2026 Term 3–4 Indoor Volleyball Information

Welcome

Welcome to another exciting indoor volleyball season! Whether you're returning or joining us for the first time, we're looking forward to another fantastic competition.

What's New in 2026?

🏐 Every team is guaranteed 6 games.

To better support schools travelling longer distances, the competition structure has changed:

• Social Grades: Travel teams are only required to travel 3 of the 6 competition weeks.
• Division 1 & Year 9/10 Competitive: Teams compete every week to ensure the highest level of competition.

Please read the 2026 Travel Requirements before entering your team.

Key Dates

20 July Entries open – Weekly Wednesday Competition & Junior Championships

5:00 pm, Friday 28 August Entries close in Sporty

Monday 7 September Weekly Wednesday draw published

Wednesday 9 September Weekly Wednesday Competition begins

Wednesday 16 September, Regional Junior Championships draw published

Saturday 17 October Regional Junior Championships -​​​​​​​Entry Fee: $200 + GST per team

Weekly Wednesday Competition

Every team is guaranteed 6 games.

Week 1 Wednesday 9 September

Week 2 Wednesday 16 September

Week 3 Wednesday 23 September

School Holidays No competition

Week 4 Wednesday 14 October 

Week 5 – Wednesday 21 October 

Week 6 Finals Night Wednesday 28 October 

Senior grades conclude following Finals Night to allow students to prepare for NCEA examinations.

Terms & Conditions of Entry

By entering a team into a Volley South competition, schools agree to the following:

Compliance

Schools, teams, coaches, managers and participants must comply with the Volley South Constitution, policies, regulations and all applicable Codes of Conduct.

Team Lists

Final team lists, including coaches and managers, must be submitted by the published deadline.

Outstanding Accounts

Schools with outstanding invoices from previous seasons may not participate until all accounts have been paid in full.

Eligibility

All coaches and managers must be eligible members of Volley South in accordance with the Constitution. Individuals whose membership has ceased or been terminated are not permitted to participate in any capacity.

Work-for-Fees will not be available in Term 3-4, 2026.

If a school team does not show up and a fine is issued, Volley South may need to staff the court to keep the competition running. In these situations, we will request support from representative school players, coaches, or team managers who are already onsite, if required.

Our strong hope is that this will not be necessary.The new fine system is designed to encourage teams to meet their duty obligations and avoid disruptions to the competition.

The third biggest topic identified in the October 2025 School Volleyball Survey, with 71.25% of respondents, was concern that Division 1 and Year 9/10 Competitive teams were receiving more court time than Social, Division 2, and lower-grade teams. Many respondents felt this created an imbalance, and a large number offered suggestions for making court allocations and game lengths more equitable.

After reviewing all feedback, Volley South has chosen the most popular solution proposed by schools.

Introducing a Tiered Registration Fee Structure

Due to overwhelming survey responses, we are introducing a tiered registration fee structure for the 2026 season. This change promotes fairness by recognising that competitive 60-minute and 80-minute games require significantly more court space and time than social 40-minute matches.

New Indoor Registration Fees – Aligned to Match Length

• 40-minute games: $42 per player (no change to most grades except the following)

• 60-minute games: $52 per player- competitive y9/10 only 

• 80-minute games: $62 per player - competitive Div 1 only 

This updated structure directly reflects the higher operational and venue costs associated with longer-format matches and ensures equity across all grades.

Schools will be invoiced with team lists and cc to sports coordinators in 2026. 

Approved by the Volley South Board – 29 November 2025

Volley South Board approved 29 Nov 2025

The second biggest topic raised in the October 2025 School Volleyball Survey was the impact of travel teams on both competitive and social grades.

72.5% of respondents expressed concern that some competitive travel teams were only attending three out of the six rounds, which affected draw balance, fairness, and the overall competition experience.

Originally, this system was introduced to reduce travel costs for out-of-town schools while ensuring they received the same number of games as Invercargill-based teams. However, with the rapid growth of volleyball in the region, this arrangement is now having a significant impact on town teams, travel logistics, and Volley South operations — and has become unsustainable.

We also spoke with several schools courtside during the 2025 season, and their feedback supported the need for change.

Updated Travel Requirements – Effective 2026

To ensure fairness, stability, and competitive integrity, the following requirements will apply:

• 40-minute social games:

  • Travel teams -same-  can choose to do every week or only attend 3 out of 6 competition nights.

• 60-minute and 80-minute competitive games (Years 9/10 Competitive, Division 1 and equivalent):

  • Travel teams must attend every week.

  • Playing only 2–3 long-format games is not sustainable for the competition, the draw, or other teams.

These changes ensure that all schools receive a meaningful number of games, competitive grades remain structurally sound, and the scheduling workload remains manageable.

The number one issue identified in the October 2025 School Volleyball Survey was teams missing their duties or not turning up to games. This caused significant frustration, with over 80% of respondents reporting that they were upset or negatively impacted by these situations.

Respondents also offered suggestions, and the strongest and most frequent recommendation was the introduction of a deterrent — a fine system — to ensure fairness and accountability.

To explore this further, we consulted with Otago Volleyball, who operate a successful fine system, and we reviewed Netball’s well-established model. Players, parents, and coaches expressed a strong and urgent expectation that Volley South introduce a similar approach to ensure duty coverage and reduce disruptions.

These fines reflect the actual labour and venue costs incurred when staff must cover missed duties or when teams do not arrive. When a team does not show for a match, $20 from the fine will be provided to the team that turned up, acknowledging their commitment and the disruption caused.

Fines are necessary to ensure that all teams can play, duties are consistently covered, and the competition can run without unnecessary delays or additional staffing costs

​​​​​​​This system promotes fairness, reduces disruptions, and supports a better overall experience for all teams and participants.

​​​​​​​

Fine Structure – Effective 18 Feb 2026

Fines will be applied to all school competitions and events when:

• A team fails to complete their allocated duty, even if they default with 48 hours' notice, they must still do their school duty  or
• A team does not show up to a scheduled match, and does not give the required 48 hours' notice to Volley South and their opposing ad duty team 
• The school-appointed person could not or did not supply a duty team on the night
• A team fails to show up for the game, and the duty is a double fine

Fine amounts are aligned to match length:

• 40-minute games: $40 fine
• 60-minute games: $60 fine
• 80-minute games: $80 fine

The form the fine is captured on will be emailed to the sports coordinator. The invoice will be emailed to the school's account person and cc'd to the sports coordinator. The fines must be paid before the team can play. 

​​​​​​​

Volley South Board approved 29 Nov 2025