Title: Officiating High School Volleyball
1 Officiating High School Volleyball
- Doing It Right
- Notes to accompany DVD from
www.vbofficiating.com
2INTRODUCTION
-
- This video offers some great information about
officiating high school volleyball. The narrator
is USAV National Referee Jim Beyer. Be sure to
jot any questions on your handout for a
discussion afterwards. -
3CHALLENGE
-
- The DVD uses the services of officials who have
been asked to demonstrate some scripted
scenarios. Keep in mind the point being
illustrated in each segment of the video, and try
to identify and dont hesitate to critique the
signals, mechanics, techniques and protocols that
are shown. Identifying both good and bad things
that other officials do can help you grow your
own officiating as well as sharpen your mechanics
and better understand techniques and proper
procedures as communicated through the NFHS Rules
Book and Case Book/Manual. -
4Becoming the Best OfficialThat You Can Be
-
- The intent was to facilitate a video volleyball
clinic for high school referees and umpires. It
is intended to provide information to help you be
the best official you can be and - Encourage a dialogue between you and a mentor
- Aid in small group discussions about officiating
- Provide a tool for local volleyball associations
to use in helping to train officials, and - Offer training that a state association could
choose to use with coaches and officials to
promote common understandings -
5Officiating High School Volleyball
- This video was developed for high school
volleyball officials in order to - Provide consistency in presentations
- Assist in improvement of officials performance
while maintaining the highest standards of
professionalism of the sport - Be used in conjunction with NFHS Rules Book and
the NFHS Case Book Manual
6Officiating High School Volleyball
- Overview
- There are many factors to officiate a high school
volleyball contest - To become an official, you must obtain a state
license or certification, and should strive to
attain the highest level possible - You must maintain this certification by meeting
annual requirements including attending meetings - You must adhere to NFHS Rules in your officiating
and any adaptations your state may have adopted
7Officiating High School Volleyball
- Preparation
- Begins before season gets close through making a
commitment to offering quality officiating and
includes - Developing a Realistic Schedule
- Constantly Assessing Your Skill Level
- Understanding How to Get Matches
8Officiating High School Volleyball
- Develop a Realistic Schedule
- Your ability to get matches starts by
understanding who makes matches available and
when they may become available, and this varies
from state to state - Your state association may provide information to
help - Working with local volleyball association
assigners is key - Some leagues or conference commissioners may have
matches to offer - Local school administrators (Athletic
Directors/designees) who dont use an assigner
may have matches to offer
9Officiating High School Volleyball
- Develop a Realistic Schedule
- Avoid attempting to work matches that are well
beyond your current ability (assess your skill
level constantly) - Working a match for which youre not ready can
cause a lack of confidence in you and affect
future contracts - Honor your contracts (this is a statement about
your integrity) - Keep a notebook/planner so you can accept/reject
dates quickly and to ensure you show up to all
your matches - NEVER, EVER double book honesty is paramount
10Officiating High School Volleyball
- Working Toward Advancement
- When get a chance to work higher-level match and
youre already booked, the assignment you
accepted is binding - Consult your assigner/mentor if you have any
questions - Even if you could find a suitable replacement and
get released, this might not be the right thing
to do - Asking to be released to work another match can
cost you future contracts and is not the
professional thing to do - Contact partner and host school no later than a
week before match to ensure information you have
is accurate
11Officiating High School Volleyball
- Know the Rules and Be a Student of the Game
- Study the rules before each season begins
- Consider attending higher-level matches when you
are not working including college womens
volleyball to learn current playing techniques
and skills - Attend your local association meetings and use
this time to grow your knowledge and lock in the
new rules - Ask questions and keep reading, thinking about
and discussing the rules throughout the season - Work matches Experience is the best teacher
12Officiating High School Volleyball
- Learn a Practical Approach to Theory
- To be the best you can be requires a practical
approach to theory knowledge of the rules is
not enough - Each rule has an intent, and the rules taken
together provide broad guidance to officials - Rules represent theory, and practical rule
application is what moves you toward becoming an
effective official - Understand why you are officiating and what your
role is in high school volleyball - Learn how match facilitation provides better
officiating and puts matches in the hands of the
student-athletes
13Officiating High School Volleyball
- Learn a Practical Approach to Theory
- Observe higher-level matches to get a feel for
match flow, how skills are applied and judged in
terms of legality - Get a feel not so much for what should be called
but for what should not be called - Practice proper officiating mechanics and use of
signals that look professional and that
communicate effectively - Use of proper mechanics is necessary to conduct a
match that benefits all who participate - Use a mirror to catch bad signaling habits
14Officiating High School Volleyball
- Perception Is Reality
- Your character and conduct will always be under
scrutiny - Dont show the type of casual and unprofessional
behavior that the official in the video is
showing with feet up at the officials table,
talking on a cell phone - At no time should your give the impression of
partiality, comment on the performance of a team
or fellow official or accept a match at a school
in which you have a personal affiliation
15Officiating High School Volleyball
- Teamwork and a Cooperative Attitude
- Your pledge to give your best effort, support
your partner and keep emotions in check must be
constant - These are part of teamwork and a cooperative
