Rules & Regulations

Volleyball Official's Uniform Guide-2023

HOSTING A “PINK” EVENT

BALL: May be pink & white or pink, white, and another color. No waiver necessary. Ball must have NFHS authenticating mark.

UNIFORM:    Since volleyball does not have home and away uniforms, either or both teams may wear pink. Uniforms must meet NFHS requirements (Rule 4-2) including legally positioned numbers (Rule 4-2-4).        No advertising or slogans are allowed on the uniform. "Dig Pink" or other trademark phrases are not allowed since they are considered advertising. Additionally, the WIAA has a "clean jersey" policy, and therefore the pink ribbon symbol is not allowed on the jersey.

If the uniform tops are t-shirts which have been donated, the athletes must either pay for them or return them to the school when the event is finished. Failure to follow this requirement jeopardizes the amateur status of the athletes.

SOCKS, SHOES, AND WRISTBANDS: Are not covered by NFHS/WIAA rules so may be pink.

HAIR CONTROL DEVICES: Provided they adhere to Rule 4-1-5, may be pink.

FUND RAISING: From the Eligibility Page FAQ:  I am a high school girls basketball coach. Our girls basketball team would like to hold a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society this coming season and I just want to check that how we plan on doing it will not violate any WIAA rules. Here's our plan, our fundraiser will be based on how many free throws the girls varsity team makes during the season. Each player will solicit funds or donations based on the free throw made. People could donate a lump some or could donate X amount per free throw made. As an example last year we made 205 free throws, if you pledged a dollar per free throw, you would be donating $205 at year end for the team to donate to the American Cancer Society. No funds are kept by or for the team. 

Answer: While we appreciate the causes which our schools and athletes support, I recommend that you find a different method to raise funds. The WIAA Board of Control has made it clear that fundraisers connected to performance in competition are NOT allowed. Both from the sportsmanship perspective, as well as from the “paid to perform” and or gaming/gambling end of things, it is a not a good idea and not allowed. Your plan would be allowed in a practice setting.

OFFICIALS: May participate by using a pink whistle or wearing a pink wristband. Wearing a pink officiating uniform, shoes, or socks, would not be allowed.

Line Judge Duties and Responsibilities

Line Judge Signals

2024 Season Questions

Question 1: Do all volleyball courts need to have a center line?  If they don't, what should we do?

Volleyball courts need to have a center line when used for competition at any level.  This needs to be a clearly visible two-inch wide line that can be solid or shadowed; it does not need to be of one solid color.  If the line is not permanently painted, the host school will need to use tape to designate the line.  Matches cannot be played on illegally marked courts; if a court boundary or line discrepancy cannot be remedied the match should not be played--the teams would be allowed to scrimmage if both teams have available scrimmages remaining per WIAA Season Regulation 4: Scrimmages.

Question 2: Are officials supposed to call doubles and ball handling violations anymore?

Yes!  There has been no change to the rules on ball handling at the high school level (NFHS) and below.  We are however, asking officials to focus on keeping the play alive.  If a contact is "close" to an error or there is any hesitation, the play should be allowed to continue.

Questions and Answers from Previous Seasons

Wisconsin Adaptations to NFHS Rules -- Print and place in your rules book for reference.