1 officiating high school volleyball doing it right… [notes to accompany dvd from ]

1

Officiating High School

Volleyball

Doing It Right…[Notes to accompany DVD

from www.vbofficiating.com]

2

INTRODUCTION

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.

3

CHALLENGE

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 don’t 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.

4

Becoming 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

5

Officiating 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

6


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

7


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

8


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 don’t use an assigner may have matches to offer

9


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 you’re 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

10


Working Toward Advancement When get a chance to work higher-level match and you’re

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

11


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 women’s 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”

12


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

13


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

14


Perception Is Reality Your character and conduct will always be under

scrutiny Don’t 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

15


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

16


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

17


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

18


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

19


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)

20

THE CLINIC

Three Main Areas of Responsibility/Focus: Pre-Match (Chapter 3 begins at 7:05) During the Match Post-Match

21

Pre-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 Don’t 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

22

Pre-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

23

Pre-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

24

Pre-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

25

Pre-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

26

Pre-Match

Pre-Match Discussion Checklist (Chapter 4, 9:17) Referee/Umpire Pre-Match Conference is led by the

referee Maintain eye contact/communication before, during and

after every rally (centering, part of referee’s 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

27

Pre-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 didn’t have a touch by the block”

There should be an agreement that the umpire will get the referee’s attention quickly for game interruptions such as time-outs, substitutions, lineup checks, floor wipe, shoe tie, blood issue, and time needed at officials’ table

28

Pre-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 doesn’t 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)

29

Pre-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)

30

Pre-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

31

Pre-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 doesn’t 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

32

Pre-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)

33

Pre-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

34

Pre-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

35

Pre-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

36

Pre-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

37

Pre-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)

38

Pre-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

39

Pre-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

40

Pre-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

41

Pre-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

42

Pre-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

43

Pre-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

44

Pre-Match

Conduct Conference and Coin Toss (Chapter 5, 12:06)

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

45

Pre-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

46

Pre-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)

47

Pre-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

48

Pre-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 referee’s position on the stand while the umpire does the same with frame of reference being the officials’ table

49

Pre-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

50

Pre-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

51

Pre-Match

Rosters and Lineup Submission (Chapter 6, 14:30)

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

52

Pre-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 coach’s 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

53

Pre-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

54

Pre-Match

During the Warm-up (Chapter 7, 15:34)

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”

55

Pre-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

56

Pre-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

57

Pre-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

58

Pre-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

59

Pre-Match

Instructing the Line Judges Chapter 8, 17:26

The more experienced or competent line judge is typically positioned to the umpire’s 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

60

Pre-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

61

Pre-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

62

Pre-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

63

Pre-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

64

Pre-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

65

Pre-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

66

Pre-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

referee’s 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

67

Pre-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 player’s side of the court However, if a touched ball crosses the plane of the net outside

the antenna and goes to the opponent’s 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

68

Pre-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

69

Pre-Match

Instructing the Line Judges Note the referee’s 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 judge’s direction and to maintain eye contact with the referee when making a call and at the end of each rally

70

Pre-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 referee’s 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

71

Pre-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

72

Pre-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

73

Pre-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

74

Pre-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

75

Pre-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

76

Pre-Match

Checking the Lineup Sheet (Chapter 9, 22:44)

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.

77

Pre-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 umpire’s 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

78

Pre-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 don’t 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

79

Pre-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 team’s side while charting positions of both the serving team and receiving team to verify setter positions and each team’s rotation

80

Prior 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 team’s 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

81

Prior 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, scorer’s 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

82

At 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

83

At 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 player’s 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 team’s 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

84

During the Match Responsibilities

The Serve Chapter 10 (25:41) 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

85


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”

86


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

87


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

88


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)

89


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

90


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 player’s 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

91


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”)

92


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

93


Overlap & Alignments The position of the player is determined by the player’s 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

94


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 )

95


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.)