attitude - Make impartial decisions, recognizing the
possibility errors may occur - Reflect on situations after the match so your
attention is on that next call - Do not allow yourself to be distracted or
influenced by players, coaches or spectators
16Officiating High School Volleyball
- Impartiality
- Maintain the highest level of professionalism
- Again, perception is reality
- Over-familiarity is as harmful as being
unapproachable or showing an air of superiority - Slap on the hands with player can be seen as bias
- The hand-in-the-face to the coach is
inappropriate
17Officiating High School Volleyball
- Plan to Leave the Court Together
- After performing necessary tasks at the
conclusion of the match (signing/initialing
scoresheet), you should plan to gather your
belongings and leave together - Try to use a non-spectator exit
- Neither avoid nor seek contact with coaches or
players - At no time, are public comments to be made
concerning the match to anyone - Report any irregularities or unsportsmanlike
incidents immediately to your state association
and assigner
18Officiating High School Volleyball
- Reflecting upon the Match
- Keeping a journal of an honest assessment of your
performance and experience can pay rich dividends
for future matches - No matter what level, each match deserves your
best effort - Take time for a post-match discussion to grow
your officiating - Arrange your post-match when you have your
pre-match with your partner
19Officiating High School Volleyball
- Violations Must Be Penalized
- When violations occur, they must be penalized
- Where actions or words could be used to prevent a
violation, officials are permitted to issue a
warning before there is a violation that has to
be penalized - Preventive officiating includes warnings,
reminders, seeking information and, if need be,
ignoring and denying requests that do not give an
advantage to either team - This concludes the Overview (Chapters 1 and 2)
20THE CLINIC
- Three Main Areas of Responsibility/Focus
- Pre-Match (Chapter 3 begins at 705)
- During the Match
- Post-Match
21Pre-Match
- Develop an Entrance Plan with Your Partner
- No later than a week before the match, contact
partner and host school to verify details - Ensure accuracy of information you are going by
- Initial information could be wrong so assume
nothing - This communication establishes the cooperative
team effort that promotes the importance of the
match - Dont leave messages on answering machines or
email without asking for a reply - Have cell phone numbers of your partner, assigner
and host management to deal with unforeseen
delays
22Pre-Match
- Arrival at the Site
- Ideally, establish a time to meet to ride
together or meet at the location - If at all possible, meet and walk in together
(reinforces concept of teamwork) - Ensure time for pre-match discussion with partner
to set expectations and understandings - Delay in arrival should be the exception, not the
norm
23Pre-Match
- Arrival at the Site
- Minimize outside contact with anyone other than
event manager, typically the Athletic Director or
designee of the home school and might be one of
the home coaches - Find this individual and find out where host
management will be available before, during and
after the match - Identify secure room for dressing/storage of
belongings - Before (or after) getting dressed, go over any
special ground rules, inspect the court and
equipment and identify any special promotions
that might affect the timing of the matches
including delay in starting time
24Pre-Match
- Arrival at the Site
- If the host school has provided a private and
secure area, hopefully with bathroom and shower
facilities, this can be a good place to conduct
the pre-match meeting - Find out if water will be provided and anything
from concessions but do not push the concessions
issue - Pre-match discussion with partner sets
expectations and creates understandings this
occurs most comfortably in private but if a
partner is delayed may have to occur courtside
25Pre-Match
- Pre-Match Discussion
- Can use a pre-match checklist which is available
at www.vbofficiating.com - Before the officials go to the court, they should
meet in private to discuss referee and umpire
responsibilities - This is a key time for creating understandings
between the officials so they can function as a
team throughout the match
26Pre-Match
- Pre-Match Discussion Checklist (Chapter 4, 917)
- Referee/Umpire Pre-Match Conference is led by the
referee - Maintain eye contact/communication before, during
and after every rally (centering, part of
referees scan) - Deer-in-the-headlights look (umpire takes lead,
same with referee if umpire is stuck) - If referee looks at umpire during play, a shake
of head by the umpire typically means that the
play was okay, nothing should be called, play on
27Pre-Match
- Pre-Match Discussion Checklist
- However, there can be an agreement between
referee and umpire that a ball hit into the tape
with a block up where the umpire believes that
the block did not touch the ball would be shown
with a head shake that will mean I didnt have a
touch by the block - There should be an agreement that the umpire will
get the referees attention quickly for game
interruptions such as time-outs, substitutions,
lineup checks, floor wipe, shoe tie, blood issue,
and time needed at officials table
28Pre-Match
- Pre-Match Discussion Checklist
- Agreement upon discreet/informal signals is
crucial - Preference should be set regarding how to show
that the next contact will be 4 hits (show
early/not show early, etc.) - Typically, umpire doesnt show a touch signal
based on philosophy of only showing rally-ending
information - Should discuss that umpire will step out with a
clear 4-hits signal for the unanticipated 4 hits
(extra contact seen by umpire this is a trust
me call)
29Pre-Match
- Pre-Match Discussion Checklist
- Umpire stepping to side of team umpire has losing
the rally lets referee know what help umpire is
offering - Should discuss hands calls where umpire believes
the referee has been screened (illegal hits, 2
hits) - In addition, discuss whether the umpire should
show an informal signal for illegal hit or 2 hits
when the umpire sees ball handling that the
referee has already whistled as a fault earlier
in the match (not in the range of what the
referee has been allowing considered a rescue
call)
30Pre-Match
- Pre-Match Discussion Checklist
- Umpire leads on bang-bang attack/block/antenna
