11/26/24 – Boys’ Volleyball Frequently Asked Questions

November 26, 2024 Athletic Department Blog Updates

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(Last Updated 11/26/24)

Following the board announcement regarding the boys’ volleyball postseason and format, the office has received additional questions about the upcoming season.

Programs that have competed outside of KHSAA sanction are going through a transition to the various Bylaws and Competition Rules that KHSAA-sanctioned play requires.  Hopefully, this will help those new individuals in the transition.  

To ensure consistent communication, we’ve put together this Frequently Asked Questions blog post, addressing some of the common queries we’ve received about boys’ volleyball. Please note that this post will be updated as new questions come in and should serve as a helpful reference for our coaches. Since boys’ volleyball will follow similar guidelines to our other sports regarding coaching requirements, schedules/scores, postseason, and championships, your Athletic Director will also continue to be a valuable resource for additional information and is required to be involved for the sport to comply with Federal OCR guidelines.

Frequently Asked Volleyball Questions

Are there restrictions on what days we can schedule games?

• There are no restrictions on what days games can be played at this time other than the restriction on playing games on four consecutive days (Monday to Thursday) while school is in session (Bylaw 23). 

Will the KHSAA decide who we play or assist with making the regular season schedule?

• The KHSAA does not dictate regular season schedules. Coaches and Athletic Directors should work together to plan their regular season schedules.
• If a region determines that the regions are to be seeded, this must be done prior to the start of the season as voted on by representatives from all schools within a region.  Then those games become mandatory.

What restrictions are in place for the regular season in terms of number of contests?

• Schools are limited to 25 contests during the regular season.  Each time the team takes the court, it counts toward the limitation.  Non-varsity teams have the same contest limitations as varsity teams.  School A is playing School B. School A cannot say it is a varsity contest, and School B can say it is a junior varsity contest.  It would be considered varsity for both regardless if it is 2/3 or 3/5 sets.
• When does practice start?
  The first official practice February 3.  This is the first date that anything can be mandatory by a coach and is also when the KHSAA insurance coverage begins.

When does the regular season start?

• Regular season games may begin on March 3 and should conclude no later than May 7.

Are scrimmages allowed before the season begins?

• Teams are allowed 2 scrimmages (two separate three-hour blocks) prior to the first official game and after the first allowable date for practice.
• Scrimmages must be completed prior to the first regular season contest.

Can my school schedule a regular season game against a conglomerate, cooperative, or club team?

• No

Can my school schedule one of its two scrimmages against a conglomerate, cooperative, or club team?

• Yes

If a school isn’t fielding a lacrosse team this year, can a student play for another area school that will have a team?

• No. A student desiring to participate shall be enrolled as a full-time student and receive credit through the member school at which participation is desired or be a student at a “feeder” school in the same school district governed by the same local board of education as defined and interpreted under Bylaw 4.

How many times will I have to play the other teams in my region?

• If regions decide to seed teams for the regional tournament, each team must play every other team in the region at least once.
• Some regions may opt by majority vote to play teams twice during the regular season to ensure both home and away matchups, which is decided at the regional seeding and site selection meeting prior to the beginning of the season.

Will there be any changes in the postseason plan and format in the future?

• Yes, as the format will continue to evolve with what we hope is the growth of the sport.  

How do I enter my schedule in Arbiter?

• Coaches should coordinate with their Athletic Director with regard to schedule entry and score reporting.  Schedules are to be entered by the member school – not the local Assigning Secretary.
• For step-by-step instructions on how to upload a schedule template, please refer to Mr. Catron’s scribe page. https://scribehow.com/page/KHSAAArbiter_360_Training_Resources__yP3tNxHdTf-YQxX5Ul4dAA
• Single games can be added by logging into Arbiter and going to “Schedule” and “Add New”.

How do we determine seeding for the regional tournament?

• Regional Athletic Directors should meet to discuss seeding prior to the beginning of the season.
• A majority vote is required to make these seeding decisions.
• Per Bylaw 22, all schools should be aware that by adopting a seeding plan, all schools are entering into an enforceable contract whether or not a signed contract is executed.
• Once it has been determined to seed a district with four (4) or more teams, the method of seeding shall be decided such as:
• How many times are teams going to play each other, for example, if more than once, which one is the tiebreaker?
• What are other tiebreakers in the event more than two (2) teams are tied? This will become the official record for the future, so all possible tie-breakers should be discussed.
• What basic criteria shall be used for seeding?
• Following completion of the meeting, seeding criteria should be submitted to the KHSAA office. (Form will be available at a later date)
• If no seeding plan is determined prior to the first game or if a seeding plan includes any random chance as a tie-breaker (coin toss, draw, etc.), then seeding will be done by RPI.

Are coinflips allowed to be used as a tiebreaker for seeding purposes?

• No.  RPI will be used.

How do we determine where the Regional Tournament will take place each year?

• Regional Athletic Directors should meet to discuss a site rotation prior to the beginning of the season, and the regions are to be played during the window of days as determined by the Association.
• A site selection plan requires a majority vote of the participating schools.
  The recommended site selection plan will be submitted electronically using Form GE58 (Region Site Selection Plan) to the Commissioner’s office for input for future years.

Are there any required pieces of training for coaches?

• All coaches must comply with the Bylaw 25 requirements of the KHSAA.
• The requirements include the Online KHSAA Sports Safety Course, the Online Volleyball Rules Clinic, EAP mandatory training, and CPR/First Aid/AED training, among the other items listed in Bylaw 25.
• For coaches with less than 64-college hours, additional courses are required.
• You can find all of the KHSAA Bylaws and additional requirements here
  Additional training may be required at the school level.

For questions about boys’ volleyball, please reach out to Associate Commissioner Butch Cope at bcope@khsaa.org.

– KHSAA –

About the Kentucky High School Athletic Association

The Kentucky High School Athletic Association was organized in 1917 and is the agency designated by the Kentucky Department of Education to manage high school athletics in the Commonwealth. The Association is a voluntary nonprofit 501(c)3 organization made up of 289 member schools, both public and non-public. The KHSAA awards 229 state championships to 72 teams and 270 individuals in 21 sports and six sport-activities, funds catastrophic insurance coverage for its more than 109,000 rostered member school student-athletes, provides coaching education and sports safety programs for more than 12,000 coaches and licenses and facilitates the distribution of training material for over 4,000 contest officials.

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