Volleyball
Don’t Become a Fan
“Spectacularity” sounds made-up and highfaluting, doesn’t it? Au contraire.
This actual word should be in every referee’s vocabulary. What does it mean, anyway? And how...
Get A Grip
I
t’s tough to get officials on the same page when determining the three toughest calls in volleyball. There are many strong feelings and opinions...
Post-Match Pitfalls
We just want to be understood. It’s human nature, especially when it comes to officiating — we want people to know, understand and accept why we made a...
Check the Scoreboard after each Rally
During our careers, each of us is bound to hear those irritating words shouted by parents or spectators or a team, “The score is...
Triple Check for Accuracy
Taking a little extra time to properly make the triple check of rosters, the scoresheet and lineups prior to the start of a match and each subsequent...
Always Time for Teachable Moments
Whether it is during the prematch conference or a postmatch debrief, a formal evaluation or a self-evaluation, or in a classroom clinic setting, we...
Aim High By Working Lower Levels
Once we obtain an officiating certification, it seems that many of us want to jump in and start working the highest levels of play...
Take Your Line Judge Game to the Next Level
Line judging, at any level, has its challenges. The game can move quickly and there are so many things to watch and think about...
The Changing Role of Volleyball’s Second Referee
To the casual fan, the role of the second referee can appear to be minor: check lineups, call nets and manage timeouts and substitutions....
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...
Don’t Lose Focus
Some inexperienced second referees lose focus at times and turn their attention away from the net too soon to watch that great defensive play in the back row. As...
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...
No Time Off
Officials often wonder what higher-level officials are thinking between points while up on the referee stand.
What is going through the minds of officials as...
Double Check Score After Unusual Situation
Communication between the referees and the scoring crew is crucial to ensure accuracy of the score and the information recorded on the scoresheet. Double...
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...
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...
Second Referee Is The Voice of Reason
A successful second referee needs strong speaking and listening skills. They must possess thorough rules knowledge that allows for quick, accurate answers during the heat of battle when...
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...
Outside the Lines
Defining the playing area is an important part of the referees’ prematch duties. Identifying obstacles, any changes in court surface or elevation, and establishing...
Match Scoring is One of Your Most Important Tasks
Hey, referees. Remember years ago, when you used to show up at a match, went about your pre-match duties and focused on your responsibilities...
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...
Don’t Compound Missed Calls
We have all made mistakes, there are plenty of reasons why, but officials can't compound missed calls with phantom calls.
It can happen with ballhandling....
Tips to Stay Focused During Long Matches
Staying focused as a referee or line judge is of the utmost importance. Whether it’s a tight match or not, first point or last,...
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...
