Gone are the days of games to 15 points and multiple sideouts with few points scored. Instead, matches will be the best three-out-of-five rally scoring, where a point is awarded on every play. The first four games must be played to at least 30 points, win by two. If necessary, a fifth and deciding rally-scored game will be played to 15 points.

But expectations aren't always met, and according to some experts, the benefits of rally scoring for the game of volleyball have yet to be determined.

The International Federation of Volleyball (FIVB) instituted the rally-scoring system in 1997. Every country in the world follows FIVB rules with the exception of the United States, which uses several different rules books. The men's game has used USA Volleyball rules, which are a variation of the FIVB rules, and just now has adopted the rally-scoring system.

Already in different seasons and under different rules than the women's game, NCAA men's volleyball is now even further removed. Yet, it's not cause for alarm, at least not for the men's game.

In a Volleyball magazine editorial, Michael Sondheimer, volleyball expert and associate athletics director at the University of California, Los Angeles, said, "One of the big reasons the women's collegiate game continues to fall behind most of the top countries in the world is simply because those countries have adapted quickly to changes in FIVB regulations."

He said the decision by NCAA men to adopt the Libero player rule -- a designated back-row player afforded unlimited substitutions -- in 2000 and the use of rally scoring for the upcoming season ultimately will mean more success for U.S. men internationally and more excitement for the fans.

Keeping up with the world

"The men's committee wants to prepare athletes for international competition and give them the best opportunity to do that," Coleman said. "The women have said they are not preparing their athletes for international competition and are more concerned with producing the best set of collegiate rules."

Granted, there are far fewer NCAA men's programs than women's programs, but Pavlik said, "I think rally is accepted by our coaches, the format is what's still debated. It's here to stay.

We just have to find a better format for the players."

NCAA women's coaches cannot decide on whether to adopt rally scoring, let alone which format. Many of them charge rally scoring would negatively affect the way the game is played and the nature of the sport.

From what Pavlik has seen with rally scoring, he believes it will become an equalizer. "What will matter now is the ability to jump serve and block well," he said. "Teams that can't sustain a high level of play won't win."

The bigger concern about deciding on a format, he said, is based on fans' interest. "You want your customers to come in and enjoy an event that lasts two hours," he said. "We're trying to get to that two-hour mark."

For the AVCA committee, researching formats has entailed study of the international games already using it and of the newly formed United States Pro Volleyball (USPV) women's league that uses a game-set-match format.

"The AVCA committee will be gathering information from every NCAA game about the average length of each game and match," Pavlik said. "As long as we get that data, we can look at the format critically and analytically."

He said the information they collect likely will be shared with the NCAA women's volleyball committees and whoever else is interested.

Game-set-match

Coleman said research already done by the FIVB on international matches shows the average length of a rally-scored game is 20 minutes and the average number of points scored between both teams is 45.

Surprisingly, Coleman said the FIVB has not solved the problem of ensuring a more consistent match length. He said what the data do not show is that "by making the long matches shorter, it also served to make the short matches shorter -- a bigger problem."

Under the new system, some matches can be as short as 45 minutes.

Commenting on the new format's shortfall, University of Southern California men's volleyball coach Pat Powers said, "If a team is playing badly, my team would rather get it over with anyway. Do people really want to watch a team play badly any longer than they have to? My team says let's get out of here and have dinner."

Powers' sentiments are indicative of the chasm between what players and coaches prefer and what's best for the entire sport in terms of television coverage, popularity and increased opportunity.

"If the concern is more consistent match times, then the solution seems so obvious to me: if the average game is about 20 minutes, then come up with some kind of scoring format that guarantees four games," Coleman said.

In the history of finding the magic format formula, there have been proposals such as a total score concept similar to that found in basketball and football, or timed matches.

"In my opinion, making the game more exciting is more important than making the lengths more consistent," Coleman said. As vice-president of technical affairs for USPV, he has worked closely with the league's game-set-match format, and said it's the closest to achieving both goals.

Game-set-match involves two 25-point, win-by-two games. If a team wins both games, it wins the set. If there is a split, both teams play a shootout, perhaps to seven points. The winner takes the set. After a halftime, the teams once again play two 25-point, win-by-two games. If the team that won the previous set wins both games, it wins the match. If another split occurs, a third game to 15 points is played. The winner takes the match.

"This solves two things: it stabilizes the length of the match fairly well and it creates excitement. The more finishes you have in the event, the more excitement and fan interest," Coleman said.

Although NCAA men's coaches already have reviewed the USPV format, Pavlik said the majority did not prefer it.

Coleman said that's because coaches don't like the potential of an upset. "But it's good for the game and for the crowd," he said.

"One of the huge errors is we don't entertain the public very well and until we do, it doesn't matter what rules or format we use," Coleman said.

As a former volleyball standout and a seasoned volleyball color commentator for ESPN and NBC, Chris Marlowe understands both perspectives.

"As a player, you want traditional scoring," Marlowe said. "From a fan and TV standpoint, rally is the way to go. It's more exciting and quicker. It has a little more pizzazz."

But the hype about how it will attract more coverage and help the sport to grow its fan base, he said, is misleading.

"TV is interested when the general population is interested and when sponsors are interested," Marlowe said. "It's just not perceived as a major sport. With the exception of beach volleyball, there hasn't been a lot of corporate interest."

He said a possible aid in marketing and ultimately growing the sport and its fan base is the establishment of professional leagues for both men and women. He points to the popularity of the NBA and how the WNBA followed its lead and drew sponsorship, thus increasing interest for collegiate women's basketball.

The USPV is the first step in that direction, but according to its own Web site, is positioning itself as "the first professional league in the United States with women athletes who do not have competition from a men's professional league in the same sport category."

And when all of the hype plays itself out, Pavlik said, "Just like the netting behind home plate at a baseball game, eventually, fans won't even see it or care that it's there."