All our activities are organized by level of play to promote safe, fun volleyball. Some programs have tryouts to place you at an appropriate level. Other programs have eligibility rules that reference the levels of tryout-based programs.
If you’re new to Gotham, you should use your best judgement to choose your first activity. It is very hard for us to determine your level before we see you play. Once we see you on the court, we will help you choose the right level for your next activity. We will only remove you from the court if the level mismatch is so great that someone might get injured.
| Program | Levels | Tryouts |
| Division Play (Fall, Spring) | Divisions 1-11 | Yes |
| Individual Power | Power A-H, Power W-W3 | Yes |
| Team Power | Team Power 1-2 | Yes |
| PowerPlay | N/A (Beginners ONLY) | No |
| Clinics | Varies | No |
| Open Play | By Division / Power class | No |
| Friendship Tournaments | Adv, (High) Int, Novice | No |
| Other Tournaments | See Tournament Rules | No |
Division Play
Tryouts will place you at an appropriate level. You still need to, however, choose which Divisions to tryout for. You should consider as many Divisions as possible without causing a safety hazard.
During Fall and Spring we offer our full slate of Divisions ranging from former collegiate players in Division 1 to beginners in Division 11.
| If you… | … then consider |
| Have NCAA experience | Division 1 |
| Are NAGVA A rated | Division 1 |
| Are NAGVA BB rated | Divisions 1-2 (Weekday) and Division 5 (Weekend) |
| Feel out of place in NAGVA B | Divisions 9-11 |
| Don’t know 5-1 and 6-2 | Divisions 9-11 |
| Are new to volleyball | Division 11 |
Training: Individual Power
Our coaches will place you in the appropriate level by watching you play at tryouts. We do encourage you to consider several Power classes but there’s a huge level difference between Power A and Power H. Because of that, we limit players to 3 levels!
Power classes compare well to our Divisions above, with Power A being roughly Divisions 1-2 and Power H being roughly Division 11.
Note: We also offer Power W, on a women’s height net. There are two classes so tryouts are used to maintain the level of play. When there is enough demand, Power W3 is offered for less experienced players.
Training: Team Power
Team Power classes follow NAGVA ratings: B, BB, and A. This allows teams to practice at the level they intend to compete in tournaments. We determine which levels will be offered each season based on demand, sometimes offering multiple B-level classes. Tryouts are used to group teams of similar ability.
Training: PowerPlay
PowerPlay is our entry-level program. Because of that, you are only eligible if you’re not already playing in Division Play or Individual Power. You should consider PowerPlay if you tried out and were not selected for Division 11 or Power E.
Training: Clinics
Clinics are offered at Intro, Intermediate, and Advanced levels. Occasionally, we combine Intermediate and Advanced at our 2-court facility and split players by skill onsite. If separate Clinics are offered by level, use your best judgement to place yourself.
Open Play
Current Gotham players may participate in any Open Play that matches their current Division or Power class.
If you are new to Gotham, you can attend your first Open Play at the level you see fit. Our onsite volunteer will determine the right level for your future Open Plays.
Friendship Tournaments
We offer Friendship Tournaments at 4 different levels based on NAGVA rating and Gotham levels. Level-appropriate players who have not played NAGVA or Gotham before are also welcome.
| Tournament level | NAGVA rating | Gotham Division | Gotham Training |
| Advanced | AA/A/BB | Divisions 1-2 | Power A |
| High Intermediate | BB/B | Divisions 3-6 | Power B, C |
| Intermediate | Divisions 7-9 | Power D, E, F | |
| Novice | Divisions 10-11 | Power G, H, PowerPlay |
The NAGVA rating is the main qualifying factor. Those rated B should use their most recent Gotham activity to choose the appropriate tournament level. New players should attend their first tournament at the level they find appropriate; our onsite volunteer will determine their eligibility for the remainder of the season.
A team can have up to two players whose eligibility is one level higher or one level lower than the tournament. A player cannot play two levels up or down. Finally, if all players are on the same Division Play team, they will be allowed to play on the corresponding Friendship Tournament regardless of NAGVA ratings.
Captains are expected to follow these rules when rostering their teams. The Tournament Coordinator will verify eligibility and contact the Captain to resolve issues.
Other tournaments
Each tournament has their own levels and eligibility rules. Please check the tournament’s rules for details.
