Effective August 1, 2026
These terms are the agreement between you and Malcolm King ("Sideout", "we", "us") covering your use of the Sideout app and website. By creating an account or using Sideout, you accept them. If you don't accept them, don't use Sideout.
You must be at least 18 years old to create an account. By using Sideout you confirm that you are, and that the information you give us is accurate.
You are responsible for your account and for anything done through it. Keep your password to yourself, and tell us at support@sideoutvb.app if you think someone else has access.
Sideout is a platform, not an organiser. Events on Sideout are created and run by independent hosts. We don't own or inspect venues, supervise play, provide coaching, referee, verify anyone's stated skill level, or run background checks on users.
When you join an event, your agreement about that event is with the host, not with us. What we provide is the software that lists it, takes the payment, and manages the roster.
Sideout includes messaging, profiles, ratings, and other content created by users. You are responsible for what you post.
You may not post, send, or share content that is:
There is no tolerance for objectionable content or abusive behaviour on Sideout. We reserve the right to remove any content, and to suspend or terminate any account, at our discretion and without notice, where we believe these terms have been broken.
Every message and every player can be reported from inside the app, and you can block any user — which stops contact in both directions. We review reports and act on them within 24 hours. Acting may mean removing content, warning a user, or terminating an account.
Blocking someone stops them contacting you. It does not remove them from public events, because excluding people from a physical venue isn't something one user should be able to do to another. If someone you blocked is attending an event, we tell you so you can decide for yourself. If you are a host, you can remove and ban a specific player from your own events.
VOLLEYBALL IS A PHYSICAL ACTIVITY WITH A REAL RISK OF INJURY. By using Sideout to find, join, or host events, you understand and accept that participation involves risks including sprains, fractures, concussion, collisions with other players or equipment, and, in rare cases, serious or permanent injury.
YOU PARTICIPATE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Sideout does not supervise events, inspect venues or equipment, or assess whether an event is safe or suitable for you. That judgment is yours.
You are also meeting people you may not know, in physical places. Use the same judgment you would use meeting anyone else. We do not vet users, and a profile is not a character reference.
Some hosts require a waiver before you can join their event. Where they do, that waiver is an agreement between you and the host. We record that you accepted it and which version you accepted; we are not a party to it.
Hosting means you are running an event and taking money for it. You agree that:
If you cancel an event, everyone who paid is refunded automatically. You cannot delete your Sideout account while you have upcoming events — cancel or hand them over first, so that people who paid aren't left without an event or a refund.
When you join a paid event, you are charged at signup. Payments are processed by Stripe. Before you pay, you'll see the host's price, a Sideout service fee, and a processing fee, itemised separately.
A host may choose to refund you outside these rules at their discretion. Once a host has been paid out for an event, that payment can no longer be refunded through the app.
Host earnings are transferred to the bank account you connect through Stripe, 72 hours after an event ends. Sideout retains a service fee on each signup. To be paid, you must complete Stripe's onboarding, which is where you provide your bank and identity details — those go to Stripe, not to us.
Digs, cosmetic items, badges, and similar in-app content are a licence to use them inside Sideout. They are not your property, have no cash value, cannot be exchanged for money, and cannot be transferred outside the app. We may change, adjust, or discontinue them. If your account is terminated or you delete it, they are gone.
Sideout records whether you checked in to events you signed up for, and hosts and teammates can flag when someone doesn't show. These records are shown to other users as a reliability figure.
This is descriptive, not punitive — it's a record of what happened, not a penalty. Our attendance data is good but not perfect, so a host confirms a no-show before it counts, and a no-show never affects your money.
You can delete your account at any time from Profile → Settings → Delete account. What is deleted and what is retained is described in the Privacy Policy. Deletion is permanent and cannot be undone.
We may suspend or terminate your account if you break these terms, if we're required to by law, or if we reasonably believe it's necessary to protect other users. Where we can, we'll tell you why.
SIDEOUT IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE", WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.
WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE, THAT EVENTS WILL TAKE PLACE AS LISTED, THAT VENUES WILL BE AVAILABLE OR SAFE, OR THAT OTHER USERS ARE WHO THEY SAY THEY ARE.
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, SIDEOUT AND ITS OWNER WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, OR GOODWILL, ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE.
THIS INCLUDES ANY INJURY, LOSS, OR DAMAGE ARISING OUT OF AN EVENT FOUND THROUGH SIDEOUT, OR OUT OF YOUR INTERACTIONS WITH OTHER USERS, WHETHER ONLINE OR IN PERSON.
OUR TOTAL LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ANY CLAIM RELATING TO THE SERVICE WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) THE AMOUNT YOU PAID US IN THE THREE MONTHS BEFORE THE CLAIM AROSE, OR (B) ONE HUNDRED U.S. DOLLARS.
SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW CERTAIN LIMITATIONS, SO SOME OF THE ABOVE MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. NOTHING IN THESE TERMS LIMITS LIABILITY THAT CANNOT LAWFULLY BE LIMITED.
You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Sideout and its owner from any claim, loss, or expense (including reasonable legal fees) arising from your use of the service, your content, an event you host, or your breach of these terms.
If you have a problem, email support@sideoutvb.app first. Most things are resolved that way, and we ask that you give us 30 days to try before starting formal proceedings.
These terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to its conflict of laws rules. Any dispute that isn't resolved informally will be brought in the state or federal courts located in Los Angeles County, California, and you and we consent to that jurisdiction. Either of us may still bring an individual claim in small claims court.
We may update these terms. If a change materially affects you, we'll notify you in the app or by email before it takes effect. Continuing to use Sideout after that means you accept the updated terms.
Malcolm King
support@sideoutvb.app