Volleyball
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....
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,...
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...
Newbies Need More Support Than You Think
Officials constantly hear the message that we need to recruit the next generation — younger people to follow in our footsteps. So many more young athletes are engaging...
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...
Blurred Lines: The Ins and Outs of Court Boundaries
Volleyball officials are ruled by lines. The majority of our calls are centered on whether volleyballs are in or out, and many of those...
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...
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...
Volleyball Referee Stand Safety: Prevent Disaster With Standard Checks
Volleyball referee stand safety must be part of every prematch routine to ensure a secure officiating environment.
Referees have a tough job. They have to...
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...
5 Rule Differences Every Referee Must Know
Many volleyball referees work multiple sports. While it is difficult to keep all the rules straight from sport to sport, it is unlikely a...
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 Tunnel Vision With Wide-Angle View
What problem is most common among second referees? Some might say coaches chewing them out about questionable decisions or missed calls by the crew....
Nothing But Net
Work Together to Correctly Call Faults
It should be easy, but there are many factors that play into our accuracy of whistling net faults. As...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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....
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...