play or ball untouched by block into the tape and
landing out - Illegal attack (back-row/attack of
serve/libero/attack off a libero set in attack
zone) or illegal block - Umpire should step out to show a ball down that
touches the court, and the referee should scan to
pick up the call but if not and the referee
does not shake off the call no longer discreet
and the umpire should whistle it - Referee has to trust the umpire on these calls
since it will be the umpire who explains the call
to the affected coach
31Pre-Match
- Pre-Match Discussion Checklist
- On illegal attack or block, umpire shows informal
signal, hesitates to see if referee looks but, if
sure, whistles/calls if referee doesnt look but
not if referee waves it off - The important thing is to get the call right
- Game point on shoulder of team that has game
point after umpire verifies with scorer referee
does not signal back - If ball goes behind referee, umpire takes the
next contact (signaling ball-handling fault, out
or touched out) while referee takes the center
line and net calls - If there is an intermission, agree where to go
32Pre-Match
- Pre-Match Discussion Checklist
- Exit plan for leaving court at the end of the
match and leaving the venue/school - Meet with coaches on court with both officials
present, cordial greetings and wish good luck - Officials divide duties with referee typically
checking the net height and using the chain as a
plumb bob/line to properly place the antennas - Umpire checks game balls with pressure gauge (no
Charmin test and can mark valve to identify
game balls)
33Pre-Match
- Pre-Match Discussion Checklist
- Referee typically briefs or instructs line judges
on expectations, signals and techniques and ball
shaggers - Umpire verifies experience of scorer and
assistant scorer (libero tracker) and reviews
libero replacement with libero tracker and libero
serving with both - Umpire establishes rapport with scoretable staff
including timer/scoreboard operator and announcer - Identify where host management representative
located - Umpire steps to the sideline to request a card
(no secret) - If umpire puts toes to the line, referee will
call across court
34Pre-Match
- In Uniform at the Court
- You must be in uniform at the court no less than
30 minutes before the scheduled starting time - This is a minimum amount of time, and more time
is actually needed to ensure ability to handle
any net or other equipment problems and to
conduct an effective pre-match with your partner - Your first impression walking in can establish
your credibility for the entire match and the
future - You get one chance to make a first impression
35Pre-Match
- Initial Impression, Professional Expectations
- Appearance sets the tone of professionalism, and
walking in with your partner emphasizes that you
are a team - A neat, clean, pressed uniform, a fit appearance
and proper equipment is expected - Carrying your uniform to the school rather than
wearing it to the site is preferred since this
makes it less likely that you will have a
wrinkled look - You should have two official shirts and two pair
of black dress pants, preferably without cuffs,
as back-up
36Pre-Match
- Initial Impression, Professional Expectations
- Black dress shorts if the venue is extremely warm
- Your shoes/socks combination should match the
options approved by your state association - If a jacket is worn to the court, it should be
black - Your equipment should include a small bag that
you bring courtside that contains a variety of
needed tools of the trade
37Pre-Match
- Professional Expectations
- Tools of the trade include
- A flipping coin between a quarter and a dollar or
a special coin with easy-to-understand
designations - Yellow and red cards
- A wrist watch with stopwatch ability
- Two whistles (preferably black with black
lanyards)
38Pre-Match
- Professional Expectations
- Small carrying bag you bring courtside
- A net-measuring device
- Ball-pressure gauge
- Ball pump
- Rule Book and Case Book/Manual
- Extra watch
- Pen and pencil
- Breath mints to help with whistle breath
39Pre-Match
- Schedule Duties So Match Starts on Time
- Both officials re-check court to ensure properly
marked - Determine and address safety equipment concerns
- Identify any special ground rules
- Check padding of referee stand, both posts,
antenna placement, exposed metal, and anything
else that involves safety - As a courtesy, at an appropriate time, greet the
coaches when both are courtside
40Pre-Match
- Take A Little Time with the Coaches
- Be cordial but brief
- Spend equal but short amount of time with each
coach - Ask if the coaches have any questions (early
season, these would probably be more focused on
new rules) - Communicate any special ground rules
- Do NOT be overly familiar to avoid the appearance
that the officials might show favoritism - End the meeting by saying good luck or have a
great match
41Pre-Match
- Divide the Pre-Match Duties Referee
- Measures net, checks for tightness of net
- Places antennas using net chain as plumb
bob/plumb line so inside edge of antenna is right
over the outside edge of each sideline - Ensures metal at bottom of antennas is covered
- Verifies necessary padding is present for both
posts, referee stand, metal net pulls, etc. - Ensures referee stand is stable and proper height
42Pre-Match
- Divide the Pre-Match Duties Umpire
- Assures that benches, chairs and tables are
positioned correctly - Measures suitability and pressure of each ball to
be used in the match, ensuring game balls are
stamped with NFHS authentication seal - Ensure all balls used are inflated to same
pressure between 4.3 and 4.6 pounds per square
inch - Marks valves to distinguish game balls
-
43Pre-Match
- Identify Location of Host Management
- If there are equipment issues, knowing where the
representative of host management is located can
help with timely resolution - This is especially true if there are net
adjustment or referee stand problems or if
additional padding or coverings are needed -
-
44Pre-Match
- Conduct Conference and Coin Toss (Chapter 5,
1206) - This occurs prior to timed pre-match warm-up
- Referee and umpire facing the court together,
showing you are a team - Referee blows whistle and calls for head coaches
and captains to meet for pre-match conference and
coin toss - Head coach and at least one captain from each
team are required to attend the conference which
is administered by the referee -
45Pre-Match
- The Referee
