Rules, Rules, Rules

Signing Up:

See Registration Section

Multiple Shifts:

See Registration Section

Seeding:

We use a players Power Ranking (AVERAGE FINISH IN LAST 7 EVENTS OFFERED, YOUR BEST 5 FINISHES) and then rank players accordingly. All new or unranked players will be seeding based on prior VOTR/Mountain/Local touranments and leagues and results that we have access to. We do reserve the right to have players bypass the Qualifier based on other results or knowledge of skill level; as well as rank players who came out of qualifier higher than the bottom 4 seeds based on the same beta.

Power Ranking:

Power Ranking reflects a players Average Finish in the Winter Beach Series. We average each players best five (5) finishes over the past 7 events offered, i.e. we toss out your lowest two finishes of the last seven, which rewards regular participants with a better seeds. Conversely, if you have only played in 4 events, all 4 will be averaged to create your Power Ranking. Seedings are based on Power Rankings (not grand prix points). Entry into events is also based on Power Rankings (not Grand Prix Points), i.e. we want the strongest draw possible,. Since the Colorado Winter Beach Series is seeded straight off results (power rankings), seeds are very clear cut. If your average finish is a 16th and another player is a 15.2, they are ranked above you. If you haven't played in an event, then we will use our best judgment on your seed. Please note, extensive research was done in establishing the ranking system we use. This system reflects a similar processes used by the AVP, USAV and FIVB.

Main Draws & Qualifiers:

Three shifts of competition will be offered at monthly events. The top 48 teams will fill the Main Draw (based on power rankings) and a third qualifier shift will accept players 49-76. The Main Draw basically reflects the top 48 players in each event and the qualifier represents up and coming talent in a BB/A draw.

Guaranteed Berths, Main Draw:

The top 42 spots in a each main draw will be filled with the top 43 registrants, based on Power Rankings, who have submitted entries by noon on the Monday prior to each event. Spots 44, 45, 46 and 47 are reserved for the top 4 participants in the previous A/BB Qualifier. Spot 48 is a guaranteed spot for the official AM substitute from the previous event (if applicable).

Guaranteed Berths, Qualifier:

The top 8 spots in each qualifier will be filled with the top 8 registrants, based on Power Rankings, who have submitted their entries by noon on the Monday prior to each event. The balance of the Qualifier will be filled first come, first served.

Grand Prix Points:

See Points Section. These points determine prizes.

Check In & Warm up:

Player must check in 15 minutes prior to tournament start time. Courts will be available 30 minutes prior to all start times for warm up.

Start Times:

Please arrive 15-30 minutes prior to event start times. Published start times will be strictly adhered to. Out of respect to the other players on your net, participants should arrive early if they require warm-up time. This format should take 4 hours, but only if players minimize down time and start promptly. The horn will blow to signify the "2 minute warning" and again to start each shift. Play must commence immediately.

Points per game:

Games will be rally scored to 21 with a hard cap at 23 in the rounds 1 and 2 of all events. Round 3 will be rallied to 21, but win by 2. If players choose to play slow, points per game may be reduced to fit the 4.5 hour window.

Ties:

THERE WILL BE NO TIES. In order to achieve a 4.5 hour format, certain concessions must be made. See Points section for more information on ties.

Time Outs:

Each team will receive one time out per game.

Cancellations & No Shows:

No Shows cause major inconveniences to all participants and the tournament director due to the format. No Shows the day of the event will be banned from future events (emergencies excluded). If players cancel it must be by phone to The Island or The Oasis (where the tournament is) and receive confirmation back. Cancel before Monday at Noon....we will get you a full refund. Prior to Wednesday at noon, we will refund $25 and hold on to $10 for pain and suffering! After Wednesday at noon, no refund. No show the day of an event...we will ban you from future tourneys including Beach Bash, Steamboat, Snowmass, and Breckenridge! Unavoidable no-shows due to emergencies will be dealt with on a case by case basis.

Substitutes:

In the event of a no-show in the 8am Main Draw, the sub will be used to fill the open spot and they will play for free. If they are not needed, they will get free meal from our restaurant for their time and receive a free registration for the next event. If a player from the afternoon shift plays, they can use their best finish out of the two. Tournaments are re-seeded if time is not an issue, if some pools have already started then a re-seed may not happen.

