F21 Volleyball Meeting Place and U-pick Competitive Games (UCG)
The purpose is to address all the feedback we have received so far and cover both the needs of competitive games and pick-up games, beginners and advanced players. Basic idea comes from the Milpitas gym sign-in format, with which many of us are familiar.
Some highlights: 1. Who will pick/determine the team? You and your teammates (no supervision person anymore). 2. For committed pre-signup players - quality games can be guaranteed with some responsibilities (i.e., play a couple of games with on-site teams). 3. You don't have to sign up in advance - feel free to join on-site, one team at a time, without much interference of on-going games. 4. No need to broadcast games to the group: Meeting Place serves this purpose. 5. Top12 2-team play format possible - once a month or once every two months based on needs (to be called!) - Can also mingle with other teams by giving advanced points. 6. Beginners to team up with top players (to be called!). 7. Player rotation not suggested (make it a culture) but allowed, later additions, allowed, all decided by your team/captain. 8. External teams can be invited to participate (with suggested $5 payment to F21 Club).
How to achieve these? Two key components: Component 1. FVMP - F21 Volleyball Meeting Place (click to open) - It serves as an info exchange center for all F21 volleyball players. Players can know beforehand who are coming, who to contact if they want to form a team, players can also post and check if there are early birds or enough pick-up players at a specific time.
This is how it works if you want to take advantage of FVMP (click for a demo). 1. Enter your contact info into F21 Contacts spreadsheet. 2. Contact your teammates/captain using F21 Contacts or enter your request in "Looking for" column on a specific date. 3. Update your team info once it's available. 4. Register external invited teams (with $5 payment to F21).
Two example games are called on 05/05 Sunday afternoon and 05/04 Saturday morning.
Component 2. Rotations to keep UCG going This is how to get UCG going and also to cover the needs of beginners as well as late comers. D-team definition: if a team can not score 10 or more points in a 21-point game to the remaining two or more teams. They will be determined at game time after playing 1-2 games. D-team is not necessary a weak team. It is used to show relative strength among the rest of the teams.
CG rules (as long as there is a waiting team, CG rules are ON): a) 21 points a match, switch side at 11; b) 3 and out - a team wins 3 in a row should be out the 4th game.
2.1 2-team format (which is common on Saturdays) UCG is ON if we have two teams. If there are less than three players waiting, they can do drills off the court. If there are three waiting, loan one each from the playing teams to form a third team. If 4 or more payers show up, form their own team to compete. If there are more than 2 teams formed, shift gear to 3-team format.
2.2 3/4-team format (which is common on Sundays) If there are exactly 3 teams when the games start, set up two nets and CG rule is ON. If we have an additional on-site challenging team, the resting team should play against the new formed team. This forms a 4-team rotation. If there two D-teams, they should play on one court.
2.3 5-or-more-team format (which is common on Sundays) If there are 5, 6, or 7 teams when the games start, set up three (A, B, C) courts. Now the top priority is to find out top 3 teams and keep them at A-court. The rest of the teams will play at C-court. B-court will be reserved for one idle team from top 3 teams and another one from the rest of the teams. All late challenging teams should advance to B-court from C-court.
If we have 8 or more teams (which is seldom), set up D-court. A-court and B-court will be reserved for "advanced" play, while C- and D-courts are for the rest. D-teams are suggested to play on C- and D-courts.
How to play challenging games against D-teams? 1. Give advantage points, if you give 10 (out of 21) points, this is going to be a competitive game. 2. Let female players play hitters, male players don't block or spike (to practice defense). 3. Play less people, 5 play 6,..., down to even 2 play 6. As long as your team are winning, playing less people should be considered proper.