Suffolk Mixed Intermediate League - 2025-26 Season

 

Fixtures pre-Christmas

The team in BOLD are hosts for the day - help visiting teams with parking etc, set up the hall, provide match balls, first aid kit, print SVA scoresheets and line-up sheets, keep the games on schedule, post the match result on WhatsApp

Visiting teams remember to bring your own balls for warmup and whistles as you will be required to referee.

  Date   Time Venue Teams
  TBA        
  TBA        
  TBA        
  TBA        
  TBA        

 

Fixtures post-Christmas

  Date   Time Venue Teams
  TBA        
  TBA        
  TBA        
  TBA        
  TBA        

 

Player Registration

This season there is no need to register players for the league.

Results and Points pre-Christmas

Date   Result     Bury    Ipswich Ravens Stowmkt Warriors

TBA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

          

TBA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

          

TBA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

          

TBA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

          
                 
TOTAL                

 

Results and Points post-Christmas

Date   Result     Bury    Ipswich Ravens Stowmkt Warriors

TBA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

          

TBA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

          

TBA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

          

TBA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

          
                 
TOTAL                

 

 

Intention

The aim of the league is to give match opportunities to Intermediate level players.
The league is mixed ie. for men, women, and juniors
Matches need to be played in a friendly spirit, particularly to get the league established, and to avoid stress on any inexperienced officials. It will help if clubs don't attach prestige to the league.  It's primarily an opportunity to play games between well matched teams from different clubs and unite our volleyball community.

The notes indicated by a letter in brackets (*x*) were discussed at the online meeting on 14 August 2023 and agreed for the initial season.  No changes were needed for the 2024-25 season.

Format

  • Fixtures will normally be triangulars involving three teams with the off court team officiating
  • The net will be at or near men's height (*a*)
  • All dates and venues will be arranged by SVA at the start of the season. Once fixtures are published, clubs will have 2 weeks to indicate whether any of the dates given are impossible. After that the venues will be booked and fixtures will not change, ie. no cancellations allowed (obviously if a venue becomes unexpectedly unavailable the match will be rearranged if possible)
  • Venues may be any of those used regularly by SVA clubs having first aid staff on site. Host clubs will make the booking and be reimbursed by SVA. (*b*)
  • All matches will be at weekends (*c*)
  • Entry fee to be paid at the start of the season, will cover the cost of ALL court bookings in advance and is not refundable (except due to venue becoming unavailable)
  • Court bookings will be for 3 hours, each game will be 2 sets up to 25 points (*d*)
  • The number of matches will depend on the number of teams who enter. The aim is to have at least 8 matches per team (ie. 4 triangulars)
  • Clubs can enter as many teams as they like, all clubs must be affiliated to Volleyball England (*e*)
  • Clubs from outside Suffolk may also enter (*f*)

Player Registration

  • Player registration is not required.
  • Men who play regularly in higher level competitions (e.g. NVL, Eastern Region, Ron Ames Cup, Chelmsford League, or Cambridgeshire League) are not eligible.
  • However if they wish, team captains or coaches on the day can mutually agree to waive this restriction in the best interest of their game.
  • N.B. clubs entering multiple tems should allocate at least 8 players for each squad, to allow for illness/holidays/injury

Rules of Play

  • If a team is unable to raise 6 players, it may borrow players from another team or club, PREFERABLY from a team not included in the fixture
  • It is expected that if a team doesn't have 6 players to fulfil a match, the off court team will lend them a player/s
  • If they wish, team captains on the day can mutually agree to waive the above requirements in the best interest of their game
  • Ideally all players should wear shirts with unique numbers on the front and back.  If this isn't possible please make sure every player wears something distinctive to enable identification on the scoresheet and rotation slips (e.g. green socks = GS, blue kneepads = BK, etc)
  • If using a libero player, make sure their shirt is a VERY distinguishable colour from the rest of the team. It needs to stand out for the benefit of the officials and opponents.