- Conducts the conference and indicates that
coaches and captains should introduce themselves
(shake hands, say names) - Introduces self and the umpire by name
- Clearly explains ground rules, the format for the
match and warm-up protocols (x minutes shared
court, x minutes serving team, x minutes
receiving team) - Asks if there are any questions and asks the
umpire for additional information -
-
46Pre-Match
- The Referee
- To be proactive, mentions that all players remove
all jewelry and any hair control that are not
legal (coaches, captains, are both your teams
legally equipped and properly attired?) - Conducts coin toss which should precede the timed
warm-ups after verifying bench selected by home
team - Shows both team the side of the coin that will be
heads and the side that will be tails (or any
other insignia used to call the toss) -
-
47Pre-Match
- The Referee
- Identifies which visiting team captain will call
toss and which home team captain will verify what
she called - Instructs visiting team captain to call the toss
in the air, noting that the coin will be tossed,
caught and uncovered and, if dropped, there will
be a re-toss - Tosses the coin which should rotate in the air,
catches the coin and uncovers the result without
turning the coin over - Conducts a re-toss if the toss is not properly
called or the coin is dropped -
-
48Pre-Match
- The Referee
- Shows the result of the toss to both teams
- Since the home team has already chosen its side,
notes the options for the winner of the toss are
serve or receive - Verifies the choice made by the winner of the
toss, reiterates warm-up protocol (shared court,
who will have exclusive use of the court first) - Puts coin in pocket of team that will serve first
with frame of reference being the referees
position on the stand while the umpire does the
same with frame of reference being the officials
table -
-
49Pre-Match
- The Referee
- Indicates the expectation of good sportsmanship
and something along the lines of have a great
match or good luck - As players and coaches shake hands, both
officials put their coins in the pocket of team
that will serve first with referee using position
on the stand and umpire using the officials
table as frame of reference - Immediately instructs scorer who serves first
while umpire instructs timer when to begin timing
warm-up - As back-up both referee and umpire keep time on
their watches -
-
50Pre-Match
- Coin Toss Prior to a Deciding Game
- Teams go to end lines, and referee whistles and
signals for captains to meet with umpire for the
toss - The coin toss may occur near the referee stand
where the referee can observe the toss - Home team captain will call the toss, and winner
of toss has options of serve, receive or
bench/side - Umpire reports results of the toss to the referee
who whistles and signals teams to either switch
sides or report to their current benches - Umpires wishes players good luck and verifies
outcome to scorer and ensures timer starts clock -
-
51Pre-Match
- Rosters and Lineup Submission (Chapter 6, 1430)
- Rosters are due no later than 10 minutes prior to
start of match, and initial lineups are due no
later than 2 minutes prior to the end of the
timed warm-up - The umpire uses prevention to obtain rosters
prior to the time they are due as well as lineup
sheets - The umpire also makes sure lineups are submitted
by both head coaches no later than 1 minute prior
to successive games - Both umpire and scorer are responsible for
ensuring lineups have no duplicate numbers or
numbers of players not on the roster -
-
52Pre-Match
- Lineup Submission and Recording Information
- Umpire and scorer check to see if a libero is
listed and to verify that new lineup form is used
that shows serving order rather than initial
court positions. - As courtesy, the umpire brings it to coachs
attention if there is any missing information
(such as no captain identified and no libero
shown) or if the old lineup sheet was used - As scorer enters numbers on scoresheet, umpire
provides an extra pair of eyes to verify players
were listed in correct serving order and does the
same with the libero tracker -
-
53Pre-Match
- Lineup Submission and Recording Information
- Umpire verifies numbers on scoresheet are the
numbers on the submitted lineup for each team - Umpire also ensures team that will serve first
has been marked correctly and that names and
numbers of the officials have been entered on the
scoresheet along with the printed name of the
scorer -
-
54Pre-Match
- During the Warm-up (Chapter 7, 1534)
- Referee instructs the line judges as to their
duties while the umpire monitors the warm-up and - When time permits or the referee is done
instructing the line judges, umpire identifies
the ability/experience of the scorer and
assistant scorer and establishes rapport - The referee establishes how line judges will
signal and the importance of strong, clear
signals and eye contact - The umpire sets expectations regarding reporting
illegal libero replacements, libero serving,
wrong server and illegal substitutions and may do
a short tutorial - Either the umpire or referee would instruct the
ball shaggers -
-
55Pre-Match
- During the Warm-up
- As much as possible, both officials watch the
teams as they warm up to get a feel for the
match, ensuring safety on and around the court
including the off team possibly infringing on
the space of the team that has the court - Both referee and umpire watch ball handling,
figure out who are the setters and what positions
they will start in and look for obvious position
players to determine easy ways of identifying
opposites and their positions - Both officials look for setter and opposite,
identify likely setter formation (5-1, 6-2, 4-2),
and main hitters -
-
56Pre-Match
- During the Warm-up
- Officials should not make any comments or
gestures about the skill levels of the players of
form any pre-conceived notions - This is a good time for prevention and the
identification of jewelry or illegal equipment,
checking the uniforms of regular players for
legal numbers, ensuring no exposed midriffs and
looking at libero uniforms for contrast and
number legality - If the referee completes line judge instruction
in about 5 minutes, both officials should have
the opportunity to observe both teams setting and
hitting the ball -
-
57Pre-Match
- Instructing the Line Judges
- It is the responsibility of the home school to
provide trained and qualified line judges,
