Sitting Volleyball
The aim of the game is for teams to send the ball over the net and to ground it on the court of the opposing team. Each team is allowed to have up to three contacts with the ball, before returning it towards the opposing team. The block is not considered as a contact.
Each game consists of a maximum of five sets. Each of the first four sets is completed when a team wins 25 points, with a minimum lead of at least two points over the opposing team. In case of a tie at 24-24, the set continues until one of the teams has a lead of two points and is declared winner of the set. In the case of a 2-2 set draw, a fifth set follows which is completed when a team wins 15 points, again with a difference of at least two points over the opposing team. The winning team must win a total of three sets.
A team has a maximum of 12 players, one of which is the team leader and another the libero. The initial positions of the players in the playing area are specific. These are determined and controlled during the game by the position of the buttock in relation to the ground.
The game begins with the service - a ball hit from the service zone at the back end of the court, with the aim of passing the ball over the net towards the opposing team. Play continues until the ball "lands" on the ground within or outside the boundaries of the court, or when the opposing team fails to return the ball in a legal manner.
The Field: The playing area consists of the court and the free zone, which together form a rectangular parallelogram. The court is a rectangle measuring 10x6 metres, while the free zone extends at least 4 metres from the long side and 6 metres from the short side of the court.
The court is separated into two equal parts by a centre line, each part being 5 metres long and 6 metres wide. The net (filet), which measures 1.15 metres high for men and 1.05 metres for women, is placed vertically along the central dividing line. Its length varies between 6.5 and 7 metres and its width is 0.80 metres. The net is stretched on the net post supports, where the antennas (flexible rods, which determine the main playing area between the two sides), are also placed and are considered to be part of the net.
On each of the two equal parts, and at a distance of 2 metres from the centre line, there is a parallel attack line, which creates two zones, the attack zone (offensive) and the back zone (defensive).
The Ball: The ball has a circumference of 65-67 centimetres and its weight varies between 260 to 280 grams, and can be of a single colour or a combination of several colours. Both its component materials and colour must be in compliance with the rules and regulations of WOVD, as applied at every world championships or tournament.
Amputee based classification system:
(a) General
The system is based on acquired amputations and dysmelia resembling acquired amputations.
(b) Abbreviations:
AK = Above or through knee joint
BK = Below knee, but through or above talo-crural joint
AE = Above or through elbow joint
BE = Below elbow, but through or above wrist joint
(c) Minimal Handicap for amputee category:
Amputation through or above the talo-crural or wrist joint. If there is a question of the level of amputation, it is the responsibility of the athlete to produce a recent X-ray of the amputation stump at the time of classification.
Exceptions: If the classification team agrees that possible spicules of bone distal to the radio-ulnar joint or tibial-fibular joint are deemed non-functional.
(d) Basic classification code:
Class A1 = Double AK Class A2 = Single AK
Class A3 = Double BK
Class A4 = Single BK
Class A5 = Double AE
Class A6 = Single AE
Class A7 = Double BE
Class A8 = Single BE
Class A9 = combined lower plus upper limb amputations.
Comments:
Dysmelia (not resembling acquired amputees) are to be classified in the Les Autres.
Combinations of amputations not specified above will be placed in the class closest to actual disability (e.g. combination BK/AK will in most sports be in class A3, and combination BE/AE will in most sports be in class A7).