2026 Rules

Tournament Overview

Preliminary Round

The Preliminary Round follows a Single Round Robin format — each team competes against every other team once. Rankings are based on the total number of victories. If two or more teams are tied at the end of the Preliminary Round, the following criteria apply, in order:

1. Set ratio — number of all sets won divided by number of all sets lost.
2. Points ratio — all points scored divided by total points lost across all sets.
3. If the tie persists on points ratio, it is broken by the result of the Preliminary Round match between the tied teams. When the points-ratio tie involves three or more teams, those teams are ranked considering only the matches between the teams in question.

Playoffs

Tournament Fee

• Entry fee: ₱3,500 per person.
• Additional ₱4,000 fee for line-up changes per player after July 31.
• Includes: 2 jerseys, court fees for 8 guaranteed games (best of 3 sets per game, best 5 sets for Quarterfinals), medals, staff (referees, statisticians), and documentation/promotion.

Registration

Participating teams are purely invitational. Each player under each team is required to accomplish a form declaring consent to participate and be part of communications, a waiver for any potential liabilities, and their emergency contacts.

Tournament Schedule

Match Structure

Scoring

Preliminary Round

Best-of-three (3) sets.

• Sets 1 & 2: First to 25 points. No deuce.
• Set 3 (Deciding Set): First to 15 points. A team must win by two (2) points, with a maximum score of 20.

Quarterfinals

Best-of-five (5) sets.

• Sets 1–4: First to 25 points. Win by two (2), maximum 30.
• Set 5 (if necessary): First to 15 points. Win by two (2), with a maximum score of 20.

Semifinals, Battle for Bronze, and Championship Match (Finals)

Best-of-five (5) sets.

• Sets 1–4: First to 25 points. Win by two (2), maximum 30.
• Set 5 (if necessary): First to 15 points. Win by two (2).

Timeouts

• Each team is allowed two 30-second timeouts per set.
• There are no technical timeouts during the match.

Default Rules

• Teams are allowed a 5-minute grace period from the scheduled start time of their match as per the order of play. If a team is not present and ready to play within this grace period, they forfeit the match by default.
• 5 players or less: Automatic default.

Court Regulations

• Coin toss: Determines the choice of court side or service.

Player & Team Guidelines

Number of Players

Each team may register twelve (12) to sixteen (16) players for the tournament. Only players listed on the official team roster are eligible to participate in matches.

Player Participation

• The player limitation under this section applies only to former collegiate (UAAP/NCAA) and/or semi-professional/professional players who are below forty (40) years of age on the first day of the tournament.
• Each team may have a maximum of two (2) non-libero and one (1) libero players meeting the above criteria on the court at any given time.
• Former collegiate (UAAP/NCAA) and/or semi-professional/professional players who are forty (40) years of age or older on the first day of the tournament are not subject to this limitation.
• It is the team's responsibility to manage their lineups and ensure compliance throughout the game. Violation of this rule is considered a rotation error, and a point is awarded to the opposing team prior to the start of the next rally.
• There will be special markings on the jerseys of these players to allow for easier monitoring of this rule.

Substitution Rules

• Official FIVB substitution rules shall apply, with a maximum of six (6) substitutions per set.
• Injured players: If a player is injured and unable to continue, they must be substituted out immediately for their own safety. This substitution does not count toward the team's official substitution limit.
• Line-up substitutions: Any changes to the official team lineup, including player substitutions or replacements (e.g., due to absence, injury, or other reasons), must be discussed with and approved by the tournament organizer prior to the start of the match. Unauthorized lineup changes may result in disqualification, forfeiture of the match, or other penalties as determined by the organizing committee.

Libero Regulations

• Standard FIVB libero rules apply.
• Libero replacements do not count as substitutions and must occur during a rally stoppage, following official guidelines.

Faults & Violations

The tournament adheres to official FIVB rules, with the first referee being the final authority. These include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Ball in / ball out
• Net fault
• Foot fault: Stepping over the attack line, crossing the centerline, or during service
• 8-second service rule: Enforced by the referee
• Catch/lifting: Prolonged contact, catching, lifting, or throwing the ball is prohibited
• Double contact: Referees will adopt a more lenient interpretation for overhead setting contacts, consistent with the recent FIVB experimental interpretation
• Ball contacting the ceiling: Referees will adopt the recent FIVB experimental interpretation. If the first or second ball contacts the ceiling and remains playable on the same side of the court, the rally will continue.
• Dead ball: Accidents (e.g., a ball rolls in) may result in a dead ball at the referee's discretion

Cards

• Yellow/red cards are issued at the referee's discretion.
• Red card penalty: +1 point awarded to the opposing team.
• No challenges: Only the floor captains are allowed to discuss decisions with referees.

Attire & Equipment

• Jerseys: Two jerseys are provided. Everyone must wear the provided jerseys so that rotation may properly be monitored. Jersey numbers in a team cannot repeat.
• Players should only wear shorts with the same number as their registered jersey number, or shorts without any numbers, during the tournament.
• Libero attire: The libero must wear the opposite colored jersey to the rest of the team at all times.

Warmups & Scheduling

• Warmups: Each team has 5 minutes of exclusive warmup time before each game.
• Scheduling: The tournament follows the order of play (see Tournament Schedule). Match start times are approximate and subject to the completion of prior matches. Teams must be at the venue 30 minutes prior to their designated schedule, as matches may start earlier.

Venue & Features

• Location: Gameville Ball Park
• Facilities: Showers are available; parking is available across the venue for a fee.
• Guests: Players can bring guests to the tournament.
• Food and refreshments: Players can bring food inside; Gameville also sells snacks and refreshments on-site.

Awards & Prizes

Team Awards

Medals will be awarded to all members of the first, second, and third-ranked teams after the final matches. Podium Teams will also receive more prizes from the organizing committee and our sponsors.

Individual Awards

Awards will be given to the dream team based on player statistics:

• 1st Best Outside Hitter
• 2nd Best Outside Hitter
• 1st Best Middle Blocker
• 2nd Best Middle Blocker
• Best Opposite Hitter
• Best Setter
• Best Libero
• Tournament Most Valuable Player (MVP)
• Finals MVP

Communication Channels

Updates: Follow us on Instagram @metaricevolley for tournament updates and event documentation. Participants are encouraged to share their Instagram handles for mentions/tags on stories and posts.