hopefully prior to the start of the season - Regardless, the referee has to quickly assess the
experience and ability of each of the line judges
- Based on this assessment, the referee offers
either a refresher or basic initial instruction
covering initial positioning, line judge signals,
movement away from play of the ball, eye contact
during and after play, position when server is
close to the left sideline, position during
time-outs, and position between games -
-
58Pre-Match
- Instructing the Line Judges
- Highly recommended that adults be used, not
players - In reality, few schools may properly train line
judges - Line judges should refrain from actions or
wearing clothing that give the impression of
partiality - Some schools value the contributions of line
judges and pay them, although this does not
guarantee competence - The referee takes the line judges to the
intersection of the side line and end line to the
right of the referee or umpire to avoid hindering
the teams warming up or have balls hit into them
-
-
59Pre-Match
- Instructing the Line Judges Chapter 8, 1726
- The more experienced or competent line judge is
typically positioned to the umpires right - As a guide for consistency, the acronym SALT
helps line judge instruction Server, Antenna,
Lines and Touch - S Server means the referee reminds line
judges that if the server comes within 6 feet of
the line judge, the line judge should move behind
or to the side of the server in order to not
distract the server - The referee may instruct the line judge to move
laterally away from the sideline and right on the
end line based but the line judge has to move
quickly back into position to make a call on a
served ball hit down the sideline -
-
60Pre-Match
- Instructing the Line Judges
- When the line judge gives up the end line, the
referee will pick up the foot fault
responsibility - Referee reminds line judges that the server must
be on the playing surface to initiate the serve,
cannot contact the end line or the court before
contacting the serve and must be inside or on the
extension of the side line - Jump servers can be over the end line as the
serve is contacted a jump server is judged by
last contact with the floor prior to contacting
the serve - All non-servers must be completely on their court
the moment the serve is contacted -
-
61Pre-Match
- Instructing the Line Judges
- The referee demonstrates the signal for a foot
fault with or without flags and then has the line
judges repeat the signal - The referee moves to instruction regarding A -
the antenna - asking that the line judges
visualize the antenna extending indefinitely to
the ceiling - For a ball to remain in play, it must cross the
net entirely inside the antenna without touching
the antenna or any fixture outside the antenna
(referee stand, post, etc.) - If it does not, it is an antenna fault including
balls that contact the antenna in the net or the
part of the net that is outside the antenna -
-
62Pre-Match
- Instructing the Line Judges
- The referee demonstrates that by moving off their
corners to line up a ball crossing the net near
the antenna,it will enable them to call both
antennas accurately - The referee demonstrates the signal for antenna
fault and has the line judges show the signal
with or without flags - Next L Line is covered with the referee sharing
that each line judge is responsible for his/her
sideline and end line - The ball is in if it hits the floor on or inside
the line -
-
63Pre-Match
- Instructing the Line Judges
- The ball is in if it hits the floor on or inside
the line in this video, the producers put in
several errors to see how sharp you were - The referee is showing the line judges, who are
then demonstrating the same call, but the flag
and hands are being directed toward the line the
ball landed near and not the middle of the court
as line judges are supposed to signal - Referees will tell line judges to show a ball
that is down on the court when the line judge can
see the ball land ANYWHERE on the court,
especially if a play is being made on the ball -
-
64Pre-Match
- Instructing the Line Judges
- Even if a line judge believes it to be obvious
that the ball landed in, the line judge should
signal in whenever the ball lands inside the
court including the lines of the court - Line judges never know when the referee and
umpire are screened on a ball possibly touching
the court, so the line judges call may show that
the ball touched the court and this might be the
only official to have the call - Making the call toward the line, then, is not
accepted technique since the flag or two hands
(without flag) should be pointed to the middle of
the court - The ball is out if it hits the court outside
the lines - Line judges call out only on balls that land
out -
-
65Pre-Match
- Instructing the Line Judges
- Line judges call out only on balls that land
outside the court on their assigned sideline or
end line (or both) and not on the sideline or end
line which belong to the other line judge - Referee demonstrates the signal with or without
flag, and the line judges repeat the signal - A good suggestion is not to follow the path of
the ball once there is no chance of a touch by
a defensive player but rather to look ahead
(shoot the eyes) to an approximate spot where the
ball will hit the floor, letting the eyes settle
and be steady as the ball lands -
-
66Pre-Match
- Instructing the Line Judges
- The referee should remind the line judges of the
possibility of being overruled and not to take it
personally - The referee assumes responsibility for the
overrule based on the referees angle and how
well the line judge may have sold the referee
with a strong call - If a line judge is screened from seeing a ball
land, the signal is arms crossed in front of
chest, with or without a flag line judges
should not guess a call - When an overrule is necessary because the referee
is certain an error has been made, the referee
shakes the head no, tweet-tweets and shows the
corrected call -
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67Pre-Match
- Instructing the Line Judges
- T is for Touch, which is shown when a player
touches the ball and it hits the floor out of
bounds on that players side of the court - However, if a touched ball crosses the plane of
the net outside the antenna and goes to the
opponents side of the court, this should not be
signaled as a touch call but, rather, as an
antenna fault - The referee demonstrates the touch signal, with
