OVERVIEW
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FAQ
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OVERVIEW
Underdog Sports Leagues offers co-ed volleyball year-round, with sand leagues and grass leagues in the Summer, and indoor leagues in the Fall, Winter, and Spring seasons. Beach and Grass play is 4 on 4, with two men and two women competing on each team. Indoor leagues are 6 on 6, 3 women and 3 men on the court at once. There are no minimums of maximums for non-binary players. We have some great players in our leagues each season, but if you are a true volleyball purist (who doesn't want any extra lines on the court and needs the ball always set 11 inches above the net to lay down a killer spike), then the Underdog volleyball leagues are probably not for you. The competition may get intense, especially around playoff time, but on the sand or in the gym, these leagues are fun and relaxed.
Volleyball seasons are generally 6 weeks long with an additional 2 weeks of playoffs for the top teams. Depending on your regular season record and tie-breakers, the bottom few seeds might not qualify for the playoffs.
RULES
All Underdog volleyball leagues are self reffed. There will always be a trained supervisor on site to help with questions and situations, but in almost every case players make their own calls and settle their own disputes. Underdog also provides all of the nets, lines, and game balls. You are welcome to buy knee pads or sand socks, but please always make sure that your shoes are acceptable for an indoor court and won’t leave marks on the surface.
I’m 7 feet tall and tried out for the Olympic Volleyball team – Do you have a spot for me?
Probably not. Our two regular Volleyball offerings are Softcore and Midcore leagues.
Softcore is a recreational division meant for those who may not be able to complete all plays using proper volleyball techniques. Midcore is the competitive division meant for those who have the proper volleyball skills to complete all plays. If you're an elite volleyball player (familiar with running advanced attack patterns and complicated offensive schemes), check out SeattleVolleyball.net for other local options.
How do matches actually work?
Every volleyball match is a 3 game match with rally scoring. If your games finish quick you are always welcome to play out the full hour. On the flip side we can’t go over if your tied up 1-1 and are barely starting the 3rd game at the end of the hour because of an epic matchup.
Footsaves … what’s the deal?
Footsaves are legal in beach and grass, but not indoor. Hard to pull off, rarely work out.
What do I need to bring with me?
USL provides all of the various assorted items you would need for a volleyball game including:
- Equipment - Balls, Nets, Score sheets
- Courts - We reserve your times and provide lines and nets for beach and grass volleyball
- Supervision - On site supervisors will join you at every game.
I’ve never played volleyball before, but I’m really athletic. I should play midcore right?
Not necessarily. While your athleticism will help you pick up the game quicker, there is a set of skills that are unique to volleyball that may take a while to learn. Our Softcore Volleyball is considered C level and our midcore league are considered B or BB level. If you are awesome and spike all the time probably best to play somewhere else…
Rules of thumb:
Softcore: New players and those who are looking for a more casual game
Midcore: Experienced players who are looking for faster paced matches
That volleyball supervisor we had last week is awesome. How do we get them on our roster?
We don’t allow our supervisors to join the rosters of established teams in our leagues.
How does rotating and substituting work?
You do have to rotate for indoor, but are not required to rotate (other than the server) for sand or grass. When substituting players, most teams rotate in from the front left or the back right (the server).
Yes, anyone can block any else. Although, it’s just as common to see a girl block a guy here as it is the other way around.
How high is the net you use?
We use a co-ed height net for all leagues of between the standard mens and women's heights.
Yes, as long as you do so cleanly and don’t carry it.
No, you have to wait for the ball to get below the net line before attacking a serve.
The only thing you need to bring are appropriate shoes and pads if you so desire. Also don't forget your ID for drinks after the games at the sponsor bar.
Ok, I'm signing up. What if I need to change my roster?
Roster changes are allowed until the day after the Week 2 games. Volleyball rosters should never be larger than 8 (Beach) to10 (Indoor) people. After the third week you can only modify your roster by applying for a special exemption due to injury or other weird/unfortunate occurrence. During registration, you will set up a log-in to the Player Page - a team admin panel that let's you update your roster, as well as do other cool stuff like emailing your teammates, tracking who owes you money, and signing up for future seasons.
Cool, I'm signed up. What about practices?
Some teams practice several times a week. Some don't practice at all. Unfortunately, USL does not provide practice time during the regular season on our fields. Your are welcome to show up early and practice/warm-up on the side, or practice on your own.
If you have additional questions, don't hesitate to
email us!
