6 Adults' Competition

The Ohio Valley Region (OVR) offers abundant opportunities for men's and women's competition in AA, A, BB, and B levels throughout Ohio, the western counties of Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. The OVR regular season runs from January through early April, with our Regional Championships held at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in mid-April. OVR regular-season and age group teams also compete at the US Open Volleyball Championships (Nationals) during the week of Memorial Day. New teams are always welcome, and OVR members are encouraged to host one or more tournaments during the season. You'll find all the information you need on the OVR website, but if you have any questions, the men's or women's tournament director will be happy to assist.

6.1 Registration

1. To register your team: All registrations, including last minute add-ons, must be done online (www.ovr.org/register/). On registration, you will immediately receive team and individual registration numbers. Members' information must be complete and accurate, and only permanent home addresses are acceptable.

   Professional officials must register themselves, after which they may be included on or added to your team's roster using their names and registration numbers. Never register a professional official on your team without using his or her professional officials' registration number for the intended season.

   If players on your team also coach for a juniors' club and if their registration fees are to be paid by the club for which they coach, then their club must first register them as coaches. Once they are registered as coaches, use their names and registration numbers to include them on or add them to your roster. Individuals who will interact with juniors (e.g. coaches), including officials, must also agree to background screening. Background screening is good for 2 years, for which the fee is $20.00.

2. Registration fees: The registration fee for adult members is $50, which includes mandatory sports accident insurance. There are no team fees in the Ohio Valley Region.

3. Completing your registration: Duplicate and have each team member sign the OVR Waiver and Release, which includes the USA Volleyball Participant Code of Conduct. Juniors' coaches must also sign and return the Juniors' Coaches' Code of Ethics, and individuals needing background screening must complete their screens with SSCI (see Background Screening Overview).

   Mail your team's registration fees (checks payable to Ohio Valley Region) and signed forms to Steve Donahue, 5401 Rochelle Drive, Stow, OH 44224-5512. Include a copy of the registration receipt, and remit all fees and forms together: do not send members' fees and forms individually, except for add-ons.

4. Season costs: Plan for $50 per player to register with OVR-USAV, $120 per regular-season tournament, and $175 for the Ohio Valley Adult Regional Volleyball Championships. Additional costs include whatever you spend on uniform shirts, numbering, and shorts. Team reps (especially those without sponsorship) should collect a lump sum of money up front from your team to pay for these expenses so you are not paying out of your own pocket all season, waiting to be reimbursed.

5. Only one team/club per player: A player may not represent more than one team/club in any one USA Volleyball season. (Exception: an individual may play on a men's or women's team and a juniors' or age-group team, if applicable.)

6. Membership benefits: In addition to becoming eligible to compete in OVR/USAV events, all adult players, officials, and coaches will receive a USAV rulebook and a subscription to Volleyball USA. Rule books will be distributed at various tournaments, clinics, or mailed. In addition, the OVR newsletter appears on the OVR website.

7. Level of play: Your team's level of play should be the level assigned at the end of last season [men's, women's]. If your team is new, it should be the level that you anticipate playing at the Adult Regional Championships. If your team does not belong at the level you select, the OVR Adults' Tournament Director(s) will help you determine the proper level of play by the end of February. The OVR reserves the right to move teams up or down into any level of play.

6.2 Policies for Adults' Competition

1. Eligibility for Regionals: To be eligible to play in the Ohio Valley Adult Regional Volleyball Championships ("Regionals"), a team must play in at least two OVR tournaments at the level at which they will play at the Championships. Individuals must be registered on their team's roster by April 1 to be eligible for Regionals.

2. Adjustments to level of play: A team that makes the playoffs in the next higher division may not be able to play in the next lower level of play for the remainder of the season. Only teams with a pool play winning percentage of 0.24 or lower will be taken under consideration to play at the next lower level.

3. Levels of play: Teams are registered as AA, A, BB, and B. Men's and women's tournaments are offered at AA, A, BB, and B levels, and coed tournamnets are offered at AA/A, A/BB, and BB/B levels.

4. Uniforms: Your team must have identical shorts and shirts. Uniform numbers must be clearly visible and centered on the chest and back. Each jersey must use the same color (excepting the Libero) and number height, minimum of 4" on the front and 6" on the back (recommended 6" on the front and 8" on the back) for all players. The line forming the numbers should be at least ¾" wide. Numbers should not overlap shirt designs. The Libero must wear a numbered shirt that contrasts in color to the other team uniforms.
   [See also: Adults' Uniform Requirements]

5. Hats and Jewelry: Players may not wear hats or jewelry, except for a flat band ring worn on the finger.

6. Clubs: A club is a relationship between two or more teams through which players can be exchanged, facilitating play in circumstances where teams would otherwise forfeit due to an insufficient number of players.

   Teams belonging to the same club must share the same name (e.g. Team Ohio - Blue and Team Ohio - Gold). Any number of teams may club together, but club affiliation must be declared when each team registers. Each team must register with at least six players. An individual player may play for only one team in any one tournament. The Ohio Valley Adult Regional Volleyball Championships is considered to be one tournament.

