The tournament director/host school(s) should coordinate a meeting with district coaches to clarify the following items prior to the start of the tournament. Communication with district coaches can be initiated through the TSSAA Portal by clicking on the following tabs:

Sports > Memberships > Members

Here you will find email distribution lists for all district athletic directors and head coaches. You will also find a no-cost conference call line with an access code that is unique for your district.

  1. Division I Tournament Draw / Schedule - The tournament draw is based on seeding criteria established by the district. Set the schedule and times for all matches, if not already done. Notify the assigning officer of the local association of the district tournament schedule, times and sites as soon as possible. (The assigning officer for each area shall determine the working schedule for officials for each match.) Matches should follow as closely as possible to the tournament time schedule. The tournament must be completed by the dates outlined on the TSSAA Calendar.
  2. Division II Tournament Draw / Schedule - The tournament draw is based on seeding criteria established by the district. Set the schedule and times for all matches, if not already done. Notify the assigning officer of the local association of the district tournament schedule, times and sites as soon as possible. (The assigning officer for each area shall determine the working schedule for the officials for each match.) Matches should follow as closely as possible to the tournament time schedule.
  3. Tickets / Price of Admission - Ticket prices for the tournament should be agreed upon by the schools. They are not set by TSSAA. Arrangements for tickets should be made by the host schools.
  4. Tournament Passes - The host school(s) along with the teams in the district should agree on the passes that will be accepted at the gate, as well as the number of passes that will be honored for players and staff of participating teams. TSSAA ID Cards are allowed to be accepted as passes and admit one person only. The card holder MUST be in possession of the physical card. Photos of TSSAA ID cards cannot be accepted. The Tennessee Athletic Coaches Association (TACA) card will provide complimentary admittance for one person per card.
  5. Tournament Rosters - A team may dress 14 players for the region tournament. It is suggested that this same policy be adopted for district tournaments. (A team may not have additional players dressed in uniforms and have them wear T-shirts or warm-ups over the uniform.)
  6. Team Benches & Switching Sides - The higher seeded team is considered the home team, they will select their team bench first, and teams will not switch sides after each set. However, if there is an overhead obstruction within the playable area, or an issue with lighting or sunlight, teams will switch sides after each set.
  7. Game Director, Scorer, Libero Tracker, & Timer - Select a director, scorer, libero tracker, and timer for each match. Set the fees to be paid to each individual.
  8. 15 Minute Pre-Match Warm-Up Schedule - The following warm-up schedule shall be followed:

    3 Minutes - General Passing (Both Teams on their Side)
    6 Minutes - Serving Teams Court
    6 Minutes - Receiving Teams Court

    THERE SHALL BE NO SHARED SERVING OR HITTING. Teams can utilize an auxiliary gym or the area behind the team bench if adequate space is available to pass during their opponents dedicated warm-up period. Teams are not allowed to use the area behind the hitting team to pass.
  9. Line-Judges - Inform each team they are required to furnish a line judge. (Tournament director shall assign two adult line judges per match. No line judge may work in a match in which their school is participating.) It is recommended that TSSAA registered volleyball officials be used as line judges if officials are available.
  10. 3-Ball Rotation - It is recommended that the 3-ball rotation be used for all matches in an effort to help matches to be completed on time and flow better. If multiple courts are being used, it may not be feasible to use the rotation. If the rotation is being used all volleyballs must be the same color.
  11. Game Balls - The host school shall supply an approved or official volleyball for the district tournament. The Wilson K1 Gold (WTH1895A1) volleyball will be used at the state tournament.
  12. Game Officials - Coaches may select officials by a vote of all coaches in the tournament or may request the local association to assign officials. Two referees shall be used in each match. Game officials shall be paid $80 plus mileage at 30 cents per mile per official.
  13. Financial Arrangements - Concession revenue shall go to the host school unless otherwise agreed upon by the administration of schools in the district. TSSAA shall receive 18% of the gross gate receipts. Postseason financial forms must be completed through the TSSAA Portal. Teams should be informed that if gate receipts do not equal expenses that participating teams will be billed equal shares for the cost of the tournament. All checks for district, regional, and sectional tournaments and playoffs must be distributed within 10 business days of the completion of the tournament or game. Failure to do so will result in a $100.00 late fee to be paid to TSSAA and is to be used in the A.F. Bridges sportsmanship program to go to schools or students receiving awards. Failure to distribute funds within 20 business days will result in an additional $200 late fee (total $300.00). Failure to distribute funds within 40 business days will result in an additional $200.00 late fee (total $500.00). The school may not host any tournament or playoff until the principal or athletic director appears before the Board of Control to explain their reasons for not distributing the checks within the required time frame. The Board would then determine whether the school can host tournaments or playoffs in the future.
  14. Video / Videostream / Radio - All media equipment and personnel must be licensed and credentialed members of the press (no parents with cameras). They cannot be in an area that would interfere with play, interfere with the officials or line judges, or subject them or players to harm. They are restricted from the areas immediately behind or in front of the benches and scorekeeper's table. In other areas, from the end of the benches of both teams, they must be at least 6 feet off the court and within three feet of the boundary defining the playing area. They may not stand beside the R1 referee stand to take photographs. During time-outs and between sets, they may not enter the court areas in front of the benches or scorekeeper's table. If a member of the press interferes with a player's legitimate attempt to play the ball, the whistle shall be blown by the referee and a replay awarded to the team. Rules governing videostreaming or other broadcast of a postseason contest are found in the TSSAA Media Regulations.
  15. Tournament Awards - TSSAA provides a district championship plaque and a district runner-up plaque. Barring supply issues, they should be delivered by October 1, 2024. If you have not received your plaques, please contact Shonnie Speicher (tssaa@tssaa.org).
  16. Submitting Division I Results & Region Tournament Information - Upon completion of the district tournament, please email your district champion and runner-up to: tssaa@tssaa.org. In addition, region tournament hosts please submit the date(s), site, and time of your matches to tssaa@tssaa.org as soon as possible.
  17. Region Tournament Guidelines - Information for teams which advance to the Region Tournament, can be found here.