TSVL is committed to increasing representation from underrepresented groups in the league.

TSVL’s Research and Member Survey (year) data indicates that Intermediate Division team formations rely heavily on referrals and word of mouth. This advantages larger communities while often creating barriers for underrepresented groups in forming teams.

TSVL continues its Equity Priority Groups (EPG) initiative for the increased recruitment and retention of members from underrepresented groups in the league.

EPG includes:

1. Gender minorities – Women, Two-Spirit, Non-Binary
2. Transgender players
3. The following Racial/ethnic minorities – African, Black/African Canadian, Central Asian, Caribbean, Indigenous, Middle Eastern, Pacific Islands, South Asian

Each group currently makes up less than 5% of the division.

• Rosters: 6–10 players; managed by the team, not the league.
• Court Captain: Only player who may speak with the 1st referee or opposing captain. Responsible for team conduct.
• Libero: Allowed if declared before the match.
• Substitutions: Unlimited, but must follow FIVB rules (player can only be replaced by the same player they substituted for).
• Exceptional Subs: Allowed for injury/illness if no legal sub is possible.
• Attendance:
  • 6+ players → the team decides who plays.
  • 4–5 players → allowed with ghosts (missing player spots in rotation; ghosts cause automatic loss of serve with no point to opponent).
• Late arrivals may join play at any time.
• Timeouts: 2 per game (30 sec each), not allowed in the last 2 minutes.

Minimum 7 Players on Roster by Mid-Season - Fall 2025 New.

Prior to the 7th week of play (after midway) through the Fall 2025 season, every team must have a minimum of 7 players registered to their roster.

The vast majority of teams may not be affected as they typically have 7 or more roster members, however this policy is intended to further facilitate the growing nature of TSVL.

With more players on rosters, this will allow for greater inclusion (especially of newer players), as well as help avoid defaults, shorthanded games, and need for playoff subs.

Registration Windows: August, December, April (check tsvl.org for exact dates).

EPG Team Allocation 

• 6 team spots reserved for eligible EPG teams.
• Teams must have at least 3 EPG players on their official roster.
• Self-identification is optional, confidential, and must be consistent with lived experience.
• TSVL respects individual’s self-identification and lived experience, expecting that this initiative will serve the EPG community.
• Captains must email both the Comp Coordinator, copying  VP Operations, to indicate their team’s eligibility and request an EPG allocation.
• If after the initial timestamp registration there are more than 6 EPG teams remaining outside the first 40 teams registered, then the earliest 6 EPG teams by the 6th eligible player registration timestamp get the spots; the rest join the lottery for drawing of the remaining spots.
• If, after the initial 40 timestamped teams, fewer than 6 EPG teams qualify, the remaining spots would be reallocated to other teams as determined by lottery.

Division Coordinator Policy (DCP) - (New, Fall 2025)

TSVL Board agreed to grant Division Coordinators one spot in their respective division to support them successfully manage their respective divisions throughout the season. This team shall be given one of the initial 40 timestamped/priority ranking spots.

For eligibility:

Coordinators and their teammates must register within the first 24 hours of their division’s registration.

Priority Ranking (Team Spots)

In the event TSVL cannot accommodate all registered teams, teams will be given spots in the division based on these rankings. The priority ranking is divided into 4 groups. 

If the division is oversubscribed, team spots are assigned in this order:

Priority 1:
≥6 players, ≥4 Returning Players* from any COMP team in Winter/Spring 2025.

or

≥6 players, ≥4 Returning Players* from the SAME INTERMEDIATE TEAM in Winter/Spring 2025. Please notify comp@tsvl.org and intermediate@tsvl.org of your intention to register for comp.

A maximum of 4 Winter/Spring 2025 Intermediate Division teams can have Priority 1 status in the Fall 2025 Competitive Division (as determined by timestamping)

Priority 2:
≥6 players, all Returning Players from any division in Winter/Spring 2025.

Priority 3:
≥6 players, 1–3 Returning Players from Winter/Spring 2025.

Priority 4:
≥6 players, without any  Returning Players from any Winter/Spring 2025 division. 

*Returning Player: 

1. On a roster in Winter/Spring 2025. 
2. Spring 2025 registrants whose team didn’t get in retain returning status.
3. Subs count only if officially added to a roster.

