Handbook for 2007-08

(Revised Aug 17, 2007.)

• Statement of purpose:

• Vision.
• Mission.
• Goals.

• General membership information:

• Benefits of becoming a Hoosier Region and USAV member.
• 2007-08 Hoosier Region sanctioned playing season.
• Team, club and individual rules applying to all teams.
• Uniform rules.
• Hoosier Region age falsification policy.
• USA Volleyball age falsification policy.
• Hoosier Region membership fees breakdown.
• Change of address.
• Definitions.
• Volunteers.
• USA Volleyball Guide.
• Policy on alcohol at sanctioned events.

• Registration:

• Welcome.
• Registration overview.
• Details on the most common forms:

• Background screening forms.
• Individual membership form.
• Team registration form.
• Code of ethics form.
• Medical history and release form.

• Bulk registration option.
• Forms for internal use by junior teams and clubs.
• Registration fees.
• Club/team code (team number) is mandatory for all USAVteams.
• Purpose of participant waiver/releases and consent forms.
• No one-day or one-event memberships.
• Team and player residency requirements.
• No non-registered participants.

• Adults

• Hoosier Region adult divisions and levels of play.
• Revision: Team/club rules for the Hoosier Region adult division:

• Time period.
• New adult team/club rules.

• Requirements for adult teams.
• Hoosier Regional Adult Championships tournament requirements.
• Adult team zonal and national tournament participation and reimbursement:

• Adult region championships funds apportionment.

• Adult national 11-digit club/team code.

• Juniors

• Age definitions.
• Junior club commitment.
• Transfer of already-registered junior players.
• Age group waivers no longer offered.
• Background screening policy.
• Background screening process.
• Background screening for non-U.S. citizens.
• A summary of your rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
• Junior coaches and chaperones requirements.
• Chaperones required at junior nationals.
• Junior officiating requirements.
• Education and accreditation for coaches.
• USAV Coaching Accreditation Program (CAP).
• Usage of "Junior Olympic" terminology.

• Tournament sanctioning and hosting:

• How to host a tournament.
• Tournament director rules and guidelines.
• Procedures for foreign team participation in regionally sanctioned tournaments.

• Officiating:

• General officiating information:

• Extended insurance coverage for USAV-certified officials.

• Getting certified as a referee.
• Getting certified as a scorekeeper:

• Provisional scorekeeper.
• Regional scorekeeper.

• Special region certification for junior players.

• Insurance:

• Secondary sport accident insurance program for all registered individuals.
• Liability insurance.
• Auto use is excluded by the liability insurance program.
• Reporting insurance claim incidents.
• Occurrence reporting.
• Incident handling guidelines at the venue.

• Policies:

• Operating code of USA Volleyball.
• Hoosier Region general operating code.
• Hoosier Region violations and disciplinary actions.
• Child abuse and youth sports programs.
• Physical abuse, sexual abuse and sexual harassment.
• Region governance:

• General statement.
• Policies of the board of directors of Hoosier Region.
• Terminology/definitions regarding financial items.
• Approval of budgeted, unbudgeted compensation and expense reimbursement.
• Board of directors – membership requirements.
• Meetings.
• Organizational structure.
• Article VII (non-profit Domestic Corporation) Articles of Incorporation.
• Junior advisory council.
• Adult advisory council.
• Hoosier Region board members, associates and terminology.
• Recommendations for travel-related reimbursements.
• Hoosier Region guidelines on ethical conduct and conflict of interest.
• Hoosier Region documents available.
• Due process procedure.

Statement of purpose

Vision

The vision of the Hoosier Region Volleyball Association (hereinafter referred to as the Region) is to be the leader in amateur volleyball for the state of Indiana.

Mission

The Region is the governing body for the sport of region sanctioned amateur volleyball in the state of Indiana. The Region is incorporated as a Federal and State Not-For-Profit legal entity and as such is a member of the Regional Volleyball Associations (RVAs) division of the United States Volleyball Association (hereinafter known as USA Volleyball or USAV). All is being consistent with the bylaws of USAV.

