Participation – Fitness - Friendship – Inclusion

Freezone volleyball club is pleased to announce the annual Spring Fling volleyball tournament is back on Sunday 6^th October 2024!

Registration is now open and we are offering places for Men's, Women's and Mixed Divisions. This popular event will be guaranteed to sell out again, so teams must register early and pay the team fee to guarantee their place.

It is more than just volleyball 

It has always been Freezone's primary mission to support the LGBTQIA+ community. Our tournament, as usual, is more than just about volleyball. Get into the fun spirit, because there will be a prize for the team with the best uniform in the tournament (to be judged by the tournament committee) and for the team with the best cheer/choreography. All teams are encouraged to incorporate a rainbow colour scheme in their uniform. Show your support for our LGBTQIA+ community and create your own rainbow team!

Freezone Volleyball Club is Sydney’s LGBTQIA+ friendly volleyball club, encouraging players from all levels and experience to enjoy volleyball and play together.

All players, referees and spectators are reminded that this is a LGBTQIA+ friendly event, and will be conducted in a spirit of good sportsmanship. Behaviour that is deemed to be contrary to the spirit and intent of promoting health and fitness within the LGBTQIA+ community will not be tolerated and may result in ejection from the premises if brought to the attention of the Tournament Director/President, as per the Freezone Constitution.

Important Dates (All dates and tims are in AEST, using the 24-hour clock format)

• Tournament date: 6/10/2024 08:30 ~ 19:00
•  Registration
  • Open: 3/8/2024 08:00 (Freezone Members) & 9/8/2024 08:00 (General Release)
  • Close: 25/9/2024 18:00, unless the division you wish to register reaches its full capacity earlier.
• Withdrawal
  • Penalty free cut-off: 25/9/2024 18:00, any withdrawal before this is entitled a full refund, excluding the transaction fee.
  • Partially refund: A $50.00 cancellation fee will apply to any withdrawal after the cut-off time above.
  • Please note that any transaction fee is non refundable. 
• Game schedule
  • No later than 2/10/2024. We will send out the link to all the team managers and captains when it's ready. 
• Team player list fill out
  • Close: 27/9/2024 08:00, full team list should be filled out before this time. However, please fill out the manager and captain information once you recieve your confirmation email. 

Divisions & Tournament structure

• For this year's Spring Fling, we are aiming for 12 teams in Men's division, 8 teams in Women's and 16 teams in Mixed division.
• Each team in each division plays ranking games, then based on win/loss will split into grades to play off for medals. 
• All scheduling is subject to the total team numbers. 

Registration Fee & Deposit

• The registration fee is $440 per team, inclusive of the $150 refundable deposit.
• Teams who fullfil all their referee duties on the day are entitled to $150 cash/PayID refund upon leaving. Failure to stay in the stadium and fullfil their team referee duties will result in loss (or partial loss) of the deposit. 
• The total fee of $440 ( with 2%+ $0.60AUD transaction fee) must be fully paid to complete the registration process.
• This registration fee does not include VNSW membership fee for each individual player.

Membership requirement

• Freezone volleyball club is affiliated with Volleyball New South Wales (VNSW), therefore, all players must be VNSW member. If you aren't already a VNSW member, you should register as a Full or Recreational or Single event member. Membership details can be found on VNSW's website.
• In the case of interstate teams, all players must be registered with their state volleyball association, otherwise players will not be allowed to play.

To all team captains or managers, please understand that it is your responsibility to read and understand (1) the team registration process; (2) the tournament rules; (3) the FAQ.

Team registration process

1. Click the 'Buy tickets' button on this event page, and follow the prompt.
2. Each team only needs ONE ticket, if you wish to register for mutiple teams you can do so by buying more than one ticket. 
3. When you select for the ticket(s), it will allow you to enter 'attendee/partner', please enter your team name as attendee.
4. Once you submit your registeration and pay the invoice for the team ticket(s), you will receive a confirmation email. The confirmation email will provide you some important details, as well as a Google Forms link for you to fill out players' details for your team.
5. Team player list MUST be completed by 27/9/2024 08:00 AM. Please fill out the contact information for manager and capatin as soon as you receive the link. You will be able to and MUST amend the list by yourself before this deadline. We WILL NOT process any request for amending the list before this deadline. Request of any change to the player list after the deadline should be sent to and approved, by the tournament committee. (send your request to: president@freezonevolleyball.club)

Tournament rules

1. The emphasis of our Spring Fling tournament is on enjoyment, social atmosphere, community support and skill development. All games shall be played as per the Official Volleyball Rules of FIVB, except to the extent that they are negated or modified by the tournament rules. All rules are open to the interpretation of the referee/supervisor and their decision is final. , this is a social competition.
2. The goal of Freezone Volleyball Club is to allow players to compete in the gender with which they identify. 
3. Key tournament rules:
   • Net Heights: 2.43 meters for Men's & Mixed division; 2.24 meters for Women's division.
   • Unlimited subs rule will be allowed.
   • All games, except for gold medal games, are timed and best of 3.
   • Details of the Freezone tournament rules can be found on our website, please click here.
4. Mixed division requirement: 
   • All teams will have minimum 2 players of each gender on court at all times. ie; minimum 2 male & 2 female on court.
   • If a team ceases to have at least 2 female players due to injuries/unforeseen circumstances (to be approved by the tournament director), the team may substitute the missing female player with a male gender player, but he will be prohibited from blocking, jump serving and attacking the ball above the top of the net.
   • If your team includes any non-binary players, then please reach out to president@freezonevolleyball.club for further details.
5. Duty team requirement:
   • All teams are required to be available all day for the umpiring duty, including the Gold medal games, please check the final draw sheet online or ask the tournament directors.
   • Duty team must provide: One 1^st referee; One 2^nd referee; One scorer; Two line judges.

FAQ

1. Can a single player register without a team?
   No, If you are seeking a team then please get in touch with us during Sunday or Wednesday sessions or message us on social media, Freezone will attempt to make up teams for players who do not have a team, however we make no guarantee and accept no responsibility to do this on behalf of individuals.
2. Can my team enter the best team uniform competition?
   There is a prize for the team with the best uniform in the tournament (to be judged by the tournament committee). All teams are encouraged to incorporate a rainbow colour scheme in their uniform. Show your support for the LGBTQIA+ community and create your own rainbow! “Best” is defined by the being the most innovative, fun and coordinated based on a common theme. Please consider the safety issue while preparing your team’s uniform. Uniforms involving dangerous items such as necklaces, rings, thongs etc. are not recommended to be worn on court while playing.
3. Do I need to have a full set of numbered uniform to play?
   Whilst a full set of numbered uniform is recommended to help with duty team, MVP nominations, etc. As we mentioned, it is more than just volleyball! We want everyone to have a fun, enjoyable day. If getting a full set of numbered uniform is too much trouble for you, maybe channel that engergy to win for the best team uniform competition!
4. Will teams be moved up/down a Division by the Tournament Referee & Committee?
   At the discretion of the tournament committee and in consultation with the team captain, teams may be asked to play to in a higher or lower division depending on the skills and capacity of players. The number of teams registered will determine the number and length of games played – it is Freezone’s aim to provide as many pool games on the day as possible, plus a semi-final and/or final match.