96


General Duties of the Referee and Umpire:Referee: Chapter 11, 31:53 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

97


General Duties of the Referee and Umpire:Referee: Serving team players will often call out numbers of the team’s 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 referee’s hand signal awarding loss of rally is the new signal – also note that the hand signal is not straight out parallel to the floor

98


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

99


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 touch call

Failure to scan and involve line judges through eye contact, especially early in the match, reduces line judge effectiveness – line judges may not be there with the call that the referee really needs

100


General Duties of the Referee and Umpire:Referee: Once the whistle has blown to signify end of a rally, there is time for a quick but

complete, practiced scan for information before signaling the result of the rally The referee should make eye contact with the umpire after each rally and before

signaling result of the rally While the umpire “can help” if there was a touch, the issue is that the umpire

should step out to show this information and make eye contact On this play, the umpire showed a touch signal but did not step away from the

post to be clearly visible to help the referee see the movement and pick up the information with a scan

101


General Duties of the Referee and Umpire:Referee: The referee’s arm position in awarding loss of rally to the team that will serve next

is parallel to the floor Each time the ball crosses the net, the referee must decide if a player preparing

to play the ball started the rally in the front row or the back row The referee determines if a ball was above or below the height of the net and

whether a player near the net was above or below the height of the net in terms of whether a contact was a block or not

102


General Duties of the Referee and Umpire:Referee: On the back-row block, were the mechanics of the referee and umpire in signaling the foul

the proper way to show a back-row block fault? The signal used was the USA Volleyball signal for back-row block since the NFHS signal has

hands held considerably lower On the illegal libero attack, the referee saw the ball as totally above net height at point of

contact while the umpire did not have an opinion since there was no informal signal shown the referee

Did the umpire have good position to observe the attack before focusing on the net?

103


General Duties of the Referee and Umpire:Referee: On the illegal attack off the libero set, the referee clearly saw that the next contact

resulted in a completed attack from totally above net height However, the umpire did not show an informal attack signal to alert the referee to

the libero setting the ball in the attack zone As the referee follows the flight of the ball, observing ball handling, the umpire

comfortably transitions to the side of the blocking team as the ball crosses the net and there is no further chance for a net fault or a center line violation

104


General Duties of the Referee and Umpire:Referee: Nice pancake save! Was the ball was “up”? Did the umpire transition too quickly

and miss helping the referee? Did you observe the libero handle the ball on the first contact and set the ball in

the attack zone? The umpire should signal possible illegal attack to the referee as an informal

signal to say “libero setting action in attack zone” – this didn’t occur While the referee follows the ball, the umpire watches for center line violations

and net violations

105


General Duties of the Referee and Umpire:Referee: The umpire did not step out to the side to get away from the net in

signaling the net fault which resulted in the loss of rally signal to the opponents being shown on both sides of the net instead of entirely on one side

106


General Duties of the Referee and Umpire:Referee: The umpire should signal possible illegal attack to the referee as an informal

signal to say “libero setting action in attack zone” The umpire assists the referee with ball handling violations only when they

are clearly out of the view of the referee such as a player’s back to the referee or other players blocking the view of the referee

The umpire gives a discreet (informal) signal to the referee (showing illegal hit) and may whistle a clear call if the referee does not scan and pick up the call

The umpire must resist the temptation to follow the ball away from the net during net play

107


General Duties of the Referee and Umpire:Referee: The umpire should continually transition to the blocking team’s side of the net

at any angle that allows a clear view to see through the net for touches of the ball, net fouls, center line violations, and back-row player fouls by both teams

Transition should be done quickly but smoothly (unrushed but with purpose) and should not interfere with the players – the umpire should be far enough back from the court to get out of the way of players making a play on the ball

On the line judge call for an antenna fault, it this the best way to signal the fault?

108


General Duties of the Referee and Umpire:Referee: If there is sustained back-and-forth play at the net, the umpire

should stay focused on one side and does not transition since there may be a net fault or center line violations missed by having to move constantly back and forth

The umpire did not quickly show the informal signal of 2-hits but simply was ready to follow the referee’s lead

And, if there is a free ball, the umpire simply stays put put on the same side

End of Chapter 11 – 36:26

109


Substitutions and Time-Outs: The umpire shall administer the substitution of players and time-outs. The umpire must be open to both benches for potential substitution

requests which may come from the head coach, the captain and/or incoming subs coming into the substitution zone.