The Corporation shall have the responsibility to:

• Attain excellence in the sport of volleyball.
• Credential teams, players, administrators and officials for all region-sanctioned amateur volleyball competitions.
• Promote and develop, through its members, the sport of volleyball.
• Establish standards for the region.
• Conduct region-sanctioned events, tournaments, championships and other amateur competitions.
• Ensure compliance with USAV, USOC, federation and collegiate policies and procedures to maintain recognition as the Regional Volleyball Association for amateur volleyball in the state of Indiana.

Goals

The Corporation shall have the following goals:

• Sport Growth: to achieve full participation in volleyball at all levels and in all geographical areas;
• Sport Enhancement: to improve support services necessary for the quality and conduct of programs to ensure recognition as the authority and expert for amateur volleyball;
• Geographical Representation: to have influential positions on all local, regional and national boards and commissions;
• Recognition: to receive consistent recognition of volleyball coaches and athletes as top national and excellent performers;
• Administration: to develop and maintain a structure which will effectively and efficiently assist in achieving the vision and mission of the Region; and
• Finances: to develop, implement and maintain a financial plan to achieve the vision and mission of the Region.

The Region is committed to and works toward opportunity for all to participate. It is an advocate for all Americans, endeavoring to assure universal access to opportunities at all levels of the game.

Thus, the Region will diligently:

• Work toward provision of ample opportunity, quality opportunity and equality of access for every resident of this diverse nation.
• Act to expand opportunity for under-represented groups and aggressively recruit participation from those groups.
• Make its daily decisions concerning resources, players, coaches, officials, administrators, and employees on the basis of individual merit and excellence of performance regardless of age, class, ancestry, color, national origin, race, religious creed, disability or handicap, gender, or sexual orientation.
• Exercise its corporate will to encourage other amateur volleyball organizations to act in accordance with the foregoing principles.

General membership information

Benefits of becoming a registered member of the Hoosier Region of USA Volleyball

Each member receives the USA Volleyball magazine, published by USAV four times a year. The Hoosier Region handbook is published annually on the region website.

Region and USAV updates to the Handbook are sent to the Region website for updating when needed. Announcements of local and regional tournament schedules, referee and scorer licensing clinics, player tryouts for various regional, national and international competitions, coaching clinics and accreditation programs, and 2007-08 USA National Team Tours in our Region would be posted on our website.

IMPACT coaching clinics for those desiring to increase their knowledge and skills in coaching volleyball. Contact one of our IMPACT Clinicians about hosting a clinic, their information is posted elsewhere in this Handbook and on our website.

NOTE: The same section has the new requirements for any individual that intends to coach junior volleyball.

Announcements of CAP (Coaching Accreditation Program) for those desiring higher skill and knowledge above the IMPACT level courses. The USA Volleyball website at www.usavolleyball.org has a section containing CAP information.

One 2007-08 USAV Rulebook is supplied to every registered adult member, except chaperones, and each junior volleyball team adult regular registered member. Each adult who attends a clinic and pays for an official's license receives a rulebook unless that person receives a rulebook for their membership payment. Each registered member shall receive only one USAV rulebook.

A membership registration card may be printed out by you or your club representative. This allows you the right to participate in well run, high quality volleyball events in USAV Region Sanctioned tournaments, in a safe playing facility, anywhere in the United States. An opportunity to compete against individuals of your own playing capabilities.

An opportunity to interact with the local, regional, and national governing bodies of volleyball that form USA Volleyball and also individuals from our USA National and Olympic Volleyball programs.

Official Clinics: The Region offers referee and scorer clinics at different locations during the season. (See club and team requirements article.)

Insurance (See Insurance section of handbook for complete details): Excess Medical Sports Accident Insurance for each registered member. A $1 million Liability Insurance Certificate will be sent to each program/club director after they have completed all required paperwork and paid the proper fees, if requested.

Annual Hoosier Region sanctioned playing season

The official USAV/Hoosier Region sanctioned season begins Nov. 1 and ends Oct. 31 each year.

