Parent's Guide to Volleyball Canada U14 Club Volleyball 2026-27

Volleyball Canada applies "Fair Play" rules to 14U and younger competitions (2026-27 rulebook, rule 15.1 and the 12-14 age 6 v 6 guidance):

• All players listed on the score sheet must start the first or second set.
• Substitutions are not permitted in the first or second set.
• If a player is injured or ill, an Exceptional Substitution may be made. That player may not return to the same set but may play in later sets.
• If a player is expelled or disqualified, a legal substitution must be allowed so the set can continue. A player expelled in the first set may not start the second set but may start the third.
• Any line-up can be used at the start of the third set, and 12 "limited" substitutions are permitted in the third set. A limited substitution lets a starter leave and re-enter once in the set, to the same position, and a substitute replace that starter only once, and only be replaced by that same starter.

No. The Volleyball Canada 2026-27 rulebook (rule 19.1.1) says teams competing in the 14U and 15U age classifications are not permitted to use a libero in competition. Liberos (specialist defensive players in a contrasting uniform) are allowed from 16U: one per set at 16U and 17U, and up to two per set at 18U.

Under the Volleyball Canada 2026-27 rulebook:

• A set is won by the first team to 25 points with a lead of at least two points (play continues past 24-24 until one team leads by two).
• A match is won by winning 2 of 3 sets or 3 of 5 sets.
• If the deciding set is needed (third set in a best-of-three, fifth in a best-of-five), it is played to 15 points with a minimum two-point lead and no point limit. Teams change courts once the leading team reaches 8 points.
• Each team may request a maximum of two time-outs per set. Volleyball Canada time-outs last 60 seconds.

Under the Volleyball Canada 2026-27 rulebook (rule 4.1.1), a team may include up to 15 players. All 15 may be in uniform, take part in the warm-up and sit on the bench, but only 12 are registered on the score sheet and only those 12 may play in a given match. The 12 on the score sheet may change from match to match.

The 2026 Youth Nationals guide adds that a Nationals team must register a minimum of 8 and a maximum of 15 players, and that 14U is played 6 v 6.

Under Volleyball Canada's 2027 National Championships Coach Eligibility Requirements (updated August 26, 2026), every person in authority, including all coaching staff, must complete before provincial or territorial membership approval:

• an Enhanced Police Information Check (EPIC), valid through the 2026-27 season and completed within the last 3 years
• the Screening Disclosure Form, completed annually
• Coaching Association of Canada Safe Sport Training (credit is given for equivalent programs recognized by Sport Canada, such as Respect in Sport Activity Leader)

Every coach on a Nationals roster must also complete, by March 15, 2027: Making Head Way in Sport (concussion management e-learning), Foundations of Volleyball, and Make Ethical Decisions. A coach who has not completed these is ineligible and is removed from the Nationals roster, with no exemptions.

Head coaches have extra requirements: a Development Coach Workshop in their second year at Nationals, and active Certified Development Coach status from their third year.

Volleyball Canada's announcement of the 2027 Youth National Championships lists these 14U events:

• April 29 to May 2: Moncton, NB (Moncton Coliseum), and Ottawa, ON (Cohere Centre, 14U Boys)
• May 13 to 16: Regina, SK (REAL District, 14U Girls), and Richmond, BC (Richmond Olympic Oval, 14U Boys)
• May 15 to 18: Mississauga, ON (International Centre, 14U Girls)

14U is held as regional tournaments so teams have regional access. In the 2026 guide, 14U teams could list a second event in their expression of interest, and a waitlisted team was automatically invited to that alternate event. 14U teams are welcome to attend any 14U event, not only the closest.

Volleyball Canada does not publish the registration fee on the 2027 Nationals page. Questions go to nationals@volleyball.ca or 613-748-5681 ext. 231.

From Volleyball Canada's 2026 Youth Nationals Competition Guide (the 2027 guide was not yet published when this was written, so details may change):

• Only club teams may register; provincial, territorial or foreign teams need National Indoor Committee approval.
• Every athlete and team personnel member must be a registered member in good standing with their PTA and Volleyball Canada, and must buy their membership in the province or territory where they live. Changing PTAs needs approval from Volleyball Canada and the PTAs involved.
• The team must take part in a provincial or territorial championship.
• The team must comply with Stay to Play.
• The Nationals roster must match the roster used at the provincial championship. After the provincial roster lock, changes are only considered in exceptional circumstances, through an exemption request that costs $50 for a team personnel change and $100 for a player change.
• Everyone on the official roster must be at least 11 years old.
• Registration is by expression of interest followed by a draw. At the 2026 14U events a club could have at most 3 teams per gender invited in the first round.

Volleyball Canada's 2027 Stay to Play Policy applies to Youth Indoor National Championships. To be eligible to compete, teams and athletes must book accommodation through one of the official hotels arranged by Hudson Travel Group (HTG). A team must:

• reserve a minimum of five rooms at one of the official tournament hotels
• book each room for a minimum of two nights
• make all reservations through the HTG reservation portal, not directly with hotels or third-party websites

Non-compliant teams may face removal from the event, being placed on the Not in Good Standing list, fines or administrative fees, and ineligibility to register in future Nationals.

Exemptions exist for a small roster (fewer than 13 athletes and coaches in total), for rosters where local athletes bring the travelling group below 13, and for local clubs within the proximity distance of the venue (distances differ by city).

Volleyball Canada's 2026-27 age categories document allows an exemption request, but only under extraordinary circumstances, for an athlete born before the 16-month window for an age group. The head coach or team manager must make the request. It goes to the provincial or territorial association (PTA) first, and the PTA's acknowledgement must be included in the submission to Volleyball Canada. Requests are only considered if they are based on Long-Term Development (LTD) principles, and there is a $50 fee.

Clubs may have their own policies on playing up or down, and a PTA may set different age category requirements. The team is responsible for checking that athletes meet both the PTA's and Volleyball Canada's eligibility rules before selecting them.

For Nationals, a team "playing up" is one registering in an age group older than the one it declared with its PTA for the club season (2026 Youth Nationals guide). A team that plays in the older age category all season and at provincials is not playing up.