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Play4Fun

Play4Fun is a series of non-competitive matches for beginners and social volley groups up to an intermediate level. The aim of this initiative is to connect social volley groups and to offer everybody the opportunity to experience and enjoy volleyball matches in a relaxed and fun environment, without the hassle of a strict competition calendar.

Registrations are now open! To register your team, click here.

Competition structure

Each team will be assigned to a pool of 3 or 4 teams. Each pool defines a day of competition and meets to play against each other in a one day mini blitz before a given deadline (about 6 weeks). Once all results are in, new pools will be created and 2nd round can be played.

A final day will be organised by Volleyball Ireland for all participating teams to come together and play again around the end of April.

New teams will be allowed to join in round 2 or 3 if interested, with registration continuously open.

How to organise matches

Once the pools are released, teams of each pool must get in contact with each other to decide which venue is most suitable to welcome everybody for playing and must pick a date that suits all teams. Volleyball Ireland will do all possible to create pools with teams geographically close and assist in locating suitable venues, but some more distance may be required in round 2 depending on the teams that entered the competition.

Competition can be run on weekdays or weekends. Two matches can be played at the same time if the venue has two cross courts and teams are in agreement to play with reduced service space.

Home teams will split the cost of the hall among all teams participating. The playing hall must be covered with public liability insurance by the hosting club.

Competition rules

  • All matches in Round 1 and 2 are best of 3 sets -25, 25, 15. Each set must have a two point margin.
  • Each team must have minimum 3 women playing on court at all times.
  • Substitutions can take place at any stage during matches and do not need to be recorded.
  • Rotation slips will not be requested.
  • Net Height will be 2.35m
  • All teams are welcome (suggested) to bring and share food throughout the day, to create a sense of community and fellowship among teams.
 
Full competition rules can be found here.

Registration

Team entry fee: €25 per team.

Included in the competition fee, each player registered in the competing team will receive a competition t-shirt.

 

Each team participating must be part of a League or Associate Club affiliated with Volleyball Ireland. If you are a social group, you can become an Associate Club by filling in the affiliation form and paying the affiliation fee (25€). More info about Club Affiliation here.

Players

All players must hold a Volleyball Ireland Non-League Membership (€15). This membership includes a personal accident insurance coverage that will cover players also during trainings. 

Players with National League memberships won’t be allowed to play in this competition. 

Minimum age for playing: 18 years old.

Register your team for the next round today!

FAQs

What is the difference with the Recreational Competitions?

Recreational competitions can be entered by players of any level, including league players and under 18 players. They are usually run as one day blitzes in different areas of the country.

We are a group of friends playing volleyball every now and then for fun, and would like to enter but we are not connected to any affiliated club. What do we do?

You can affiliate your group as an Associate Club. Associate clubs are non-league clubs, often social volley groups, recognised as volleyball initiatives by Volleyball Ireland. This will allow you to access VLY’s Social Volley Support Pack, events, courses, public liability insurance and many other opportunities.

The fee for associate club affiliation is €25 for the season. Please visit here for more.

How many players can play for each match?

There is no limitation on the amount of players on list for a match, nor substitutions. However, substitution rules follow FIVB rules, therefore one player can be substituted with another one, can go back on court for the same person but can’t go off again.

I am a League Player that also plays with a social group. Why can’t I participate?

We want to build a safe environment for beginners and amatorial players to compete and have fun. For this reason, we have decided to allow only players of a beginner to an intermediate level to participate in this competition.

I am under 18 years old. Why can’t I play?

This competition is for over 18 years old only for safeguarding reasons.

Do we need to provide licenced referees?

No. The referee does not need to be licenced, but to be capable of refereeing, with good knowledge of rules. All matches will be refereed by a representative of a third team. Each team will be requested to either bring an additional capable person for refereeing or a non playing team will propose one of their players for refereeing. 

Is there going to be a League winner?

No. This competition is designed to allow everybody to play no matter what level they are, therefore we won’t provide a League table or points in order for everyone to feel confident in stepping on the court. We will record scores to provide the right level of competition on the next round.

We are a all women/all men club. Can we participate?

Unfortunately no, this competition is for mixed teams only. However, if you are interested, we could try contact nearby clubs for you to check whether they have some players of the other gender to complete your team.

 

Who can I contact if I have a question?

We are happy to help you with all info you may need. Please contact our Participation officer Amanda.