In order to sanction all tournaments for the coming season, we ask that all participants register as early as possible. You will not have to register as a team until after Dec. 31 each season,; however, each individual player must be a registered member. This allows tournament hosts to sanction a tournament for the liability and individual sport accident insurance and also allows players to participate on different teams and in different levels of competition before actually becoming a registered team. This is the same as a "friendship season."

Team, club and individual rules applying to all teams

When players intend to form a volleyball club in Hoosier Region, each participant and team must be registered members of this region. The region office must be notified a minimum of six (6) days prior to a tourney if they are forming a club and plan to use players from the teams within that club. A team may only belong to one (1) club. There can be an interchange of players between teams of the same club.

A high level/division player can never compete in a lower level of competition, such as BB down to B, or F-16 down to F-15.

A lower-level/division player can compete in a higher level of competition, such as a BB level player moving up to an A level team, or F-15 up to F-16. The individual must be on the playing roster for that tournament.

Interchange of club players at the same level, for example Team BB 1 to Team BB 2, is legal, provided the change is made on the tournament entry roster form.

At the junior level, the age and possibly grade-level rules determine where an individual must compete. Junior players can play up in a higher division but can never play down in a lower division.

If there is a written complaint filed as a result of a tournament director knowingly allowing a higher-level player to compete with a lower-level team in a division lower than that player's known level of competition, that player, the team he/she competed with and the tournament director of that tournament are automatically suspended for (1) one month. Further infractions of the same nature could result in a year or longer ban from sanctioned competition. We hope that tournament directors and the players themselves will police this to prevent it from happening.

USAV Junior Olympic rule - Once a female junior player has participated in a USA/JOVC Qualifying Event, she may not participate in another JOVC Qualifying or Championship Event with a different club unless a waiver is granted by the region(s) involved and approved by the YJOVD Arbitrator.

Hoosier Region and USAV Junior Olympic rule - In addition to the above rule, all adults participating with junior registered teams must be aware of and abide by the conditions stated in both the Code of Conduct and the Administrators, Coaches, Trainers and Chaperones Code of Ethics.

Uniform rules

The USA Volleyball rule book has the exact description and requirements for uniforms and numbering. Beginning on Nov. 1, 2007, uniform numbers must be centered on the chest and on the back. See the USAV rule book for a complete description of uniform rule changes. If you do not have a copy yet, it can be viewed on the USAV website at http://www.usavolleyball.org/.

Teams intending to compete in sanctioned tournaments in other USAV Regions must be aware of and abide by the uniform rules of that region. Likewise, teams from other regions competing here must abide by our rules. Teams should be aware that teams are not allowed to use the logo or terminology of USA Volleyball or USA Olympics on their sweat suits or uniforms.

See the USA Volleyball Rulebook for the uniform requirement of the Libero player(s).

Hoosier Region age falsification policy

(Adopted and mandated By USA Volleyball Board of Directors, Jan. 19, 2002.)

For all Hoosier Region Volleyball Association (a.k.a. Hoosier Region) sanctioned events, any person who alters any document that certifies the age of a participant, or falsifies any statement which lists the age of a participant, will be sanctioned as follows:

Any team representative, coach, program director or responsible adult found to be party to such action shall:

1. Be immediately suspended from registration with the Hoosier Region of USA Volleyball and barred from further participation in the event; and
2. May be barred from participation in any Hoosier Region events in any capacity, for a minimum of two (2) years; and
3. May have a minimum probation of one additional year, to run consecutively to the suspension.

A junior player who knowingly plays in a lower age classification than he or she is actually eligible for or is a waivered age group player, or an adult player who knowingly plays in a higher age classification than he or she is actually eligible for shall:

1. Be immediately suspended from registration with the Hoosier Region and barred from further participation in the event;
2. May be barred from participation in any Hoosier Region events in any capacity, for a minimum of two (2) years; and
3. May have a minimum probation of one additional year, to run consecutively to the suspension.

When discovered and confirmed during an event and after consultation with the tournament or event director and the parties involved, these penalties shall be the required minimum penalty imposed by tournament or event director, event arbitrator or an Event Ethics and Eligibility Appeals Committee.

