Volleyball
Second Referees Need Training Too
Very early in my officiating career, I received a call to officiate a local collegiate match. My partner was someone I had not worked with previously. While I thought...
Discreet Signals and Teamwork To Get Out of Hairy Situations
The duties of the first and second referees are delineated in the rulebook. In the best of cases, this division of duties ensures that, between them, the referees...
Keep-It-Flying Approach Is Challenging
One of the biggest areas of concern during a match for coaches and referees is ballhandling. Ballhandling decisions can make or break a match. In recent years, volleyball...
Close Plays at the Net Present Challenges
During the course of a volleyball match, referees make many decisions. These decisions fall into two categories: 1) violations of a rule, or 2)...
Spirit and Intent Influence Interpretation
When considering the rules, spirit and intent influence interpretation. It would be easier if every rule was black and white. No wiggle room. We...
The Philosophy Of Ball-Handling Calls
R
egardless of the level of volleyball, before a match a coach may ask a referee, “Are you tight with ball handling or do you...
Shorten Your Learning Curve
As a young or newer referee works to master the art of officiating, she or he soon finds out that, while the rules are...
When Not To Be Subtle As the Second Referee
Communication between first and second referees is essential in communicating decisions to players, coaches, assistant officials and spectators. Precisely executed, established signals indicate the referees are competent and in control of...
Adjust to Playing Styles
On a Thursday evening, you officiate a girls’ varsity match, marked with long skillful rallies. The next night, you work a boys’ contest, frequently punctuated by short powerful bursts....
Game and Time Management Help Keep Courts Moving
Each level of volleyball has its own time management challenges. This article will focus more toward junior club and high school matches where you will often have youth...
Still Work to Be Done When There’s a Break in Play
The referees accept the coach’s or captain’s request for timeout and blow the whistle, starting the timeout procedure. Both teams usually move to the benches for a quick...
Pati Rolf Moved From College Coach to High Level Official and Has Never Looked...
A lime green toy pig, gifted to Pati Rolf by the distraught motorist who accidentally struck her on snowy Minnetonka Boulevard in Hopkins, Minn., nearly 50 years ago, endures all...
How to Tackle Pre-Match Responsibilities as a Team
It is important to arrive at a match with plenty of time to prepare yourself mentally as well as making sure to have enough time to conduct pre-match...
Techniques to Judge a Potential Save Over the Net
We have all had matches that move along just fine — ballhandling on point, bench management under control, good tempo to the match … and then it happens. It...
Prolonged Contact Is the Key Element in Throwing Faults
Catch, lift, throw, hold, grab, monster dunk! OK, we have all heard the terms thrown out there for one of the now common plays in volleyball. Players use...
Did You Hear What I Didn’t Say?
As most volleyball officials would agree, non-verbal communication encompasses approximately 80-90 percent of our communication with coaches, players, partners and fans. There are so...
Collective Blocks Cut & Dried?
Collective blocks, at face value, seem pretty cut and dried — multiple players in close proximity at the net, reaching higher than the top...
Timing and Tact Crucial to Constructive Feedback
One of the best parts about belonging to the cadre of volleyball officials is the chance to be around others who love the game...
Four Hits or First Contact? Techniques and Tips for One of Volleyball’s Toughest Calls
Volleyball referees are tasked with making many split-second decisions during a match. One area where coaches, spectators, players and referees see things differently is when an attacked ball is...
Line Judges are Critical
Clearly, line judges have become a critical part of the officiating crew. As the game gets faster for both boys and girls, line judges must continue to hone...
11 Points On Judging Ballhandling
Judgment. It’s a word that referees use on a regular basis, and it is the key factor when making ballhandling calls. While it is easy enough to say,...
Find a Happy Ballhandling Medium
Where do I draw the line with ballhandling? When do I want to make my “presence” known in the match by making that first ballhandling call? Am I being...
Train Your Brain
Do you ever wonder if you have the correct type of brain for officiating? Do you find it easy to make a quick decision based...
Libero Do’s and Don’ts
A libero (LEE’-beh-ro) in indoor volleyball is a back-row defensive specialist. Since they only play in the back row, those players are often shorter...
