Question 1

What Level Player Are You?

Accepted Answer

Recreational - A "Recreational" player is a Beginner. A Recreational player should know the basics of volleyball, and played some volleyball before, but he/she is just beginning to bump, set, and spike. A Recreational player should not RSVP to an event which includes "BB" or "A" level or Advanced players.

B - A "B" player is still in the early learning stages of the game but knows the skills. A "B" player knows how to bump, set (a little), and spike. But a "B" player has a lot of practice yet to go to be able to do these skills consistently. A "B" player makes mistakes often.

BB - A "BB" player knows where to be on the court at all times when plays are developing. He/she knows where to be when the opponent is hitting.  A "BB" player knows the footwork of and how to approach hitting effectively.  A "BB" player knows how to run a 5-1, a 6-2, and needlessly, a 4-2.

A - An "A" player is somewhere between "BB" and "AA". They know all the skills extremely well but cannot always execute the super-high level plays extremely effectively all the time. "A" players can run combination plays in a basic way if passes are good. That includes slides, tandems, x's, crosses, and back-row hitting.

AA - An "AA" player is able to dig an USAV Division I Player's attack hit or able to once in a while put a ball down as a hitter against an Division I Team. An adult AA team of players would be able to beat a college Division I team of their same sex at least some of the time. Note: At no time can a AA player play in a B or BB level tournament.

OPEN - An "OPEN" player typically has had intensive training for national tournament competition at the semi-professional level.

Question 2

Membership Questions

Accepted Answer

Membership
All players are required to have an active membership when attending any VBLI event.
Players can register online at any time. 
Membership Expiration
Unless otherwise noted all memberships expire one year (12 months) from registration.
Proof of Membership
At any time you can go to: https://www.vbli.com/account/membership and check your membership status.

Question 3

Serving and Service Clarification

Accepted Answer

Indoor
The server shall contact the ball with one hand or any part of the arm after clearly tossing or releasing the ball and before the ball touches the ground.

Outdoors
First Ball: No open hand receive of service is allowed.
A legal serve must pass between and not over or outside of the net poles (poles are the antennas).
No kick serves allowed.
VBLI uses "short court;" net (let) serves are allowed.
How does a team choose whether to serve or receive the ball?  
Rock/paper/scissors determines which team receives the choice of either the serve or the court.

Question 4

Prizes

Accepted Answer

Prizes are awarded to the first place teams in each division.

Prizes are only given to players that qualify and play in the finals.

Players must be present to receive a prize from the selection on the "Prize Table".

Prizes will not be held or exchanged for future or previous events.

Question 5

Will There Be Food Services?

Accepted Answer

We always suggest you bring something.
However, there's always food services near each event site for people to purchase lunch or snacks.

Question 6

Are There Changing Areas At The Event?

Accepted Answer

Yes, all locations are selected for their accessibility and amenities.  
All event sites have rest rooms and some even have shower facilities.

Question 7

Are There Bathrooms or Changing Areas At The Event?

Accepted Answer

Yes, all locations are selected for their accessibility and amenities.  
All event sites have rest rooms and some even have shower facilities.

Question 8

What Time Does Sign-In Begin?

Accepted Answer

Outdoors
Sign-in starts at 8:30AM and runs until 9:00AM on the day of the event.
After the first match, all rosters are locked - no changes, no exceptions.
Missing or late teams may be subject to penalty points and/or games at the tournament director’s discretion.

Indoors
Actual check in time depends on the event start time, however check in is always 30 minutes prior to the event start time.
Please see individual tournament details page for more information.

Question 9

About VBLI

Accepted Answer

Opening its doors in early 2005 VBLI made a promise to the online volleyball community to provide accurate, up-to-date volleyball information with no advertising, in a clear and easy-to-follow format free of charge.

During the creation of VBLI.COM its founder Glenn Yankow realized that although there are thousands of players in New York the locations and options for players were just too expensive or limited.  Therefore, Volleyball In The Park was conceived in 2006 and since then VBLI has grown to include grass, beach and indoor tournaments.

We have been successfully coordinating such tournaments for the past seventeen years fund raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for college volleyball programs in and around the tristate area.

Question 10

What Time Does The First Game Start?

Accepted Answer

What Time Does The First Game Start?

Indoors
Actual check in time depends on the event start time, however check in is always 30 minutes prior to the event start time.
Please see individual tournament details page for more information.

Outdoors
Sign-in starts at 8:00AM and runs until 9:00AM on the day of the event.
After the first match, all rosters are locked - no changes, no exceptions.
Missing or late teams may be subject to penalty points and/or games at the tournament director’s discretion.

Question 11

What Time Is The Tournament Over?

Accepted Answer

Generally and unless otherwise noted, events are over by 5PM

Question 12

What happens if my ball gets lost?

Accepted Answer

Lost your ball? Here’s the scoop: We’re not responsible for balls stuck in rafters, soffits, or bleachers—they’re considered lost forever. Why? Facilities often lack the equipment to retrieve them, and renting gear for a $40 ball isn’t practical. If your ball is found later and has your name and number on it, we’ll contact you. Balls without contact info? They’ll be donated to a local juniors volleyball program.