Note: Subs can be predetermined prior to the tournament or selected on tournament date.

Injuries:

The format of the King/Queen of the Beach requires all participants on each net to fully play all games in order to produce accurate rankings for each round. An injury to a player during any point of the tournament makes it difficult to complete a round and determine the correct order of the 4 participants. Injuries are unfortunate and generally cause one or two players on the net to feel slighted due to not being able to earn a higher season.

The following is the injury policy that we (the tournament directors) have determined to be the most equitable and appropriate for every injury scenario during the tournament.

If the injury occurs during the:
• First Game of the First Round - We will have an official substitute ready to fill in. Since this is the first game, there will be time to start the round over and all four participants (including the substitute) will advanced based on the scores of the subsequent 3 games.

• Second or Third Game of the First Round - The round is over and the official substitute will fill in starting in round 2. The rankings will be based on the original seed with the substitute taking the automatic 4th. The substitute will, however, play the subsequent 2 rounds and take the rank that he/she earns. Since there are multiple potential scenarios for the 2nd and 3rd seeds, the following guidelines will determine where the remaining 3 players on the net will break after Round 1:

-1 seed injured: 2 seed goes to the Upper Division as the lowest #1 seed; 3 seed goes to the Middle Division as the lowest #2 seed; 4 seed goes the Lower Division as the highest #3 seed in the group (5th ranked overall #3 seed)
- 2 seed injured: 1 seed goes to the Upper Division as the lowest #1 seed; 3 seed goes to the Middle Division as the lowest #2 seed; 4 seed goes to the Lower Division as the highest #3 seed in the group (5th ranked overall #3 seed)
- 3 seed injured: 1 seed goes the Upper Division as the lowest #1 seed; 2 seed goes to the Middle Division as the highest #2 seed in the group (3rd ranked overall #2 seed); 4 seed goes to the Lower Division as the highest #3 seed in the group (5th ranked overall #3 seed)
- 4 seed injured: 1 seed goes the Upper Division as the lowest #1 seed; 2 seed goes the Middle Division as the highest #2 seed in the group (3rd ranked overall #2 seed); 3 seed goes the Middle Division as the lowest ranked #3 seed in that group (4th ranked overall #3 seed)

** In all cases the substitute takes the 4th seed and advances to the Lower Division and will be the lowest ranked #4 seed heading into round 2.
***If the injury occurs during the first round, but the injured player completes all 3 games, all scores will count and the injured player will be replaced by a sub and take the lowest possible seed going into the 2nd round. The 2nd round will be seeded as is with the completed 1st round results. The player that was injured during the 1st round will not keep the finish earned by the subbing player. It will be a judgement call of the tournament director as to whether the sub will be able to keep their rank and play normally or advance as the automatic 4th seed (sub is a higher level player that would not normally play in the bottom pool).

• Second or Third Round at Any Point - The round is over and the participants will advance based on the previous rounds ranks. A substitute may be brought in to be able to play the remaining games, none of which will count. Whether or not a substitute is brought in to play will be decided by the other 3 players on the net. This would be done if the remaining players want to get all the their games in and/or to allow the substitute to warm up for the next round (if injury occurs in the second round). In either case, the injured player will take an automatic 4th and will take the lowest possible finish based on his/her current positions (upper - 8th, Middle - 16th, Lower - 24th). Players finishing without a 3rd round result will take the lower of the 2 main draw shifts finish.

Prize Money:

See the Prizes section. Main Draw participants compete for Grand Prix prizes at years' end, Qualifier (shift 3 BB/A) participants receive prizes weekly.

Sportsmanship:

The tournament director reserves the right to remove player for unsportsmanlike conduct include foul language, spitting, fighting, etc. Removed players will be banned from future Island, Oasis, or VOTR Sponsored events including leagues and tournaments. This series is designed to encourage new players to work into the A/AA scene and reward top players for their performance. Winning in this format usually means "playing nice" with everybody so show up with a good attitude.

Membership Requirement:

Starting in the 2024-2025 season, all King/Queen of the Beach Participants will need to have a VOTR Gold Level Membership in order to play. You can purchase that membership Here