This umpire turned his back to the team that had a sub enter the substitution zone. The referee would wait a moment to give the umpire a chance to spot the request, then would give the visual signal for substitution to alert the umpire.

If the umpire still didn’t see the sub, the referee would whistle and again give the substitution signal.

110


Substitutions and Time-Outs: The head coach must sit down after the request for sub is recognized

or greeting the replaced player unless continuing to stand and coach on the dead ball with the stipulation that the coach must be in the act of sitting down when the referee is prepared to authorize service.

In the situation shown on the video, both teams are substituting. It is in the spirit of the rules to allow the coach to continue to stand to coach on the dead ball until the umpire has finished processing the subs and is turning the court back over to the referee.

Once the referee extends an arm to authorize serve, the coach must be sitting down.

111


Substitutions The incoming substitute enters the substitution zone, and this constitutes a

request What is the proper signal for substitution, how high should it be held and

how many rotations are considered sufficient? Are hands open or do they form fists for the NFHS substitution signal?

Basic Substitution Procedure The umpire blows the whistle (what does a proper substitution

acknowledgment whistle sound like?) and signals for a substitution. The referee mimics the umpire’s signal for substitution

112


Basic Substitution Procedure The umpire is careful not to block the vision of the scorer or libero tracker

who are trying to view sub numbers, waits for the exiting player(s) to make eye contact and gives the authorization to enter signal

During this process, the umpire should not have the whistle in their mouth and may give verbal authorization (“go ladies”) along with the physical signal authorizing entry

If both teams are requesting subs, the umpire may ask one team to “wait” until the first set of subs have been processed

If a sub enters before authorization is given, the first time this occurs, the umpire asks the players to return and properly complete the substitution

113


Basic Substitution Procedure After releasing the entering subs to the court, the umpire ensures that the

scorer and libero tracker, working in partnership, have the sub numbers in terms of the player(s) subbed in for the player(s) being subbing for (“on the left, 1 for 20, go ladies’; “1 for 20, we good?”)

The umpire may, at this time, check number of subs used if a team has been using a lot of substitutes

While verifying that the subs have been properly, the authorized subs are moving into their court positions

This process avoids delay, and the referee observes to ensure the substitutes assume proper court positions

After the sub is properly recorded, the umpire verifies that the scoretable staff are ready

114


Basic Substitution Procedure The umpire then scans the court while moving back into position on the

receiving team’s side, scanning both benches and the court area The umpire identifies setter positions for both teams, does quick charting

of player positions, makes eye contact with the referee and then signals readiness to give the court back to the referee

A libero exchange may be occurring the same time as a team is substituting so the referee may need to ensure the proper libero replacement player and process

Remember that every time the umpire whistles/signals for an interruption, the umpire should then turn the court back to the referee when readiness has been verified

115


Basic Substitution Procedure If multiple subs approach, only one authorization to enter

signal is necessary and the umpire uses only one substitution whistle.

When both teams sub, the second team should be given a verbal and physical authorization to enter signal but a second whistle to recognize the substitution is unnecessary

The referee may have to help hold the second set of subs from entering prematurely without having been authorized or recorded

116


Basic Substitution Procedure Partnering is critical to ensure that one or both officials are on top of

everything that is happening on and around the court – this is where scanning is so important

The umpire informs the head coach on a team’s 15th through 18th substitutions to ensure the coach is fully aware that only a few subs remain and, on 18, let the coach no that no more subs remain

The umpire should wave off and not acknowledge a request for a subsequent substitution once all 18 subs have been used

The umpire may also inform the referee with eye contact and hand signal that a team is reaching its available number of substitutions

117


Basic Substitution Procedure What number is the umpire trying to show the coach? How do you signal the number of subs to a coach? The umpire in the video was trying to show that the team

had used 15 subs 15 is shown with a closed right fist and 5 fingers on the

left hand so the number the umpire is showing is actually 50 (5 fingers on the right followed by the closed left fist which represents 0)

What is the best way to indicate number of subs used to a coach?

