Rules and Resources

• SONC Volleyball Rule Modifications
• SOI Official Sport Rules for Volleyball
• USA Volleyball
• Special Olympics Quick Start Coaching Guide
• Special Olympics Unified Quick Start Guide
• Special Olympics Coaching Guide
• Other SOI Coaching Resources

Events Offered

SONC offers four types of volleyball competition: individual skills, traditional, Unified and modified team.

Individual skills competition allows Special Olympics athletes to develop sports skills in a competitive format. This event is designed to serve as a stepping stone for athletes to become a member of a team as they master skills and learn team concepts. The indvidual skills offered for volleyball are overhead passing, serving, and passing.

Athletes participating in traditional team, Unified team or modified team volleyball competition learn the fundamental skills of volleyball, appropriate social behavior and functional knowledge or rules enabling them to successfully participate in a traditional or modified game.

Traditional volleyball team competition is played on a regulation volleyball court with a traditional indoor leather volleyball.

Modified volleyball team competition is played on a regulation volleyball court but a lighter, larger volleyball. The service line is also moved closer to the net.

Unified Volleyball team competition is played on a regulation volleyball court bringing together people with intellectual disabilities (athletes) and people without intellectual disabilities (partners) on the same teams.

Competition and Skill Development Opportunities

UNC Chapel Hill Volleyball Clinic is offered to SONC athletes and features skills stations run by the members of the UNC Chapel Hill women’s volleyball team. Registration for this clinic will be made available in January.

Divisional Qualifiers are designed to division teams for the state-level event. Attendance and participation in a qualifier is mandatory for athletes and teams in order to advance to state-level competition.

SONC Summer Games is the state-level competition featuring six sports and takes place in Raleigh the first weekend of June.

Volleyball Calendar

All forms must be submitted by the local program coordinator.

Qualifier Registration Forms

Qualifier Coach Roster 

Qualifier Team Registration & Rating Form 

Summer Games Registration Forms

Below are the sport-specific registration forms which must be submitted by the local program coordinator along with the remainder of the Summer Games registration.  Click here for a full list of Summer Games registration forms.

Summer Games Volleyball Team entry instructions 

Summer Games Volleyball Individual Skills Entry Form 

Assessment Forms

For coaches’ use only – do NOT submit with registration.

Team Skills Assessment for Individuals

Individual Skills Worksheet

Sport Development Team

These volunteers advise SONC staff regarding sport rule modifications, competition, and also train coaches in their sport! For more information on the volleyball sport development team, contact one of the members below or Beth Brooker, SONC staff liaison.

Rick Laskey
Jacksonville, NC

Connie Laskey
Jacksonville, NC

Keron Poteat
Watauga County Parks & Recreation
Boone, NC

Certified Clinicians

In addition to the sport development team, these volunteers are able to conduct local sport specific training schools on behalf of SONC. Contact the clinician in your area if you would like to schedule a training (their county of residence is located under their name). For more information on becoming a certified clinician, contact Beth Brooker.

David Chiu
Johnston