Volleyball
Under Control
The referees’ game management style is noticed by all participants, as well as the spectators. The way the referees conduct themselves in those first...
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....
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...
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....
Hold It! Who Handles Ballhandling?
A primary responsibility of the first referee is to determine whether a player makes legal contact each time he or she plays the ball....
Be a Step Ahead When Calling Back-Row Blocks
Back-row blocks are more common than one might think. To the casual observer, blocking is thought to be a player(s) at the net with hands above the head,...
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...
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...
You Have Two Shots to Look Good
You have two chances to make a great first impression at the start of every match: (1) your arrival courtside when you’re tending to...
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....
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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)...
Movement and Coverage Tips for the Second Referee
Volleyball referees don’t move a lot during play, compared to referees in other sports. But there are a lot of challenges involved in calling...
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...
Situational Awareness Suits Volleyball Officials
Have you ever looked back on a tough situation in a match, one that maybe you wish you had handled better, and said to...
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...
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...
Veteran Approach
As we prepare for each season, we study rules and interpretations, casebooks and officiating manuals, and attend preseason clinics and meetings. And once the season starts, we usually have...
5 Minutes With NCAA Coordinator Steve Thorpe
NCAA coordinator of officials for women’s volleyball discusses the 2021 Championship in a bubble in Omaha, Neb.
Residence: Doylestown, Pa.
Experience: Currently the NCAA coordinator of...
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,...