118


Basic Substitution Procedure The umpire should be aware of the number of subs both

teams have taken especially at the end of a close game to be able to give a coach a quick response rather than allow a delay to break the other team’s momentum

Coaches usually appreciate when the umpire is on top of number of subs taken rather than having to delay to get the count from the scorer

119


Time-Out Umpire recognizes time-out request with a whistle that should be

different from other interruption requests and signals the time-out, shows number of time-outs to the referee (who does not repeat this) and ensures the clock has been started

Note that the referee’s signal showing the team that requested the time-out is toward the center of that team’s court while the umpire’s signal is directly out to the side of the team making the request

The timer is instructed to start the clock if this has not been done immediately

The umpire then spends time with the scorer and official scorer to verify that everything is as it should be

120


Time-Out The umpire checks to verify that the score on the scoresheet

matches the score on the scoreboard, verifies the number of subs and time-outs used by each team, and checks the libero tracking sheet and scoresheet to ensure the libero serving has been properly recorded

One very important task is often overlooked The umpire must also verify with the libero tracker whether the

libero is on the court for each team to make sure that the proper players return to the court at the end of the time-out

When a team has a libero in the game, the libero tracker and not the scorer actually has the record of the proper players on the court

121


Time-Out When the umpire signals the number of time-outs taken during

the time-out, it is not necessary for the referee to repeat this, much as the referee acknowledges the informal game point signal with a head nod rather than showing the same signal

If both teams are back on court before 45 seconds, the umpire will have told the timer to kill the horn, and the umpire will bring both teams back on court with a whistle (the whistle to end the time-out may be a double-whistle but with a longer tweet-tweeeet that makes it distinct)

When the time-out is ending and the umpire is bringing the teams back onto the court, this is when both officials show the number of time-outs taken by both teams

122


Time-Out When a team has taken both of its available time-outs, the umpire should

show “2” to the coach and verbalize “Coach, you’ve taken 2” or “that’s 2 time-outs coach”)

The umpire does the proper scan and then turns the court back to the referee with the standard open-hand ready signal

Injury time-outs involve 30 seconds and include illness or the presence of blood

As soon as either official becomes aware of an injury, the official whistles to kill the play to avoid further injury to the player and both officials show the replay signal

123


Time-Out The coach is quickly authorized to attend to the player while the

umpire starts the stop watch Players remain on the court while the injured player is attended to At the end of 30 seconds, the umpire should ask the coach whether

the player is able to continue If the player is not able to continue, then the coach is required to

take a time-out to buy additional recovery time or indicate that a substitution will be made

If the coach indicates that the injured player is able to play, then play must begin immediately

If it takes a few seconds beyond 30 to get this resolved, this is not a problem and a delay is not warranted

124


Time-Out If the coach indicates that the injured player will be substituted

for, as much additional time as is needed will be provided with no pressure to move the injured player until it is determined that this is the best course of action

If the injured player will be substituted for, the resumption of play will occur when the injured player can be safely removed

If the delay in replacing the injured player is prolonged, the teams may go to their benches or warm up at a safe distance from the injured player

125


Time-Out If multiple players are injured, the time for determining

whether a substitution or time-out(s) must occur is 30 seconds total

The umpire and referee are certainly able to show the concern that any human being feels toward an injured student-athlete but the process must not be unfair to the opponents

126


Injury Time-Out Recap Within 30 seconds, the coach either requests a sub, leaves

the player in the game or requests a time-out If an exceptional sub is required, this should be facilitated

using the rules for exceptional substitution The condition of the injured player is paramount Ample time is given to safely remove the player from the court

127


Libero The word is pronounced phonetically as lee-bro or lee-ba-row and not luh-

bearo The new rule for the libero allows this player to serve in one position in the

serve order in each game Teams are not required to have their libero serve nor does a team have to

use a libero All other libero rules that were in place in 2006 are in place for the 2007

season although penalties for an illegal libero replacement have been clarified and modified

128


Libero

As a reminder, the libero replacement must take place between the attack line and the end line before the referee extends his/her arm to begin authorization of service

129


Libero The video shows the libero in the LB position, and the libero’s team wins the

rally and will serve next Since the libero cannot play the front row, she must come out for at least one

play with the exception now that she may go directly to serve being replaced by the player coming into the front row

This is the player whom the libero last replaced The umpire observes the libero will be serving and turns to the scorer and

libero tracker saying “libero serving” and ensuring both scoretable staff record this position as the only position in which the libero may legally serve in that game