   For any tournament, a team may consist of no more than two players from other teams in the club. Up to two players may move laterally (within the same level of play) or up (from a lower level of play), but only one player may move down (from a higher level of play) one division. A player may never play down more than one level of play.

7. Conduct: Players traveling outside the OVR for competition, either national or inter-regional, represent the OVR, their club, and their team. Please uphold the highest standards of conduct and professionalism.

6.3 Tournament Procedures

1. Tournament schedule: The list of tournaments is published and updated frequently on the OVR Adults' Tournament Schedule. Please check it regularly for additions and changes. To maximize your team's chance of getting a spot in a tournament, send your entry fee at least 3-4 weeks in advance.

2. Tournament entry: Teams are accepted into tournaments only when their entry fees are paid, in order of postmark date. OVR team and individual registration numbers are required on tournament entry forms. Teams needing to requisition entry fee checks from sponsors, educational institutions, government institutions, etc. must requisition the check early enough so that it is received by the tournament host by the entry deadline. [OVR Tournament Entry Form]

3. Withdrawal from a tournament: A team that drops out of a tournament after the deadline, usually one week prior to the event, will forfeit its entry fee unless a replacement team is found. Expenses incurred in finding a replacement team may be deducted from the entry fee, if it is returned.

4. Late arrival: A team which is late or incomplete for a match must forfeit based on the following:

   • The first game is forfeited at the scheduled start time.
   • The second (and subsequent) games are forfeited 10 minutes after the preceding game ends.
   • No time-outs may be called until the team has six players to start the game.

5. Tournament format: All pool play and playoff matches will consist of rally scoring games to 21 points. In 5- and 6-team pools, 2 games to 21 points will be played. In 4-team pools, 3 games to 21 points will be played. For a 4-team pool on one court, 2 games to 21 point matches may be used, and then all teams will be taken to playoffs. There is no coin toss for the third game in pool play, nor change of sides in the middle of the game as this is not a deciding game.

6. Officiating: Tournament hosts will provide paid certified officials for all pool play and playoff matches. If the tournament host is unable to obtain the proper number of certified officials, or in the case of a 1-court tournament with one official, player officials may help officiate to give the certified official a break, and will be paid $20 per match. If there is no official for a court, then the players will officiate matches on that court as assigned and $35 will be refunded to each team on that court.

   After tournament pool play, the last place team provides support officials (second referee, scorekeepers, lines-people) for the first round of playoffs, unless they are excused by the tournament host. A tie-breaker match is considered to be the first round of playoffs. If teams with byes are available, they will be used to support playoff rounds and the last place teams will be excused. For subsequent playoff rounds, losing teams provide support officials for the next round, unless they are excused. Failure to fulfill officiating duties will result in a $100 fine and a suspension of the team until the fine is paid.

7. Hosting a Tournament: The Adults' Tournament Packet contains complete information and forms for hosting men's and women's tournaments in the Ohio Valley Region. Contact Michelle Fox (fox@ovr.org, 330‑666‑8709), OVR Adults' Tournament Director, to sanction your event(s).

6.4 Adults' Tournament Packet

The following forms comprise the Adults' Tournament Packet, with which all tournament directors and teams reps should be familiar.

6.5 Ohio Valley Regional Volleyball Championships ("Regionals")

The Ohio Valley Regional Volleyball Championships ("Regionals") are typically held at the Greater Columbus Convention Center each April. Complete information is available at www.ovr.org/adults/regionals/.

6.6 USA Open Volleyball Championships ("Nationals")

The USA Open Volleyball Championships ("Nationals") are typically held on the week of Memorial Day, at a different city each year as selected by USA Volleyball. Complete information is available at http://volleyball.teamusa.org/content/index/4388.

6.7 Links to Teams, Tournaments, Results, and Standings

Historical information from earlier seasons is also available:

• [ 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996 ]

6.8 OVR Adults' Tournament Director

6.9 Seeding System for Men's and Women's Tournaments

No points are given for making the playoffs in a tournament that is of a lower level than your team's classification. Points will be adjusted for the rest of the teams if a team of higher classification is in the tournament. No points are given for a tournament in which there are three or less teams of your classification.

Rank is based on a "Seeding Coefficient" which is calculated according to the following formula. Only the team's best five finishes are considered in this formula.

                      Total Seeding Points Earned
Seeding Coefficient = ----------------------------
                      Number of Tournaments Played

If more than one team has the same coefficient, the team with the greater number of total Seeding Points will be ranked higher. Results of head-to-head competition will also be taken into consideration. In Regional seeding, if more than one team has the same ranking, the teams will be distributed based on geographical location to allow them to play teams from other areas of the Region.

6.4 Men's Team Representatives

The following list reflects men's teams registered for the 2008-2009 season. This summary is built from up-to-the minute registration data, and additional detail is available on the OVR website at www.ovr.org/adults/teams.php.

6.5 Women's Team Representatives

The following list reflects women's teams registered for the 2008-2009 season. This summary is built from up-to-the minute registration data, and additional detail is available on the OVR website at www.ovr.org/adults/teams.php.

6.6 Coed Team Representatives

The following list reflects coed teams registered for the 2008-2009 season. This summary is built from up-to-the minute registration data, and additional detail is available on the OVR website at www.ovr.org/adults/teams.php.