Officiating

Prior to their first fixture players should be familiar with sections 1-3 of the SVA Guide to the Rules.

The host team for each fixture must provide printed SVA scoresheets and line-up sheets

Where possible:-

  • Teams should use the SVA scoresheet, novice scorers can prepare by watching this 30-minute video 
  • All players' names must be clearly recorded to enable checking against registrations
  • Members of the non-playing team should take the following roles:
    1. 1st ref
    2. Scorer
    3. 2nd ref
    4. Assistant scorer
    5. 2 x line-judges

Communications

  • Communications during the season will be via a WhatsApp group
  • Each team should have a prime contact on the group and a backup to cover for holidays etc
  • Any team needing to withdraw from a fixture should give as much notice as possible, and ideally try to arrange a scratch team to replace them and play friendlies
  • Results to be reported in the WhatsApp group by the host team

End of season

League positions will be decided only on the number of games won and drawn. Teams who have won equal games finish in equal positions. (*i*)

Past Results

Click here for results from previous seasons

 

QUESTIONS and ANSWERS:

Q. Who is the league aimed at ?

A. Players who are basically competent and can keep a rally going, but are below the standard of the advanced competitions such as Suffolk League+Cups, Essex League, Eastern Region, and equivalent level. 

 

Q. Is the league a series of tournaments similar to Mavis ?

A. No. It's a set of matches similar to NVL lower divisions.  Most of the matches will be triangulars.  See the example below

 

Q. How many matches would my team play ?

A. It depends on the number of teams who enter. Hopefully about 6.

 

Q. How much will it cost ?

A. Again it depends on the number of teams who enter. Currently estimate £40-45 per match, so for 6 matches the cost would be approx £240-270.  Payment will be taken in 2 halves, prior to each half of the season.

Note added 19th July:  This costing assumes all games will be played on a full size court in a whole sports hall.  There is an alternative option to play on half hall courts instead (similar to the hall setup used at Mavis), these courts are shorter than full length, but will reduce costs by about 50%.  We need to discuss at the August online meeting whether the general preference is to pay more for a proper match experience on a full size court, or save money by playing on a smaller court (*j*).  See the example below

 

Q.  How would I enter a team ?

A.  There will be an online meeting on Monday 14th August for all clubs to declare their intentions to enter a team.  It will then start to become clearer how things will shape up.

 

Q.  Can my club enter more than one team ?

A.  Yes

 

Q. Will all the teams come from within Suffolk ?

A. No, we are advertising for interest from Cambs, Norfolk and Essex

 

Q. Where will matches be played ?

A. All matches will be played in Suffolk - hopefully some at each of Ipswich, Stowmarket and Bury.

 

Q. What if we can't raise a team for a match, can we postpone it ?

A. No. Instead:-

  1. You should seek to borrow QUOTA players (see main section) from other clubs - ideally from clubs not participating in the match. Use the WhatsApp group.
  2. If you still can't raise a full team, warn the other teams in your match that you will need to borrow QUOTA players from the off-court team in the triangular.
  3. If they are unable or unwilling, find any other player/s you can.  Remember you will already have paid for the court time, so get the best use out of it you can.

 

Q. What if we can raise a team but it has too many STANDARD players and not enough QUOTA players.

A.  Either find more Quota players, as per the previous question, or go along as a friendly team and forfeit the league match.

 

FIXTURE LIST - if 5 teams enter

Each team plays a total of 6 fixtures, all triangular

This results in all teams playing each other 3 times

FIXTURE LIST - if 6 teams enter

Each team plays a total of 6 fixtures (4 triangular and 2 single games)

This results in all teams playing each other twice

Fixtures 5 and 10 (single games) to be played at Stowmarket to equalise the travel overhead

 

FIXTURE LIST - if 7 teams enter

Each team plays a total of 6 fixtures, all triangular

This results in all teams playing each other twice

 

 

Please email any further questions to steve_hicks@btinternet.com, they will be added to this web page if appropriate.