or without flag, and the line judges repeat the
signal - The touch signal with hands is shown with raised
hand on the side of the player that touched the
ball with the other hand lightly brushing the
fingers at head height -
-
68Pre-Match
- Instructing the Line Judges
- If both line judges see the touch, both should
signal it - In the DVD, the only line judge signaling the
touch is on the side on which the ball then
landed out when it is likely that the other line
judge also saw the ball touched - Line judges are instructed not to show a touch
call while the ball is in play since touch means
the ball has landed out of bounds -
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69Pre-Match
- Instructing the Line Judges
- Note the referees informal signal of legal
attack when the short libero attacked the ball - As with other decisions made by line judges, the
LJs are not to be influenced by players, coaches
or spectators - If a line judge hears any improper comments, the
LJ should report the comments to the referee
after the rally - The instructions to line judges include where to
stand during a time-out and between games, to
move if a player goes after a ball in the line
judges direction and to maintain eye contact
with the referee when making a call and at the
end of each rally -
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70Pre-Match
- Instructing the Line Judges
- The instruction to line judges that their
position during time-outs is at the intersection
of the sideline and attack line on the referees
side of the court (toes to the line) is important
primarily based on the opportunity this offers to
communicate - From this position, instruction can occur as
needed including fixing the use of incorrect
signals, a line judge not making calls when the
ball lands, the need for more eye contact, along
with offering support, encouragement and praise
as well as to move the line judge on the bench
side away from that team -
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71Pre-Match
- Instructing the Line Judges
- Line judges are instructed that if a ball is
touched and lands in, the call should be in,
not touch - Most schools do not use ball shaggers which means
a line judge may occasionally need to retrieve a
loose ball - Line judges should be instructed to make the call
first, then go after the ball - For introductions and National Anthem, the normal
position for line judges is to join the referee
and umpire between the centerline and attack
line - The officials stand closest to the centerline on
either side of the net with line judges on the
outside and on the side of the official on whose
side they will be positioned -
-
72Pre-Match
- Instructing the Line Judges
- Some states will have the referee to the right of
the referee stand along with the line judge who
will be to the right of the referee while the
umpire will be bench-side along with the line
judge who will be to the right of the umpire
during the match - The referee thanks the line judges in advance for
the difficult and often thankless job they will
do during the match - Unless something unusual occurs, line judges
remain in the positions in which they started the
match and are not replaced unless there are
serious performance issues that are affecting the
match or an urgent need occurs -
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73Pre-Match
- Instructing Ball Shaggers
- If ball shaggers are used by a school, they need
to be instructed in their duties so that players
are not endangered by an errantly rolled ball - The key is that ball shaggers remain alert and
get the ball to the next server expeditiously - Properly done, the flow of the match is greatly
enhanced - Typically, there are three ball shaggers for a
three-ball rotation, one at either end and one
behind the referee stand, and they can help match
tempo tremendously -
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74Pre-Match
- Instructing Ball Shaggers
- Ideally, the next server receives the ball while
the other two balls are sought after and
exchanged - The position of the ball shaggers is determined
by the configuration of the facility, but ball
shaggers typically are placed on the side of the
referee, remote from the corners and center line - The ball exchange occurs behind the referee stand
rather than bench side where players are
constantly moving onto and off the court - Ball shaggers should carry a towel to ensure the
ball is dry as they get the ball to the next
server -
-
75Pre-Match
- Instructing Ball Shaggers
- This establishes the tempo mentioned earlier
- Ball shaggers are certainly not required, but
they can greatly benefit a match, and student
volunteers will suffice - Instruction in the DVD is shown as offered by the
umpire, but other states may have the referee
handle this responsibility -
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76Pre-Match
- Checking the Lineup Sheet (Chapter 9, 2244)
- Before the first game, the teams line up on the
end line and are beckoned to the centerline by
the referee to shake hands and immediately go to
their positions. - If this occurs after introductions/National
Anthem with teams on the end lines, teams are
permitted a little time to huddle at the bench,
then are brought onto the court where they may be
directed to the end lines and brought on the
court with another gesture by the referee. - At this time, teams should assume their position
in the rotation to allow the umpire to conduct a
lineup check. - The umpire uses a lineup card although in some
states umpires use the lineups submitted by the
coaches. -
-
77Pre-Match
- Checking the Lineup Sheet
- The DVD says that, in successive games, teams
line up on the end lines and are beckoned onto
the court where they immediately go to their
positions - However, in some states, teams simply are brought
back onto the court by the umpires whistle and
move into their positions in the rotation - With ball in hand, the umpire uses a lineup card
to ensure the players are in their correct
positions - In some states, umpires are permitted to use the
lineups submitted by the coaches to do the lineup
checks - Nothing should be taken for granted
-
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78Pre-Match
- Checking the Lineup Sheet
- The umpire first checks the receiving team, back
row, authorizes the libero to enter, and front
row, then signals the number of the captain to
