Sactown Throwdown 2026

Per the 2016 NAGVA Annual Meeting, NAGVA plays all USAV rules except pursuit. There is no pursuit across the other court for a ball, and no touching any part of the net (top or bottom) while a player is in motion.

For the 2025–26 season, NAGVA adopted USAV's updates on ball handling, screening, substitutions and liberos:

• Ball handling. On the second team hit, the ball may contact several parts of the body consecutively if it happens in one action and a teammate touches it next. If that ball goes over the net, it is a fault and the team loses the point.
• Screening. Players may not raise their hands above their head until the serve crosses the plane of the net. Doing so is a fault. Refs may warn teams between rallies about repeated violations, and a brief accidental raise is not automatically a fault. The signal is the same as a back row block.
• Substitutions. Up to 15 per set.
• Liberos. A team may designate zero, one or two liberos at the start of each set.

Each team gets two 30-second time-outs per match. Pool play is timed and runs strictly to schedule.

Keep an accurate roster on the NAGVA website, including a Certified R1 and a Certified Scorekeeper. Once rosters lock, tell the Tournament Directors and the Regional Commissioners about any additions or deletions.

No certified ref or scorekeeper? The tournament will provide one for $30 per position, per match, paid in advance. Venmo @Karl-Vinge-1 with your team name, division and what you are paying for, or pay cash at the desk. Let a Tournament Director know ahead of time.

Teams more than five minutes late to a ref assignment will be penalized, up to forfeiting their next set, as determined by the Tournament or Site Directors.

The Regional Commissioners rate all unrated players on Saturday and re-assess ratings on Sunday. If no RC reaches out to you or your captain, assume the player is rated in the division they are playing.

If an unrated player is rated above their division (for example, a BB player in B, or four or more A players on one BB3 team), the player is removed from the team per NAGVA guidelines. On Saturday that results in a forfeit of the set. On Sunday it results in a forfeit of the match.

Protests are for rules interpretations only, never judgment calls like a double or a ball in or out.

To protest, stop play immediately and send a player to the Tournament Desk to notify a Court Manager or Tournament Director. During pool play, the clock does not stop.

The Protest Committee is three people, drawn as available from the Tournament Directors, Court Managers, Head Referee, Regional Commissioners, or a captain from a team in the same division that is not playing.

Once pool play results are issued and emailed to all players, they will not be changed. Captains or team representatives are responsible for verifying their pool play record before leaving the gym.