the officiating team does not make its assignment, they will forfeit one game for each officiating game missed. Each team must have a minimum of 1 certified referee on their roster. Officiating clinics will be conducted during open play nights prior to the start of the regular season. A team has the first three weeks of a season to get a player certified to officiate. After that point in time, a team will forfeit all games until a player is certified. If the certified referee is absent, a substitute certified referee may be obtained. The substitute referee must be approved by both captains of the participating teams prior to beginning the match. An officiating team cannot cause a delay with the games they are scheduled to officiate. Other responsibilities of the certified official include, but are not limited to:

1. Selecting an MVP from each team at the conclusion of the match.

2. Signing the score sheet at the conclusion of the match.

3. Obtaining the signature/initials of each participating captain at the conclusion of the match.

4. Conducting the pre-match captain’s meeting.

5. Keeping the matches on-time with the provided time schedule and calling “TIME” when the allotted time expires.

SUBSTITUTION POLICY
No new players may be added to a team’s roster. Any team that needs a substitute player can choose any available player from their division or lower. Teams cannot choose a player from a “higher” division. If an officiating team only has 4 players, they cannot provide a substitute player. A team with six original team members present cannot substitute any players. It is the captain’s responsibility to bring any player issues to the League Committee. Any exceptions to this rule will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

PROTEST POLICY
Any captain that wishes to make a protest during league play must do so in writing to the League Committee within 24 hours of the incident in question. The scheduled match must be completed in the time frame allotted.

CGVA's INTER-LEAGUE SUBSTITUTION POLICY
The captain of any fully paid team (six or more paid players) in either CGVA spring league may designate in writing up to two players from the other CGVA spring league to play as approved "inter-league substitutes" on its team. The player must be fully paid in the other league and must be playing in the same division as or lower than the team he or she is a substitute on. The captain must make this designation in writing to his or her league director any time before the start of the third night of league play so that the approved inter-league substitutes can be shown on the team's roster.

In all other respects, an inter-league substitute will function as a normal intra-league substitute under CGVA's current substitution policies including but not limited to the requirement for four core (original) team members to be present to constitute a valid team, no substitutions when six or more core team members are present, and no substitutes during tournament play, among others.

PARTICIPANTS CODE OF CONDUCT

To ensure good sportsmanship on and off of the court, CGVA has adopted the following participants' code of conduct to reinforce the rules contained in the current USAV indoor volleyball regulations:

• Participants must accept referees' decisions with sportsmanlike conduct, without disputing them. In case of doubt, clarification may be requested only through the team captain.
• Participants must refrain from actions or attitudes aimed at influencing the decisions of the referees or covering up faults committed by their team.
• Rude conduct (for example, yelling or expressing contempt), offensive conduct (for example, profanity), and aggression (actual or threatened) will be sanctioned according to USAV regulations.
• Kicking, throwing, or slamming a volleyball or any other object that risks injury to others will be sanctioned as rude conduct. Doing any of these actions in a manner directed at a specific individual will be sanctioned as aggression.
  
• Referees, scorekeepers, and line judges shall not use a cell phone, iPod , or any similar device and they may not wear a “hoodie” in an effort to conceal these devices. Moreover, referees, scorekeepers, and line judges shall not hold conversations with bystanders or other team members while officiating a match. Please show the teams you are officiating the same respect and attention you would desire while on the court.
• The possession of illegal drugs or weapons at any CGVA-sponsored event will result in the participant's removal from the venue.
• The consumption of alcohol is discouraged to the extent that it inhibits the participant's ability to officiate professionally or participate respectfully.

Certified officials are able to administer yellow and red cards during play as specified by USAV regulations. The issuing of a yellow or red card shall be documented by the scorekeeper. Moreover, a league committee member or any CGVA board member may expel or disqualify any participant directly observed engaging in offensive conduct or aggression.