the referee, showing a c and then the number - Umpires who dont have an established convention
for signaling numbers may gesture to the captain - The umpire then checks the serving team, back
row, authorizes the libero to enter, and front
row and either rolls the ball to the first server
to avoid having to signal captain number while
holding the ball or signals the captain and then
rolls the ball - Both umpire and referee chart setter positions
-
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79Pre-Match
- Checking the Lineup Sheet
- The umpire verifies that scoretable staff are
ready, returns the lineups (if using lineup
sheets for lineup check) and if ball shaggers
are being used either rolls a ball to the ball
shagger at the end of the court on each side or
verifies that the ball shaggers have ball in hand
and are ready - Then, the umpire quickly steps back into position
on the receiving teams side while charting
positions of both the serving team and receiving
team to verify setter positions and each teams
rotation -
-
80Prior to the Serve
- Checking the Lineup Sheet
- The umpire and referee should have completed
their scans, allowing service to be authorized - The umpire extends an open hand to the referee to
signal readiness but not until the umpire is in
position on the receiving teams side - The referee completes his/her scan, then
establishes eye contact with the umpite, called
centering, establishing readiness for play - The referee should also attempt to center with
both of the floor captains to verify their
readiness -
81Prior to the Serve
- Scanning and Centering
- The referee scans the court from the line judge
on receiving team side, receiving team, the
setter and opposite player, receiving team bench,
scorers table, umpire, serving team bench, line
judge on the serving team side, serving team, the
setter and opposite, and server - All of this is done in a few seconds (after
considerable practice) - The referee uses centering and goes back to the
umpire who would be standing back from the court
(not in the position shown for illustrative
purposes only), then authorizes serve -
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82At Service Contact
- The Serve
- At the exact moment the serve is contacted, the
referee watches for violations by the server
(foot fault, illegal serve) and violations by the
serving team (overlap/illegal alignment,
screening) - The umpire, prior to the beckon for service,
identifies the setter on the serving team and the
setter on the receiving team, listens for the
contact of serve and concentrates on receiving
team overlap violations - If either official spots a player with a foot
down off the court (other than the server), this
is typically handled by guiding the player to
become legal rather than making a call -
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83At Service Contact
- The Serve
- The referee follows the flight of the ball,
making sure it legally travels over the net,
focusing on the receiving team players part of
the body ready to pass the serve - The umpire helps the referee with this first
contact by staying in position, then transitions
to the blocking teams side - This protocol is followed for every live ball for
the entire the match making sure not to
transition if there is a play at the net to avoid
missing a net foul or center line violation
84During the Match Responsibilities
- The Serve Chapter 10 (2541)
- In addition to what has been previously
mentioned, after the whistle and then beckon for
serve, the server has five seconds to contact the
ball - The referee will discreetly count to himself or
herself, one one-thousand, two one-thousand to
ensure the server is not delaying serve - If a server releases the ball for service, then
catches or drops it, the referee signals for a
re-serve, then authorizes and directs a second
and last attempt to serve - There are no additional re-serves available to
that server during this term of service, but each
substitute during the term of service is entitled
to one re-serve -
85During the Match Responsibilities
- The Serve
- If during a given term of service, a player who
has been given a re-serve is substituted back in
to serve again, this player does not have an
additional re-serve available - During this time, no interruption requests will
be honored such as for a substitution, time-out,
or lineup check, nor may either team make a
libero replacement - There is one re-serve and only one re-serve per
player serving in that term of service
86During the Match Responsibilities
- Screening
- While screening is not often called, it is
becoming evident that teams are using screen
techniques as part of their defensive strategy - Screening is an action by the serving team which,
in the judgment of the referee, prevents the
receiving team from seeing the contact of the
serve and the flight of the served ball - Potential screens exist when players are standing
close together or in a stack - Individuals or groups that raise or wave hands or
move sideways with the served ball passing over
them also create the potential for a screen
87During the Match Responsibilities
- Screening
- In addition, a serving team player who moves to
block the view of a receiving team player who has
moved to see the serve contact should be called
for a screen - Screening is illegal even though it is perceived
to be unintentional - Rule 6, Section 4, Article 1 says Players on the
serving team shall not take action to prevent
receivers from seeing the contact of the serve or
the path of the served ball - Preventative officiating allows for a warning,
but a screen may be called whether or not a
warning is issued - Officials are not supposed to judge intent and,
while potential screens may be warned, actual
screens should be called -
88During the Match Responsibilities
- Factors for a Screen
- The referee should weigh the following factors in
judging whether a screen has been committed - Relative positions of the serving team in
relationship to one another - Path of the serve
- Speed of the serve
- Trajectory of the serve
- If any of the above factors does not come into
play, a screen has not been committed (serve 1
not over a clear group screen and serve 2 high
trajectory and not a rocket, speed-wise however,
serve 3 low and short over the screen, and
screening is called) -
89During the Match Responsibilities
- Factors for a Screen
- When warning a team that a potential screen
exists, the referee should show the screening
