Soccer-Tennis Rules & Regulations

Tournament

Boston University Intramural Sports
Department of Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance
Scott Nalette – Coordinator of Intramural Sports 617-353-4364, IMSports@bu.edu

PLAY AT OWN RISK: Players are reminded that they participate in Intramural Sports at their own risk.  Boston University cannot accept liability for the injury of participants in the Intramural Sports Program.  Team Captains need to make sure that their players are aware of this before being allowed to participate.

TOURNAMENT FORMAT: Teams will be grouped into pools and play a round-robin tournament with the top teams in each pool advancing to the playoffs.

PLAY-OFF PROCEDURE: The top teams of each pool (depending on the number of teams in the pool), assuming their sportsmanship warrants, will move on to the play-offs.  The play-offs are a single elimination tournament. Any team that forfeits out of a pool will have ALL of their results removed from the standings.

FORFEITS: At the discretion of the Tournament Coordinator, any team not prepared to play within five minutes after the designated game time shall forfeit the contest to their opponent.

Rules

  1. THE PLAYING AREA: Matches will take place in the FitRec Center 3-court gym. The boundaries for game will be the area of a full-court basketball court. As in both soccer and tennis, a ball contacting a boundary line is considered in bounds. A ball contacting the net on a serve is considered a fault and a player contacting the net is a point for the opposing team. A ball hitting out of bounds on a team’s side during a volley is a point for the opposing team.
  2. LENGTH OF MATCH: Matches will be rally scoring straight to 15 points (no win by 2). The team that wins the coin flip will have the option to serve or receive and defend a certain side.
  3. PLAYERS: The game is played between two teams of three players on each team. Teams may substitute freely throughout each game. Substitutions can be made after any point that is scored for either team. Players are allowed to return after being substituted.
  4. EQUIPMENT: The Intramural Department will have balls on hand that can be used for each game. Teams may also agree on any other size-5 ball that teams elect to use. Players must have proper athletic footwear and athletic apparel to participate. Soft soled athletic shoes must be worn. Players may not play barefoot or with any kind of cleat or spike.
  5. BEGINNING THE GAME: A kick off is used to start each game, and also between each point scored. Kick offs are played from the back line of the basketball court. A player has two attempts to execute a kick off and must play the ball out of his/her hands either per volley or drop kick (ball hitting the ground before being kicked). Serves must land in the area of the basketball court between the net and the top of the 3-point line (this line will be marked for games). Any ball hitting the net or not landing in the serve court is considered a fault. Two faults on the same serve will award the other team with a point and serve. The kick off must bounce once in the serve court before being returned by the receiving team.
  6. TEAM BALL CONTACTS: A team can touch the ball a maximum of three (3) times before returning the ball to the opposing team, except in the case of a team receiving the serve in which case four touches are permitted under the following provision:

The player receiving the ball from a serve may touch the ball twice consecutively, pending the ball not touch the ground between touches. After a player touches the ball twice while receiving a serve, the team will be permitted two more touches in that volley for a total of four (4). This provision is ONLY for the team’s first volley when receiving a SERVE.

  1. GROUND BALL CONTACTS: The ball must touch the ground once and only once upon initial receipt of a serve. After this bounce, the ball may touch the ground a maximum of two times during a team’s attempt at a volley. The ball may bounce once and only once between touches by different players.
  2. POINTS: Every play can result in a point scored by either one of the teams.

Faults at kick-off:

  • Kickoff is done before the referee allows play to begin
  • Kickoff is not played from the hands
  • More than one ground contact is made before kicking off
  • The player steps onto the playing field during kick-off
  • The kick-off lands outside of the playing field
  • Player kicks the ball into the net (a ball hitting the net and going over is simply a fault)

Faults during play:

  • Player uses more than two touches before getting rid of the ball (except on receipt of serve)
  • During play the ball touches the ground more than two times (total or consecutively)
  • The ball has more ground contacts than players who touch the ball (ball must be volleyed over the net by a player and not the ground)
  • A team plays the ball into the net
  • A player touches the ball with their arm or hand
  1. SAFETY – Bicycle kicks will not be permitted due to potential of harm to the player.
  2. OFFICIALS JUDGEMENT – Soccer tennis matches are not officiated until possibly the later stages of playoffs or when staffing allows. We ask that teams conduct themselves fairly in calling balls in/out of bounds themselves. If a decision cannot be reached the official will make the final call on the point.