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League Championship Tournament

 

 

2024 LCT Rules

  

 

 

 

LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT

GAME RULES

 

 

  1. General Rules.  Except as specified below, WIAA game rules will be followed. 

 

Rules in RED are specific to the League Championship Tournament and differ from regular season rules.

 

  1. Conduct.  WIAA rules regarding player conduct will be strictly observed.  Players, coaches, parents and others who use profanity, are demonstrative or loud in their criticism of the official, or are in any way belligerent, will be dealt with decisively.  The official will not confront a player, parent or other relevant party in the stands.  The official will identify for the coach the offending party and the nature of the offense.  There will be one warning.  If there is a second incident, the offending individual or individuals will be instructed by the relevant coach to leave the playing area.  That person will then be given two minutes to leave the area; failure to do so will result in the team involved forfeiting the match.  If a forfeiture in a match is declared, and if the offending individual has still not left the area by the time that team’s next match is scheduled to begin, that match will also be forfeited by the team associated with the offending individual.

 

Once the ejected individual or individuals involved leaves the area, he/she will be banned from the playing area for the rest of that play date (any of the remaining matches), even if the offending party is a player.  The official(s) involved in officiating the match(es) in question will make a telephonic report to the League.   

 

  1. Scoring.  All matches will use a rally scoring system.  All matches at the League Championship Tournament will be won by the first team to win two games.  No unnecessary third games will be played for “fun.” 

 

  1. Let Serve.  Consistent with WIAA rules, let serves will be counted as legal serves.

 

  1. Balls.  Regulation WIAA balls will be used.  

 

  1. Net Height.  The net will be set at 7' 4⅛". 

 

  1. Service Line / Foot Faults.  The 7th and 8th grades will use the WIAA’s 30-foot serving line and foot faults will be called in all matches. 

 

  1. Serving.  Regular WIAA rules on serving apply.

 

  1. Match Start Time and Warm-Up Time.  Start times for first matches of the day vary at the different LCT venues.  Where possible, we tried to give teams with longer trips later start times, but that was not always an option.  Teams will get a minimum of ten minutes combined, not ten minutes per team, of warm-up time before their first match of the day.  After that, particularly where we are running behind schedule, the official on each court and the tournament director have the authority to start a match early if both teams are there and ready to go, and to limit warm-up time.  Many early day matches will last only two games, with later matches (whether in the championship or consolation brackets) more closely-contested, often going to three games.  Any time that can be made up in early round play will be appreciated later on in the day.

 

 

  • Early starts where possible.  While no team will be asked to start its first match of the day early, after that, where both teams are at the court for their next match, we’d like to see some matches begin before their posted time.  If your team finishes its match early in a given time slot, encourage your players to use the restrooms or visit the concession stand expeditiously and then proceed directly to the court on which their next match will be played.

 

  • Don’t leave the venues unnecessarily.  When you have only 55 minutes between matches, please do not leave the LCT premises, except when traveling between venues to get to your next match.  As noted above, use the restrooms, visit the concession stand and then go directly to your next match in case it can start early.

 

  • No or little warm-up.  After each team’s first match, there will be little warm-up time in subsequent matches.  If matches are running significantly behind on a given court, the referee may allow no warm-up time.

 

  1. Time-Outs.  Each team will be allowed two 30-second time-outs per game.

 

  1. Movement of Coaches.  WIAA rules regarding the movement of coaches during games will be observed all matches.  

 

  1. Libero.  The libero will be allowed in 7th and 8th grade meets during the Spring 2024 season.  WIAA and National Federation of State High School Association (NFHS) rules will apply.    

 

  1. Coin Toss/Bench Selection.  At the LCT, the highest seed is always the home team (i.e., no preference is given to host teams).

 

  1. Number of Players.  Six players to start all matches.  During the League Championship Tournament, WIAA rules requiring at least six players be available to take the floor at the start of the first game of a match will be enforced and a forfeit declared where appropriate.

 

  1. Substitutions.  The WIVL generally tracks with the WIAA’s rule on substitutions.  However, we want to avoid the situation where a coach substitutes on every dead ball, or every other dead ball, as a means to get a multitude of players on the bench into a game.  While we want coaches to have the flexibility to make substitutions, it does not help the flow of the game to rotate 12, 14 or 16 players onto the court in every game.  This lengthens each game and stops the game from developing any flow or rhythm.  As a result, the official has the authority to deny a coach the opportunity to substitute on certain dead balls, and force substitutions to be made in groups (i.e., six play stoppages to substitute three players at a time is much less disruptive to the flow of the game than 18 individual substitutions).  Individual substitutions for strategic reasons, or to get a smaller number of players into a match, will not be discouraged.  Teams with a large number of players should consider fielding more than one team at a given meet or rotating which girls attend which meets, to avoid excessive substitutions.

 

  1. Line Judges.  As is the case at regular League meets, each team must provide one line judge to work each LCT match.  Refusal or failure to do so will result in a forfeit of the match.