IHSA Announcements

March 3, 2003

NFHS Volleyball Committee Adopts Rally Scoring

Effective for the 2004-2005 school year, rally scoring will be played in Illinois for the regular season and the IHSA state series. The NFHS has directed all states to abide by the following format.

• All matches shall be the best three-out-of-five games.

• Games shall be played to 25 point (no cap) and the fifth game and deciding game shall be played to 15 points (no cap).

• The let serve shall be allowed.

Because our member schools voiced concerns over the issue of time for a 3 out of 5 match format, IHSA has requested and been granted permission by the NFHS to experiment with a two-out-of three game match to study the impact of time. The experiment will begin with the current boys season and extend through next years girls season. Any school, conference or tournament that has a boys or girls program may participate in this experiment provided they submit data to the IHSA. The results of this statewide experiment will be shared with the National Federation Rules Committee and at the National Federation Summer Meeting held in July, 2003.

The IHSA experiment provides that boys or girls volleyball teams shall abide by the following rules:

• All regular season matches shall be the best two-out-of-three games. (Tournaments may continue to use pool play as an option.)

• Games shall be played to 25 points (no cap) and the third and deciding game shall be played to 25 points (no cap)

• The let serve shall be allowed.

• Conferences, schools, coaches and officials must mutually agree prior to the contest to experiment with the rally format.

• The home school participating in the experiment are required to submit the data worksheet to the IHSA.

Forms and more information are provided in the April "Volleyball School and Managers Manual".