Event Rules & Guidelines

There will be no coaches meeting for the tournament. All information will be found in the tournament book by clicking the link.

TOURNAMENT INFORMATION BOOK – Will be updated September 2024

Complete posting of results and next round of play will be available on Advance Event Systems. This is the official schedule. There will be no paper posting of pool results or results computers on site.

Check the internet for all results before leaving the site to confirm that you are done for the day. Site Directors and officials will not be held accountable for miscommunication or schedule interpretations.

You do not have to “check-out” with a site director prior to leaving.

For all matches during the event, warm-up time will be 2-4-4. 2 minutes for shared ball handling, 4 minutes for the serving team to have the entire court, 4 minutes for the receiving team to have the entire court. Matches will be played ahead of schedule if possible.

We are asking teams to help shag for the opponent during warm-ups to keep balls off other courts.

Warm-up balls are not provided, please bring your own warm-up balls.

If a protest needs to be filed it is to be done at the time of the incident, no later. The first referee is obligated to acknowledge and record all protests. Only the floor captain may file a protest. The protest must be written on the scoresheet by the official scorekeeper or the first-official and must be signed by the person presenting the protest as well as the first official. All protests will be ruled upon prior to the next service. Judgement calls may not be protested. Protests will be considered only for situations outlined in the United States Volleyball Official Rules booklet. The protest committee will handle all protests. The protest committee is led by head official Justin Basovsky and Tournament Director Tim Keating

Seeding for this event was done and confirmed with the use of Advanced Event Systems results only. No outside results systems were used. We take into consideration the AES ranking system when seeding. No dispute of seeding will be acknowledged once the schedule is released. Once seeding is completed, we look at the pools and may move teams to avoid playing their own teams on day one.

We will be using a seeding committee to help determine the best seeding possible for the event.

To be considered for the seeding committee, please e-mail: [email protected]

A team that intentionally forfeits a match will be excluded from further participation in the event. If a team forfeits a match the forfeit will be considered intentional unless a team shows good cause for the forfeit. The Event Arbitrator will determine if good cause exists.

Teams that enter the Nike Steel City Freeze are committing to participating in the full event. Teams have control over their travel plans and those plans should be made so that a team will not have to forfeit any matches. A team that forfeits a match for any reason other than illness, injury or emergency is denying another team a match. Additionally, in a single elimination format, it is poor sportsmanship to deny a team the right to move on by beating them and then forfeiting out of the event. Furthermore, it is even more unacceptable to forfeit and then, as loser of the match, not to remain and officiate the next match.

Teams that have no flexibility in their travel plans and know they will need to leave before the conclusion of an event should notify the Tournament Director early on in the event. A decision will be made by the Tournament Director when the team will need to take their forfeit. Teams forfeiting should recognize that additional penalties may apply.

A team that does not fulfill their officiating duty shall be responsible for the match fees assessed for a certified officiating team to work.

Athletic Trainers are provided. They will be on-site beginning at 7:00am each day. You must provide your own tape. Supplies may be available for purchase through the Athletic Trainers.

Awards will be given to the Gold Division 1st, 2nd & 3rd Place finishers.

Teams are required to officiate as noted on the master schedule. During the pool play rounds the officiating teams are designated on the schedule available online. Teams must supply a down referee, lines people and scorers. It is NOT required in this tournament that the 2nd referee, but is strongly recommended. A rostered adult from the officiating team must be present during all matches.

On Sunday, on most of the courts the losing team will stay and officiate the Next match on their court. Those teams finishing pools on Sunday may also have officiating duties after their pool play completes. Check the schedule for verification of your work assignments.

The definition of “next match” is the next match that requires an officiating team on that court. For example, a team which loses a match at 8:00am will normally officiate the next match which is scheduled at 9:00am, however if there no match scheduled at 9:00am or the 9:00am match is forfeited by a team, the scheduled officiating team will ref the next match which occurs on that court.

In some cases on Sunday a team that plays the 9:00am will have to be the work team at 8:00am. These teams are noted in both the master schedule and on the playoff charts. On the playoff chart the officiating teams are those teams which have a box around them. Check the schedule carefully to see if you are the assigned team to work the 8:00am match on Sunday.

Please double check your “Team Page” on Advanced Event Systems as a glitch may not push through your officiating assignment if you are to officiate another division than the one you are playing in.

A team’s failure to have a complete officiating crew, including a rostered coach for that team, available and on time, for a match officiating assignment could result in the team having to forfeit the first game of its next match. For every minute an officiating team is late to fulfill its assignment, one point will be awarded to that team’s next opponent for the first set of the next match – up to 25 points. No more than 25 points will be awarded to the team’s next opponent, even if the team designated to officiate misses the entire match. The clock begins to run at the completion of the final 4 minutes of warm-ups. A team will forfeit its entire next match for failing, a second time, to have an officiating crew available, on time, for an officiating assignment.