University of Chicago

Revised: Winter 2022

ABOUT WALLYBALL

• Wallyball is a team game (similar to volleyball) played on a racquetball court where the walls are in-play
• Side-out scoring is used (must be serving to score a point)
  • Teams may mutually agree to use rally scoring with games to 21
• Matches are best 3 games (first to win 2)
• Games are played to 15 (win by 2)
• Wallyball at UChicago is self-scheduled and officiated (teams must mutually agree on when/where to play)
• Teams must mutually agree to any deviations from these rules prior to the start of play

PLAYERS

• A team consists of four (4) players
  • Coed = At least two (2) players must be female-identifyinh (when playing with 4 players)
• A team may start and play with as few as two (2) players.
  • Coed = At least one (1) player must be female-identifying (when playing with 2 or 3 players)

STARTING THE GAME

• Captains will Rock, Paper, Scissor for choice of serve or side in the first game
• Teams switch sides each game
• In the second game the other team will serve first
• If needed, the team with the most combined points from the first two games will serve first in the third game

COURT BOUNDARIES & POSITIONING

• The short serving line in racquetball courts will be designated as the center line (the net should split the court in half)
• The ball may not hit the ceiling or the back wall of the receiving team on a serve or a volley or hit two or more walls (consecutively)
• The back wall and ceiling are in play only on the team's side that's returning the serve or volley providing a player on that team touches it first
• The ball may hit two walls consecutively only on the side of the team playing the ball provided they touch the ball first and touch it again before it goes back across the net
• Anytime the ball is hit out of the court area the ball is dead and the point shall be replayed. There is no loss of point or serve. If the ball touches the ceiling before leaving the court area, the ball is out of bounds (loss of point or serve).

SERVING

• The ball should be served from approximately 3' from the back wall on the right side when facing the net
• When the ball is served, each team should have 2 players up and 2 players back.  After the serve, players may move from their respective starting positions.
  • On each side out, the team winning the serve should rotate starting positions (and server) clockwise
  • If a player serves out of turn, any points won will be negated and the proper player will reserve
• A serve must cleanly go over the net and may not contact any part of the net
• A serve may touch a wall on either side of the court provided it does not contact two walls consecutively

NET PLAY

• A player shall not contact any part of the net while the ball is in play
  • No foul if the ball is driven into the net so that it causes the net to contact an opposing player
• In returning the ball a player may follow through over the net, provided they first contact the ball on their own side of the net
• Player(s) in the act of blocking may reach across the net but may not contact the ball until opponent has hit the ball first
• A player may touch the center line but not the floor on the opposite side of the center line while the ball is in play
  • A player may reach under the net to retrieve a ball that is in play by his team
• Blocking can only be done by the front line. A player may not move up to assist. No more than 2 players may block a serve, spike, or volley