My compliments on the new blog. It’s a great resource and I look forward to watching it grow.
My question is about “stealing” serving signals. For example, let’s say a spectator positioned behind the serving team is intercepting serving signals from the coach and relaying them to the receiving team.
Some of my fellow officials consider this unsporting conduct and will address it if they see it. But it’s my opinion that, as in football and baseball, teams use signals at their own risk of having those signals intercepted by the opponent. (Let’s recall that the Patriots’ offense was the videotaping of opposing coaches’ signals, and not signal-stealing per se, which has long been considered part of the sport.)
Also, I don’t consider it realistic for officials to police the spectator areas for potential signal-stealing. But I’d like to hear what others think. What interpretation should we be applying here? Thanks.
Resently I have seen a couple of differnet ways to handle the coin toss. Which is the correct way. Do you ask the captains to call heads or tails, or do you assign each team captain either heads or tials then flip the coin?
At local, regional, or national tournaments, referees are ALWAYS sharing war stories and asking “What would you do?”
Well, this blog is the perfect forum for just that, but people aren’t posting. What’s going on?
I’m sure there are piles of lurkers out there who just haven’t signed up (it’s free, btw). Come on, join the blog and let’s get the discussions going! If you’re feeling reluctant to stick your neck out with a comment or a question, remember, you can register on the blog with a “handle” that doesn’t identify you.
There’s a new poll up. Let’s get some more votes cast, some new questions and stories, and make this a great community.
The R1 whistled a back row attack at the same instant the R2 whistled a net violation on the opposing team. Did the BRA occur first? Should the R2 have seen the BRA violation? Or did the R2 believe the net occurred first, thus whistling the net violation?
Due to video rights, we no can no longer display this video.
Does this play justify latitude for athletic play given the USA Volleyball ball handling guidelines?
Yes. Legal play. No whistle.
(54 votes, 39%)
MIKE CARTER RESPONDS:
Based on the camera angle provided, I can clearly see a strong left/right double contact. This is slightly athletic given the size and strength of the setter. I would make this call. I can even see some officials making the call a “throw” as there is definitely prolonged contact. Again, I am calling this because I clearly see a double contact from my angle and the athleticism is not enough to make me give more leeway.
In the specific case of the Orlando Sports Center on one side of some of the courts, there exists floor differences (concrete and metal).
My question is? Can a player prepare for service and be in contact with either of these surfaces, since these surfaces are at the same level as the floor of the courts?
STEVE THORPE RESPONDS:
There are several rules to consider in your situation. First, Rule 1.2.1 states that, “The surface must be flat, horizontal and uniform. It must not present any danger of injury to the players. It is forbidden to play on rough or slippery surfaces.“ This means that in most cases, any change of surface, such as from concrete to metal, delineates the end of the playing surface. Plus, I doubt that the court itself is concrete or metal (ouch!), and Sport Court is the usual playing surface in such a situation. In this case, the end of the Sport Court would be the limit of the playing surface.
In any case, the free zone that makes up the service area ends where the surface changes. Now we get to the next regulation, USAV 12.4.3, which states that, “The entire service action must take place within the playing area.” This means that the server must start their approach from entirely on the playing surface. It is our responsibility as referees to ensure that the server is standing entirely on the playing surface before we authorize service. In other words, do not “detect” that the server is off the playing surface, authorize service, then whistle the server for illegal service! Motion the player onto the playing surface, then authorize service.
SITUATION: During warm-ups before a girl’s 17s match, my partner made some comments about the attractiveness of players on one of the teams. I was dumfounded. My partner was someone I work with occasionally but don’t know well.
What should I do? Is there someone I should report it to?
MIKE CARTER’S RESPONSE:
First of all I would advise my partner to be cautious about making these remarks as they are totally inappropriate. I would also notify the Head Referee if it is a tournament situation or the appropriate assignor.
Keep in mind… comments like this are generally not isolated and have probably been made before or will be made again. Comments like these that are overheard lessen the professional image of the entire cadre.
As any nationally rated USAV official (or candidate) should know, in a rating session comments of this nature would be considered a critical error and automatic failure of the evaluation.
Loading ...