Updated 01/15/2022
HOA Rule Amendment
Fans are asked to use common sense and behave responsibly while attending HOA sanctioned volleyball events. Enjoying the competition, enthusiastically celebrating, yelling and cheering for a team is welcomed and encouraged. Actively cheering against any team, becoming involved in a match or harassing participants is unwelcome and not permitted.
Inappropriate language or action that is disruptive to a sportsman-like atmosphere, or interferes with a player’s, coach’s or official’s participation is unacceptable. Examples of unacceptable fan behavior are; but not limited to:
- Harassing participants: i.e. distracting, interrupting, booing, jeering or yelling at participants; Participants include all players, coaches and officials;
- Celebrating the errors or misfortune of participants;
- Obscene words or gestures;
- Racial, ethnic or sexually oriented comments.
HOA asks all fans, parents and coaches to encourage good sportsmanship and to remind each other when needed; before an official response becomes necessary. It is strongly recommended that teams informally monitor and correct their own fan behavior. Teams, represented by their captain/coach, will be held responsible for any delays brought about in officially responding to disruptive fan behavior.
If an official becomes aware of disruptive fan behavior the following procedure will be used to resolve the situation.
1st Incident
Communicate to the captain or coach that there is disruptive fan behavior which needs to cease immediately. The official will direct the captain/coach to inform their fan(s) that this behavior needs to cease immediately. This will be considered the team’s first official warning and results in a Fan Behavior delay warning. Signal as delay warning, inform captain, record an F in W column of SANCTIONS box of the Scoresheet.
2nd Incident
Strongly encourage the captain/coach to have their disruptive fan(s) leave the gym to avoid further incident. This is sanctioned as a Fan Behavior delay penalty. Signal as delay penalty, inform captain, record an F in the P column of the SANCTIONS box of the Scoresheet.
3rd Incident
Play is suspended immediately; the team loses the match with the results the same as rule 6.4.3. The opponent team is given the points, or the points and the sets, needed to win the set or the match. The sanctioned team keeps its points and sets.
If a team’s captain/coach discovers that the disruptive fan(s) is (are) not their fan(s), they should report this to the match officials. The Tournament Director will be informed and assist in finding the correct team’s captain/coach to deal with the disruptive fan(s). This will be considered their first official warning and be assessed and recorded on the scoresheet for that team’s next scheduled match. In circumstances where the offending team is not scheduled to play another match; the captain/coach is still responsible to direct their fan(s) to discontinue disruptive behavior immediately or leave the gym. If the captain/coach cannot be located or identified, the Tournament Director will communicate this to the fan(s).
Any disruptive fan behavior incidents must be reported to the HOA office, by the Tournament Director, in writing, within 48 hours.