signal to alert the umpire and coaches that this
is what is being addressed - The referee may address comments to the players
forming the screen or call the captain to the
stand - Without delaying play, the serving team should be
advised of the potential screen to allow the
players to separate, lower hands, bend or take
other actions to allow the receiving team to see
the serve - Receiving team players are not entitled to a
particular spot on the floor but receivers are
also not required to move more than a step or so
to try to see around a group screen that covers
much of the court by where the server positions
herself -
90During the Match Responsibilities
- Factors for a Screen
- The rules identify as potential screens a player
standing in front of the server, a player or
players of the serving team waving arms, jumping
or moving sideways and the ball is served over
any of these players - It should be noted that no receiving team player
is entitled to a position on the court and that,
if unable to see the server, the player should
move - However, if a player on the serving team moves to
block that players view (and it can be a subtle
adjustment of position as shown in the video),
the referee should call screening - As you can see in the video, line judges may be
in a very good position to see screening but they
are not permitted to assist the referee in making
this judgment -
91During the Match Responsibilities
- Overlap Alignments
- Before addressing the subject of overlap and
alignments, it is important to understand the
types of offenses teams run based on the number
of setters - There are three basic offenses
- 4-2 setter comes from the front row (2 setters)
- 6-2 setters come out of the back row (2 setters)
- 5-1 setter is always the same player, therefore,
the setter comes from the back row and the front
row in different rotations this offense
probably used most - The key to making sure players are in their
proper position usually allies with the position
of the setter and who is opposite at the moment
the serve is contacted (the player who plays
opposite the setter in a 5-1 is called the
opposite) -
92During the Match Responsibilities
- Overlap Alignments
- The positions of each team on the court are
numbered and named - 1 Right Back (RB)
- 2 Right Front (RF)
- 3 Center Front (CF)
- 4 Left Front (LF)
- 5 Left Back (LB)
- 6 Center Back (CB)
- Players shall be in correct order with no
overlapping of adjacent players front to back and
side to side at the contact for service
93During the Match Responsibilities
- Overlap Alignments
- The position of the player is determined by the
players foot relative to the adjacent player - A front-row player must have a part of the foot
closer to the center line than the corresponding
back-row player - A right-front (back) player must have a part of
the foot closer to the right sideline than a part
of the foot of the center-front (back) player
judging with the foot closest to the right
sideline - Players may move prior to the serve but must be
in their correct positions when the serve is
contacted - After the serve is contacted, players may move
from their respective positions -
-
94During the Match Responsibilities
- Overlaps Occur for a Variety of Reasons
- They enhance team passing
- Facilitate server and hitter transitions
- They disguise modes of attack (where coming from,
who is a front-row player) - The gray areas of the rules can be applied to
issue a warning when a team is close to an
overlap (in the video situation, it appears that
the setter is CB who is clearly behind the CF
while the LF is back in serve receive the CF
and RF are close to an overlap but are legal
assuming no movement prior to serve contact )
95During the Match Responsibilities
- Overlaps Occur for a Variety of Reasons
- At no time, however, should an overlap be
ignored, but officials should be 105 before an
overlap is called - Undoubtedly, the affected coach will inquire
which players were overlapped (and/or the
positions of the overlapped players) so be ready
to give information (1 left too soon) or a brief
reason (position switch, setter or hitter left
early, LF/LB, etc.) -
-
96During the Match Responsibilities
- General Duties of the Referee and Umpire
- Referee Chapter 11, 3153
- Responsible for initiating play
- During play, the referee follows the ball,
concentrating on ball handling and player
positions - Before each play, referee determines the position
of the setters for each team (Red 7/Blue 14 is
a start but RF left, RF right may be more useful
some incorporate this into identifying all
back-row players on both teams or both teams
lineups on the courts for each rally) - Verify positions with setters and their opposites
and possibly include who leads and who follows
the setter
97During the Match Responsibilities
- General Duties of the Referee and Umpire
- Referee
- Serving team players will often call out numbers
of the teams front row or number of hitters and
setter live (front row) or dead (back row) - To evaluate ball handling, the referee should
anticipate and focus on the part of the body of
the receiving player that will contact the ball
by looking ahead of the ball once the ball will
clear the net - When the ball is in play near the net, the
referee should widen focus to include the plane
of the net - Note that the referees hand signal awarding loss
of rally is the new signal also note that the
hand signal is not straight out parallel to the
floor
98During the Match Responsibilities
- General Duties of the Referee and Umpire
- Referee
- The referee should have hands comfortably at
his/her side and should not have hands resting on
the stand since this does not look professional - Looking comfortable is a good thing but this must
be matched by good mechanics/signaling and
position on the stand - When the ball hits the floor, the referee blows
the whistle immediately to stop play - If there is uncertainty as to whether the ball
was in or out or whether there was a touch
on the play, the referee looks at the line judges
before giving a signal
99During the Match Responsibilities
- General Duties of the Referee and Umpire
- Referee
- In the situation shown on the video, the referee
scanned the line judge on her side for
information before showing the ball was out - However, the referee did not appear to include
the other line judge or the umpire in the scan
which can lead to signaling out and then having
to accept that another official is showing a