130


Libero The penalties for an illegal libero replacement have been clarified and modified The triggering timing is when the referee has completed his/her scan and given

sufficient predictable time for teams to have asked for a substitution, time-out or lineup check or to have made a libero replacement

At the point that the referee is ready to extend the arm and whistle/signal to authorize serve, it is now too late for an interruption of play OR a libero replacement

If the referee has to delay authorizing service, the libero replacement shouldn’t be permitted and an unnecessary delay may be charged

131


Libero If service authorization has already occurred, regardless of whether or not

the serve has been contacted, an illegal libero replacement is penalized as an illegal alignment

The key is when the illegal libero replacement is noticed If the officials intervene and prevent a replacement, a warning may be

possible instead of having to charge unnecessary delay or illegal alignment Prevention is more likely to occur early in the season and/or early in a match End of Chapter 12, 42:28

132


Looking at Individual Volleyball Signals Signals Given on Offending Team’s Side Illegal alignment/improper server (two rotations of the extended are are sufficient) Line violation (Centerline) – pointing with index finger toward centerline (no need to move

the arm up and down) Line violation (Foot fault) – pointing with index finger (no need to move the arm side to

side) Illegal hit Delay of service Over-the-net foul Net foul or net serve

133


Looking at Individual Volleyball Signals Signals Given on Offending Team’s Side Legal Back-Row Attack (Player Behind Attack Line) – signal shown is USAV/PAVO

– arm extended toward attack line, parallel to floor, palm of hand not facing attack line

Legal Back-Row Attack (Ball Not Entirely Above Net Height) – the signal shown is also used for other legal attacks based on height of the ball in relationship to top of the net including or a legal libero attack, legal attack of serve, and legal attack off a libero set from the attack zone

Illegal Attack of Serve/Back-Row Attack

134


Looking at Individual Volleyball Signals Signals Given on Offending Team’s Side Illegal Block/Screening – for NFHS, the hands of the official are not raised quite that

high but, rather should be head height Ball Touched – for all rulesets, the fingers are lightly brushed over the hand that is

held vertical 4 Hits 2 Hits (Double Hit) Ball Lands Inbounds – training teaches that the referee not follow the arm with the

eyes but look at the umpire Out of Bounds/Antenna Violation

135


Looking at Individual Volleyball Signals Other Signals Begin Service – officials are taught not to follow the extending arm with the eyes

but rather continue to observe the server, serving team and possible screening Point (New for 2007) – officials are taught to make a smooth gesture with the

arm extension and to keep the arm parallel to the floor and straight out Replay/Re-Serve Substitution – NFHS shows rotating open hands rather than fists

136


Looking at Individual Volleyball Signals Other Signals Illegal Substitution Authorization to Enter (umpire signal) Official’s Time-Out – NFHS says to first show time-out signal prior to shoulder tap Unnecessary Delay Time-Out – signal should be squared and not tilted, and referee does follow arm pointing toward

court with eyes End of Game Change of Court – should start after waving teams to end lines with left hand in front, right hand

in back before ending with left hand in back, right hand in front

137


Whistle Use and Tempo of Signals Play begins with the referee’s whistle and beckon, and play ends when the rally is

finished Either the referee or umpire blows their whistle loudly, decisively and immediately The tempo of the signals is very important to convey to all why the whistle was blown to

end the rally In the situation shown in the video, the referee whistled because the ball landed in, the

officials took 2 seconds before signaling ball down and then took another 2 seconds before signaling who will serve next

Once a whistle is blown to end a rally, the officials have time to “center” and make eye contact before signaling the fault

138


Whistle Use and Tempo of Signals Once a whistle is blown to end a rally, the officials have time to center and make eye

contact before signaling the fault No longer is the point signal (one finger) shown on the side of the team that won the rally,

instead with an extended arm It is important to hold the arm out so the scorers get used to the new signal but then drop

the arm after awarding the rally to create separation before the next service authorization Where possible though not required, the umpire should move to the side of the team that

lost the rally and, in this situation, signal ball down, then wait for the referee and follow the signal for who serves next