How Priority Rankings Work

• Within each priority group, teams are ranked by the timestamp of their 6th eligible registered player.
• If a later player augments the team’s priority rank, the timestamp is updated to that player’s registration time.
• Priority ranks are only assigned in the first 24 hours of registration. After that, spots are first-come, first-served.
• Rankings are locked 24 hours after registration opens and won’t change with additional players.

Tiebreaker within priorities: Earliest timestamp of the 6th registered player.

In an effort to alleviate the “fastest to register” advantage, TSVL continues to allocate a portion of the Competitive teams through Lottery System:

1. First 40 teams by timestamp will make it into the division (including the division coordinator, should they be on a registered team).
2. Up to 6 EPG teams (not already in top 40) fill spots 41–46.
3. Remaining available spots as permits allow are filled via lottery. 

Note: Teams must register within the first 24 hours to be eligible. +24 hours registration teams are waitlisted behind any timestamped/lottery teams.

Hypothetical Scenario for clarity:

• 14 courts available, making room for 56 teams;
• 6 EPG teams outside the first 34 team, if applied, get spots 41-46 (timestamped if more than 6 EPG); 

The remaining 9 spots (47-56) go to the first 9 teams drawn in the lottery.

Teams: ~52+

Weeks of play: 12 (barring any cancellations of permits that would be out of our control) 

Playoffs: One night of Playoffs - The playoff format will be determined closer to the end of the season, based on permit availability.

Format: Each week, teams play 28-minute matches against the three other teams in their pool. Each match has:

• Game 1: To 25 points (win by 2, cap at 27).
• Game 2: Until time runs out (no cap).

Scoring:

• Win Game 1 → 3 pts
• Win Game 2 → 2 pts (or 3 pts if to 25)
• Loss → 1 pt
• Default → 0 pts (Game 1 score: 25-0; Game 2 score: 15-0)

No ties: if tied at the end, play one extra point.

If Game 1 isn’t finished at 28 min, the 1st referee signals “last point” to declare a winner, then a short Game 2 (3 points).

Pools: Pools: The first 2 weeks are ranking weeks where teams do not accumulate ranking points, to allow for adjustment of initial placements.

Re-Ranking: At night’s end, teams are re-ranked by pool points. Ties are broken by head-to-head total points from both Games. The top and bottom seeds of each pool are then sent up and down a pool respectively for the next week of play (i.e. the top seed of F pool at the end of the night will play as E4 the following week).

This keeps matches between teams of similar skill levels.

Points towards the overall divisional standings are then awarded to each team based on their new pool ranking (see Standings link).

Defaults: A team defaults Game 1 if fewer than 4 players are ready at start time (nets ready) up to 5-minutes (add 5-min more grace time for first match of night).  Game 2 must be played with a minimum of 3 points (at the end of the scheduled time if Set 1 is still not done, call last serve and immediately play a best-of-3-points Game 2).

For Competitive (and ID) teams seeking players and free agents seeking a team:

Date: September 16, 2025 at 7 pm.
Loc: Rosedale Heights School of the Arts

For the attention of the seeking teams: 

Please  attend only if you are looking to recruit a player(s) or only send 1 or 2 representatives from your team to scope out the recruits.

Individual players may also contact the ID Coordinator.

For individual players who missed this night or being recruited, reach out to the COMP Coordinator at comp@tsvl.org

ROSTER FREEZE

• Once the season has begun, teams may not remove players from their roster until the end of the 4th week of the respective play season.
• They may add players at any point to their roster, to a maximum of 10.

PLAYOFFS ROSTER DEADLINE

Eligibility Criteria for Playoffs:

Players must have registered to their roster by 6:30 p.m by the 3rd last night of play of the respective play.

The ghost rule applies if the team only has 4 or 5 players.  The "ghost" position must be identified to the ref.  Teams playing with a ghost player will lose serve and not a point when the ghost player rotates into the serving position.

If a team only has 3 players or does not show up, the match will be defaulted, teams that default will gain points as if they lost the match (i.e. 1 point). The team that defaulted will still lose a defaulted set by a score of 25-0.

Season Map & Rosters (TBA)

Season Map Fall '25 (TBA)

Comp Team Rosters Fall '25 (TBA)