OPEN LEVEL

Serving: Strong jump serve or aggressive overhead serve, both of which can be used to accurately target a specific position on the defensive side consistently.

Passing/Defense: Passes are highly controlled to target regardless of the strength of the serve or attack. 

Hitting:  Is able to utilize a mix of aggressive swings and well placed shots when attacking.  Open players are dominant in this area. 

If you are setter: Have clean hand sets and reliably accommodate a hitter's preferences, with the ability to do both of these things when the pass is not on target. Open level setters rarely, if ever, make ballhandling errors such as doubles or lifts. 

AA LEVEL

Serving: Strong jump serve or fast paced overhead serve with ability to target a specific position on the defensive side. Compared with Open players, AA players may have less velocity or accuracy. 

Passing/Defense: Passes consistently regardless of the strength of serve or attack, but location may be inconsistent compared to Open. 

Hitting:  Displays a mix of aggressive swings and well placed shots when attacking with minimal errors. Can be streaky.  

If you are setter: Has the ball control necessary to locate sets consistently regardless of the pass, but may not always handset. Will make limited ball handling errors such as doubles or lifts. 

A LEVEL

Serving: Moderately paced overhand serve OR good general placement of the ball.

Passing/Defense: Passes to target but consistency may vary when facing certain types of hits/serves. 

Hitting:  Attacks are hard hits or well placed shots, but may not consistently put the ball away or keep the ball in play. 

If you are setter:  Reliably targets a hitter on their team to set whether handsetting or bumpsetting, but often the pass will dicate who gets set. Occasional ball handling errors are made such as doubles or lifts. 

*Compared with AA players, A players are skilled players that excel in some, but not all, areas of the game, are less consistent with the execution of their skills, and serve/hit with less pace. 

BB LEVEL

Serving: Overhand serve that may be inconsistent or underhand service with good general placement of the ball. Compared to the A level, a BB player's serve has less pace and may result in more errors. 

Passing/Defense:  Has fundamental passing skills, but does not always pass consistently to the setter and/or may have trouble handling serves with more pace. 

Hitting:  Has fundamental hitting skills, but still needs to improve upon pace, control, and consistency. 

If you are setter:  Setters at this level generally are not handsetters. Setters at the BB level have solid foundational skills but still are working on consistent location of their sets and minimizing ball handling errors when using their hands to set. The location of the pass will generally dictate who gets set. 

*Often the BB level includes those that already have the basic fundamental skills and are new to outdoor volleyball OR experienced veterans looking to continue to play. BB players are ready for the A level once they become more consistent passers/setters and develop a stronger serve and attack. 

B LEVEL

Beginning players looking to break into the outdoor volleyball scene. These players have knowledge of the game, but are still working on fundamentals.  

League Level Descriptions

AA  – Is comprised of AA and Open players. Competition is the goal.

A – Comprised of A players and strong BB players who are looking to move up. Fun, competitive volleyball, and getting better are the goals. Rallies tend to last longest among these players as the defense matches the offense.   

BB  – Comprised of BB and B players. Fun, playing volleyball, and getting better are the goals. 

Tournament Level Descriptions

Open/AA  – Is comprised of AA and Open players.

Advanced – Is comprised of A players and AA players. No more than 50% of the team can include a AA player*.  

*Not in effect when an Open/AA division is not offered or does not run

Intermediate  – Comprised of A and BB players. Open and AA players are not allowed to play in this level. 

If you and your partner are 1 level apart, you should register in the strongest players' level. 

If more than 1 level apart, you can may play the middle level, keeping in mind AA and Open players are not allowed to play in the Intermediate division. 

In every division besides the highest level, If you and the same partner play again during the summer season, you will be asked to play one level up the next tournament that you sign up for together. If you play with a different partner, you may remain in your current level unless that partner has also won that level in the current season. Provided you do not break pool in the new level, you will be allowed to move back down, but will be asked to move back up should you win again in that level.   

