King of the Court Rules

Quick Overview

The Basics

Teams draw for starting position - Challenger 1-4 and King
5 teams compete per match (always)
Only the "King's side" can score points
Teams advance from challenger to king after serving and winning the point
Tournament: 5 rounds guaranteed + championship round, 12-15 minutes each

How to Score

Win rally on King's side = 1 point + stay on King's side
Win rally on Challenger's side = move to King's side
Lose rally on King's side = go back to Challenger's side
Serving mistakes don't count as points (with exceptions)
Serving and receiving team must call their score out prior to each point

1. GAME RULES

1.1 Participants

Each team consists of two players
Injured players may be replaced at organizer's discretion

1.2 Game Concept

Court Layout

Challenger Side: Where teams serve from
King's Side: Only side where points can be scored
Teams advance from challenger to king by serving and winning rallies
Always 5 teams: No teams are eliminated in the first 5 qualifying rounds

Scoring System

Win on King's side = 1 point + stay on King's side
Win on Challenger's side = move to King's side
Lose on King's side = return to Challenger's side
Maximum 8 seconds between rallies

Serving Rules

Each rally starts with a serve from Challenger's side
Either player on the team can serve (no rotation required)
Miss a serve = your team is off, next team serves
Each team gets 1 serve redo per round (optional)
Serving mistakes are NOT points except:
- Third consecutive serving mistake
- Rally started within last minute of round

1.3 Tournament Structure

Starting Order

Teams bowl/lag for king side/serving order in the first round
Subsequent king/serving order determined by points scored in previous round
Final round serving order determined by Total Points

Tournament Format

Teams: Always 5 teams per round
Rounds: 5 rounds guaranteed + championship round (Round 6)
Duration: 12-15 minutes per round
No Elimination: All 5 teams play in the first 5 qualifying rounds

Multiple Team Formats: For tournaments with 6, 7, or 8 teams, see our extended tournament formats that maintain the 5-team structure while ensuring fair play for all teams.

Team Groupings

Team Groupings for tournaments with 6-20 teams will use replay avoidance as much as possible in qualifying rounds.

Championship System

Rounds 1-5: Qualifying

All teams compete to accumulate total points
Points from all 5 rounds are added together
Top 5 teams by total points advance to championship
Teams ranked 6th or lower go to consolation round

Round 6: Championship & Consolation

Championship: Top 5 teams compete for 1st-5th place
Consolation: Remaining teams compete for 6th+ place
Final ranking determined by Round 6 point totals
Highest points in championship = Tournament Winner

Tie-Breaking Rules

Championship Advancement Ties (After Round 5)

If teams are tied for 5th place (last championship spot):

Tied teams play a 4-serve sideout competition
Each team gets 4 serves total
Team with most successful sideouts advances to championship
If still tied, sudden-death sideout until one team wins

Other ties during regular rounds are resolved by tournament director discretion.

Special Rules & Situations

No-Show Policy

Late teams lose match with 0 points
Injured players without replacement lose remaining matches

Conduct & Sanctions

Offense	First Occurrence	Second Occurrence
Minor Misconduct	Prevention only (no penalty)	Treated as rude conduct
Rude Conduct	Red Card - Longest stay = 0 points	Expulsion
Offensive Conduct	Expulsion - Last position next phase	Disqualification
Aggression	Disqualification - Team loses match	-

Delay Sanctions

First delay: Yellow card warning
Second delay: Red card - Longest stay = 0 points
Third delay: Last position next phase

Injury Protocol

Small Blood Injury

Game stopped immediately
Maximum 1 minute treatment
Game resumes normally

Other Injuries

Team marked as "injured" and sidelined
Game continues without injured team
When recovered, team returns in last position
If only 2 teams remain, regular beach volleyball rules apply

Fair Play Protocol

Examples of unfair play include giving away easy points or intentionally missing serves.