139


Whistle Use and Tempo of Signals The video indicates that the umpire mimics the referee in terms of signals except on a

net serve – this is a practice that is followed by multi-ruleset officials since the NFHS doesn’t specifically exempt this call from being repeated by the umpire

The umpire also does not mimic authorization of service The video shows the umpire making a net call, blowing the whistle, moves to that side of

the net and signals net The referee mimics the net fault signal, then shows which team will serve next which the

umpire, in turn, mimics

140


Discreet Signals (Given by Umpire) Discreet signals (known as informal signals) are given by the umpire to assist the referee The signals shown on the video are:

Illegal Hit Illegal Block/Screening Illegal Attack of Serve/Back-Row Attack (signal represents that if the attack is completed and referee has ball totally

above net height at point of contact, umpire has an illegal attack) Illegal Attack Signal is also shown for a libero attack or to show that an attack from totally above net height on the next

contact after the libero sets the ball in the attack zone will be illegal) 2 Hits (Double Hit) Four Hits Next Point is Game Point

141


Conduct and the Use of Cards Chapter 14, 47:30

The referee, as the head official, is the only one who administers cards for violations in conduct

The referee articulates Yellow card, #2, unsportsmanlike (now “unsporting”) conduct but could also show the player number

A yellow card is for a first minor offense The umpire makes sure the scorer correctly records all cards It is a warning with no further penalty unless if another minor offense occurs in

the same match (involving the same individual), the referee would administer a red card which means the opponent is granted a point and the serve

142


Conduct and the Use of Cards The video shows the umpire stepping onto the court requesting a red

card be administered to the setter by holding a red card in the middle of the chest

The referee would honor the umpire’s request but may call the umpire over if there’s an uncertainty why the card was requested

In this situation, the umpire shows the red card to the referee and gestures to the player but doesn’t show player number or articulate “#2, unsporting conduct”

However, the referee did articulate “#2, unsportsmanlike conduct”

143


Conduct and the Use of Cards Note the reaction on the part of the player to receiving the red card – cards

always produce a reaction which may be positive (corrects the unacceptable behavior) or negative (induces an emotional reaction that may have to be dealt with)

Regardless, the referee sets the tone in support of sportsmanship, and unsporting conduct must be addressed timely and reasonably

The umpire also ensures cards are carried forward to subsequent games in the match

In the extreme situation where the player (#2) incurs another minor offense (shown tugging net in anger), it would mean disqualification for remainder of the match

144


Conduct and the Use of Cards For a third minor offense, second serious offense or single flagrant offense, the

referee holds yellow and red cards, head high on the side of the net of the offending player or coach

The referee holds the yellow and red cards in separate hands and verbalizes the number of the player who has been disqualified or that it’s the coach disqualified

The referee indicates: “Disqualification, player #2, unsportsmanlike conduct” In this case, since a player was disqualified, the player must leave the vicinity of

the team bench if there is adult supervision available or remain on the bench without additional unsporting conduct or risk match forfeiture

145


Conduct and the Use of Cards The appropriate coach will be notified of the reason for the disqualification

which, in this situation, is that a player who had previously received a red card committed a subsequent sportsmanship violation

After the match, the referee is responsible for filing the appropriate incident report with the state association

If an adult team member (head coach, assistant coach, trainer, etc.) is disqualified, the person must leave the premises

The video shows a situation where no cards have been issued, but the referee decides that the actions of the head coach are a serious offense and issues a red card

146


Conduct and the Use of Cards So, a yellow card does not have to be issued before a red card but a yellow card cannot be

issued to the same player or coach after a red card has been issued Back to the situation with the angry coach who just received a red card control and who loses

control and commits flagrant act by pushing the umpire That act alone disqualifies the coach who now must leave the premises It is hoped that things would not have progressed to this level, but the progression can

continue If there is a further violation in conduct by a disqualified person, the match shall be forfeited by

the offending team

147


Conduct and the Use of Cards Anyone think this coach will keep his coaching job? The umpire appears to have his hands up fending off the coach’s aggression – what would you

have done? The referee calls the umpire over and instructs him to communicate with the scorer that the match

has been forfeited, then instructs the captains and makes arrangements with host management for an escort