A junior is defined as a player who is under the age of 18 and have not completed their senior year of high school. In order to participate, all juniors must sign a waiver and also have their parent/legal guardian sign. Waiver information can be found here. 

There is no minimum age required in order to play. However, players need to be able to serve the ball over the net consistently and be able to serve receive in order to play. 

Juniors can register for all scheduled events with the exception of Players Ball. Given that demand has been low in the past, we do not offer juniors divisions. Junior players should register in the Mid/Intermediate Division and then email us if interested in a separate juniors division. If we get 5 teams interested, a separate juniors pool will run. 

If you are a coach and would like us to run a Junior's division, please contact us.   

If not enough teams register in your division, you can move to the next level. At the conclusion of pool play, your team and others teams who registered for that division, will have their own playoffs. Prizes will be given to the 1st place team only.

Unfortunately, if only 1 team is signed up a division, there will be no playoff in that division and therefore no prizes. That team will be allowed to compete in the higher level. If there is no higher division to play in, a team will be able to move down only at the tournament director's discretion.

Men and women playing together on a women’s height net (7’4”). Men must take off behind the ten-foot line when attacking the ball. Only women can block.    

An outdoor volleyball (Wilson or King of the Beach), sun block, a chair, sneakers, snacks and sports drinks. 

We will have a water cooler for players to use. Bring a water bottle if you'd like to fill up. 

We do not have an official ball. Acceptable options include the Wilson OPTX and Spalding KOB. If both teams can not come to agreement regarding the choice of ball, then it will be one of the options included with choice of serve/receive and side that takes place before each game. 

Yes and no. 

In that past, a team that was not playing was assigned to work a match being played in their pool. Since we have move to an accelerated format, we do not utilize work teams during pool play. We ask teams to call their own faults and to replay when unsure. 

However we do have work assignments during the playoff rounds. "Working" involves keeping score and enforcement of any major rules (ruling a ball in or out, watching for foot faults, calling net violations and bad sets, etc). No whistles or watches required.

Whether an event utilizes work teams or not will be communicated to all players in the Captain's Email that is sent the day before a tournament.

AA/Open

This level will receive cash prizes. Cash prizes will not be given unless there are 4 teams registered in the division. We will guarantee a prizepool of $300 with a 5 team minimum ($200 for 1st, $100 for 2nd). Prize money will increase with 8 or more teams in a level. 

Advanced and Intermediate Divisions

Prizes are awarded to these divisions. 

Prizes include apparel, towels, water bottles, and hats. For larger divisions, balls and backpacks are given. If you have suggestions for prizes, please contact us with your ideas. 

• All first place teams will receive a prize. 

• In all divisions with 4 or more teams, the second place team will also receive a prize. 

• In the event a silver division playoffs is run (for events with 12 or more teams), only the first place team will be awarded a prize.

*If this division has 8 or more teams, 1st place will receive a cash prize

Doubles and triples formats are played on the short court (8m x 16m), just like what you see when you watch beach doubles on TV! The short court promotes longer rallies and more touches on the ball!

Fours events are played on the long court (9m x 18m)

We current use USA Volleyball Beach DCR rule set with modifications. Current playing rules can be found on this page. 

We will play in occasional rain, but do not allow play during thunderstorms. We base our decisions not only on the forecast, but on the weather radar and field conditions. All weather decisions will be announced on our Facebook page at 7:45 for AM events and 1:30 for PM events. 

If during the course of the day, we have a weather incident, we will delay play and see if the forecast clears. In the case we do have to call the tournament after play has begun, no refund will be given except to a team that did not complete a pool play match. This is due to the fact that we are still responsible for park fees, insurance, and tournament supplies. In the case where a division has finished all pool play matches or is in the midst of playoffs, we will make every effort to distribute prizes fairly among the remaining teams. 

Venmo will be available for all tournaments and is the only electronic payment method that we will accept for tournaments.  You can also pay in cash at check-in.

Payment details will be provided in the registration confirmation email. 

Contact ocdvolleyball@gmail.com