The tournament or event director, event arbitrator or the Event Ethics and Eligibility Appeals Committee may recommend a more severe penalty.

The tournament or event director, event arbitrator or the Event Ethics and Eligibility Appeals Committee shall file a report of any age violation with the region's Team and Player Eligibility Committee with its recommendation. The Team and Player Eligibility Committee will confer on their recommendation and advise the individual(s) involved of their decision by registered mail, return receipt requested.

If the individual(s) does/do not agree with the decision of the committees, a grievance may be filed using the region due process procedure, as described in the region handbook, which is located on the region website.

USA Volleyball age falsification policy

(Adopted by USA Volleyball board of directors, Jan. 19, 2002.)

For all USA Volleyball corporate events, any person who alters any document that certifies the age of a participant, or falsifies any statement which lists the age of a participant, will be sanctioned as follows:

Any team representative, coach, program director or responsible adult found to be party to such action shall:

1. Be immediately suspended from registration with USA Volleyball and barred from further participation in the event; and
2. Be barred from participation in any USAV corporate events in any capacity, for a minimum of two (2) years; and
3. Have a minimum probation of one additional year, to run consecutively to the suspension.

A junior player who knowingly plays in a lower age classification than he or she is actually eligible for, or an adult player who knowingly plays in a higher age classification than he or she is actually eligible for shall:

1. Be immediately suspended from registration with USA Volleyball and barred from further participation in the event;
2. Be barred from participation in any USAV corporate events in any capacity, for a minimum of two (2) years; and
3. Have a minimum probation of one additional year, to run consecutively to the suspension.

When discovered and confirmed during an event, these penalties shall be the required minimum penalty imposed by the event arbitrator or the Event Ethics and Eligibility Appeals Committee.

The event arbitrator or the Event Ethics and Eligibility Appeals Committee may recommend a more severe penalty. The event arbitrator or the Event Ethics and Eligibility Appeals Committee shall file a report of any age violation with the Corporation's Ethics and Eligibility Committee and with the registering member organization with its recommendation.

Hoosier Region membership fees breakdown

Approximately thirty-five percent of every registered individual membership fee goes to the USAV National office to help run their organization and pay for our insurance supplied by USA Volleyball. A portion also goes toward expenses for the USA National and Olympic Teams, their training facilities, tours and travel, volleyball mailings and magazines for our members; also, regional, national and international meetings, clinics and general USAV National Office operating expense.

The Region also uses a portion of the membership and team fees to purchase the USAV Rule Books, printed materials and supplies for the Region office and other divisions within our Region.

The remainder stays in the Region. This subsidizes general operating costs of the entire Region as well as the Region office. It includes such items as, telephone bills, taxes, office equipment purchases and maintenance agreements for various division chairs, high speed ISP costs and all mailings. Travel expenses for division chairs and others are also covered when the expense is not paid by another division of the Region or a division of the USAV National structure. Region travel expenses have increased due to some of our JAC members are now on YJOVD National committees and they are required to attend several meetings each season. There are also the Region Board of Directors, adult and junior player division, scheduling and the Adult and Junior Advisory Committee meeting expenses and the Adult Championships and Junior Bid and Regional Events. Each season, the Region pays a portion of entry fees for Hoosier Region adult teams participating in the Central Zone Championships and the US Open Championships.

We pay the expenses for our Junior Administrative Council meetings that now handles all junior volleyball in the Region. Some activities included under the Junior Council are the editing and revision of various Region policies and expansion of junior volleyball all year long.

Also, referee and scorekeeper clinician clinics, as well as the actual referee and scorekeeper clinics, tourney director scheduling and their respective meeting, printing and mailing costs are additional expenses.

Change of address

Please notify the Hoosier Region office when you move. We will need your full name, address and membership number and email address.

Definitions

Participant: Any individual registered with the Hoosier Region, including administrators, involved in sanctioned volleyball activities.

Team: A group of players comprised of a minimum of six registered individuals of the same gender with the exception of co-ed teams that participate at the same level of play.

Adult team: Team with adult participants; however, junior players may play on adult teams. Maximum of 15 players per team.

Junior team: