The RuPay Prime Volleyball League Powered by A23 is one of the top professional volleyball leagues in the world and returns for its second edition on February 4, 2023.
The competition, a franchise-based indoor volleyball tournament featuring Indian and overseas players, operates with the primary objective of establishing a healthy and competitive environment that improves and strengthens the grassroots structure of the sport in the country.
The first season held in 2022 saw the Kolkata Thunderbolts emerge as the inaugural champions. The league features eight teams - Ahmedabad Defenders, Bengaluru Torpedoes, Calicut Heroes, Chennai Blitz, Hyderabad Black Hawks, Kochi Blue Spikers, Kolkata Thunderbolts, and Mumbai Meteors.
Season 2 of the RuPay Prime Volleyball League Powered by A23 will see 31 matches played in 2023 across Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Kochi.
All teams will play each other once in a round-robin format before the top four teams qualify for the knockouts.
Here are the guidelines that all teams and players must follow in the tournament:
COMPETITION RULES
League Phase
Each team gets two (2) points for a win and zero (0) for a loss, irrespective of the score being 3-2 or 4-1.
For a 5-0 win, they get an extra point, i.e. a total of three (3) points.
If two teams are tied on points, the difference in sets won will be considered. That is the total number of sets won in the five matches - total sets lost.
If there is still a tie for the semi-finals, the difference in points scored will be considered.
If the two teams are still tied, the head-to-head between the tied teams will determine who will progress.
Knockouts
The play-off matches shall comprise the semi-finals and the finals.
The top-ranked team on the points table will face the fourth-placed team while the second and third-placed teams play each other.
The knockout games will be played in a best-of-five set format, with each set of 15 points.
If scores are 14-14 in any set, the team that first establishes a difference of two will win. However, if the score reaches 20-20, the 21st point will be the deciding point in the set.
The winners from both semi-final match-ups will play in the final of the RuPay Prime Volleyball League Powered by A23.
SCORING
A team successfully scores a point when:
The ball lands on the opponent’s court
The opponent team commits a fault
The opponent team receives a penalty
A team commits a fault by playing contrary to the rules.
(A) If two or more faults are committed successively, only the first is counted
(B) If two or more faults are committed by opponents simultaneously, a DOUBLE FAULT is called, and the rally is replayed.
If the serving team wins a rally, it scores a point and continues to serve.
If the receiving team wins a rally, it scores a point and must serve next.
DECISION REVIEW SYSTEM
The ball lands on the opponent’s court
Each team is allowed two challenges per match.
The review will be called only by the head coach.
If the video review results in a reversal of the original outcome, that challenge is retained by the challenging team. If the original outcome stands or is confirmed, the challenging team loses that challenge.
A team has 8 seconds from the time the referee blows his whistle to call for a review.
Once a review is taken, it cannot be reversed, and it will be considered as an unsuccessful review
Challenges have no effect on the number of allowed timeouts.
AWARDS AND PRIZE MONEY
The winning team will be awarded INR 40 lakhs
The runner-up team will be awarded INR 30 lakhs
The individual prize winners (Most Valuable Player, Best Spiker, Best Blocker) will earn INR 10 lakhs each
The RuPay Prime Volleyball League Powered by A23 begins February 4, 2023. For the complete match schedule, click here.