This may more easily be taken care by the umpire The referee signals end of match, sends teams from their end lines to their benches, gets off the

stand, collects belongings and leaves immediately

148


Conduct and the Use of CardsSome Other Conduct Issues Any conduct from the court or bench where the specific offender cannot be determined shall be credited

to the head coach If there is no authorized school personnel available to coach when a coach is disqualified, the team shall

forfeit the match No requests (such as substitution, time-out, lineup check) shall be honored until cards have been

properly recorded on the scoresheet If a team refuses to play, the team forfeits the match

149


Ball Handling Chapter 15, 51:40 During the course of a match, the referee and umpire makes hundreds of decisions The vast majority of decisions are based on judgment and, breaking it down further, the greatest

controversy during a match usually occurs in determining the legality of contacts known as ball handling As we mentioned earlier, the referee should look ahead of the ball, making sure at its apex it will not

contact anything to cause a dead ball Then narrow to focus on the part of the body that will contact the ball

150


Ball Handling The referee should widen the focus to the player or players ready to receive the ball, then narrow the focus to

the part of the body the ball will contact Contact with the ball cannot be below the waist In a specific match, players, coaches and even the fans are entitled to the referee – with the help of the umpire

– setting a consistent line of calling legal and illegal hits However, this entitlement is not held to different officials for different matches but, rather, is match specific Two questions to consider: what is the number of the contact being attempted and is there over-control or

under-control?

151


Ball Handling On the 1st hit, under-control is legal and over-control is illegal On the 2nd and 3rd team hits, both under-control and over-control are illegal A legal block or simultaneous contact by opponents is not counted as the first team hit Over-control means the ball visibly comes to rest or there is prolonged contact (such as ball caught/thrown,

pushed, lifted, or rolling on the body) The over-control shown is whistled as an illegal hit Under-control means that a double-hit likely has occurred

152


Ball Handling A double hit also occurs when a player contacts the ball twice in succession, either two attempts that

are separate or one attempt from one part of the body to one or more parts of the body Spin, sound, speed of the ball before and after the contact, technique, position of the player and even

insistence of the opponent may be present in an illegal hit or double hit but shouldn’t be used to determine one

The only legal guide to go by is “call what you see” The referee is expected to make consistent ball-handling decisions that teams can rely upon to know

what plays will be considered legal during the match

153

Posts-Match Responsibilities

Post-Match Responsibilities to ConsiderChapter 16, 54:48 The referee initials the scoresheet, and the referee and umpire should leave the court together through a non-

spectator exit If the referee has reason to believe there may be a confrontation, the referee should get the umpire’s attention and

leave the court immediately The umpire may need to pick up the referee’s belongings near the score table to facilitate a quick exit Since the majority of belongings should be housed in a secure dressing room, doing a “toot and scoot” makes good

sense as the officials go to a private area to talk

154


Post-Match Responsibilities to Consider The video says “if time allows, hold a post-match conference to address any areas of concern” However, the need for such a commitment should be made during the initial pre-match discussion between the

officials A post-match debriefing represents the opportunity to grow from the match experience, to go over what worked

and didn’t work, how well the officials partnered during the match and what could be done better And, it is very important to go to the parking lot together for a variety of reasons

155


Future DVDs This video was kept to 56:00 to allow it to cover a wide range of important topics for officials There was so much more that could have been covered but that’s the beauty of the video Discussions can evolve from the things that were not addressed and questions raised from the way things were

presented This video logically leads to future videos that will address topics in greater detail such as illegal alignment Officials watching the video should do so with a critical eye toward improving their officiating, using the signals,

mechanics, techniques, protocols and state-to-state differences as a driving force for greater understanding

156

Doing It Right: Who Put This Together?

Everyone acknowledges there has been a deficiency in developing training materials for high school volleyball officials

Jim Beyer and Tom Johannsen are volleyball officials from Iowa who partnered to produce this video to address a need for training tools

You can ask questions, make suggestions and receive feedback from Tom and Jim at www.vbofficiating.com

This DVD was provided to every high school volleyball coach and official in Iowa

1 officiating high school volleyball doing it right… [notes to accompany dvd from ]

Documents