Austin Chapter Volleyball Newsletter 2016
Issue 13
09/08/2016
Transparency of Assignments
Over the past year, there have been some questions and concerns about assigning by the chapter.
In an effort to be as transparent as possible, we have made last year’s schedule available for all active members. Additionally, current year’s assignments for all matches are now viewable by all members. In Arbiter – go to Schedule – Then Master Schedule. Click on View Slots and you will be able to see officials assigned for all matches.
Last year’s schedule is available in the forms section of Arbiter. The 2015 playoff schedule is also available separately in the forms section. If you have any concerns, please contact your At-Large Rep.
Training Topics from Last Night’s Meeting
Below is the script from the training that was covered at last night’s meeting.
Line-up Card Discussion
Please be aware that despite the discussion regarding the use or non-use of a line-up card during matches, there is no intent by the trainers or the chapter to discourage use of the line-up card. This was merely a discussion to explain potential reason why and how some officials use a line-up card on a very limited basis. If you regularly use a line-up card to better facilitate your matches as an R2, please continue to do what you have been doing.
R1/R2 Signals for Net and Center Line Violations
Please review the information below – even if you were at the meeting.
R1s should not be repeating the violation signal when R2s initiate fault calls.
Late Line-Up Submission
There was a discrepancy as to the penalty for a coach submitting their line-up late. The penalty is a loss of rally – point for the opponent. Remember – line-ups are to be submitted 2 minutes prior to the end of timed warmups prior to the start of the match and 1 minute prior to the end of the interval between sets.
As discussed at the meeting, it is the responsibility of the R2 to provide preventative officiating to avoid the need to penalize a team for submitting a late line-up. Prior to penalizing a team for a late line-up, you should ask yourself – “Have I done everything possible to avoid having to penalize this team?”
Lineup card vs No lineup card
o The lineup card is a tool available to use as an R2. (Rule book Rule 5 – Section 5) Second Referee responsibilities, Art. 1 Note: “The second Referee has the sole responsibility to record both teams in starting floor position on his/her lineup card. The lineups are submitted to the scorer from each coach are in serve order.” Points of emphasis #4 (rule book page #52 discusses the “proper use of lineup card”.
o 1-3 year officials should be using lineup cards, you are working mostly middle school and sub varsity and often the scoring table is inexperienced. Some more experienced officials, officials who call other rule sets, etc. often do not use lineup cards during the match and are able to recognize positional faults, service order errors, libero replacement errors, etc. Keeping or not keeping is not right or wrong.
o Think about your duties as R2 and the best way for you to perform those duties. If the flow of the match is not delayed then why not use it. The goal is to recognize faults, not catch them doing something wrong, but not allowing an advantage because someone is out of position. If you use the card and it helps you recognize faults then use it. If it is not helping you then you should ask for further explanation on how to keep your lineup card.
o Using a lineup card does not make you a bad official. It is a tool available to use if you choose. When keeping a lineup card here are some things to keep in mind:
§ Remember, your card is written in service order. The serving team should have their 1st server in RB or position 1, the receiving team should have their 1st server in RF or position 2. Then follow around in order.
§ Only record as much or as little information on your lineup card as the competency of your scoring table dictates.
§ If recording subs on your lineup card, make sure you have finished writing and your card is put away BEFORE giving the court back to the R1.
§ Challenge yourself to learn to recognize positional/alignment faults by serve receive formations.
o If not using a lineup card here’s some tips:
§ Memorize your setter and opposite, what position is the libero going in for, who is she serving for?
§ With more experience the different receive formations will become more recognizable to you.
§ If you’re unsure, ask the scorer who is the next server and then locate your opposites and you should see a formation/pattern. Remember the reason they are using these weird formations is so the setter does not pass the 1st ball.
§ Asking the scorer who your next 3 servers are will tell you who should be in your front row, RF, MF and LF. Again, locate your setter and the opposite and it becomes easier to see your pattern/formation.
R2 area of focus
o During play the R1 and R2 should not be looking at the same things, if you are then one of you are unnecessary.
o R2 main area of responsibility during play is focusing at the net area looking for net contact or center line violations, ball out on their side of the court.
o R2 secondary responsibility is assisting the R1 with touches off the block or no touch (4 hits), libero setting in the front zone and/or other illegal back row attacks. A good R2 is able to help with discreet signals and only calls back row violations if 100% sure of a fault and after making eye contact with the R1 and the R1 does not communicate they saw otherwise (safe signal)
o Avoid tunnel vision down the net but DO NOT Watch the ball during play.
o Position yourself near the center line extended about 4 - 6 feet back from the court (can be back further if there’s room). Shoulders parallel with the court.
o R2 should always transition to the defensive side of the ball (blocking side)
o Your field of vision should be wide enough to be able to see the 1st contact and by the 2nd contact you should have transitioned into place and be stationary but still able to see the 2nd contact either through the net or around the pole. If your view is blocked by the pole. Do NOT lean around the pole to see. If you are leaning around the pole to see, you are too close to the court and need to move back.
o By 3rd contact your vision/focus narrows to just the action at the net; seeing the block, any contact with the net and all the way down to the center line. So the eye sequence would be hands, net, feet. When the players transition off the net, you transition and widening your focus again.
Signal mechanics
R1 mechanics and R2 repeating
· When the R2 initiates a fault call, the R1 does not repeat the fault signal (if it is a net violation, the number of the player at fault is repeated)
· When the R1 initiates a fault call for a net violation, the R2 repeats the R1’s signals ( Award the point, signal the net violation, indicate the number of the player at fault)
R2 initiating the call (net violation, center line, out on their side)
· It is not necessary for the R2 to actually touch the net
o Who repeats what?
Consistency, professionalism, etc.
o Pay attention to details: We don’t call a match from a plyo box, make sure that courts, nets, playing area adhere to Rule 3.
o Use effective time management and enforce when the line ups are due, time outs, warm ups, etc.
o Appearance. Uniform shirt should be white, unwrinkled and tucked in.
o Don’t be a lone wolf. If you allow someone to wear something illegal or non-compliant, then the next ref looks like a jerk when they don’t allow it. This applies to non-contrasting libero jersey’s, jewelry, hair bands, etc. If you’re at a tournament and the tournament rules say that the games are best 2/3 games to 25 (cap at 30) per UIL, then don’t be a lone wolf and allow the 3rd deciding set played to 15 just because the coaches agree.
o Remember you and your partner/crew are a team and have your own duties to perform. Make sure you are a team player and doing your part. You don’t want to be someone that other officials avoid working with. We have all worked with that official that made us feel we are calling the match by ourselves, or worse…wished we were. DON’T be THAT official. You should strive to be the official everyone wants to work with because they know you are knowledgeable, consistent and professional.
o Ball handling: Understanding that everyone’s judgment is different and each game is unique we should still be striving, as a chapter, to be consistent in how a match is officiated. We don’t want to be overly officious but sometimes calls just need to be made. A coach wants to be able to teach his setter that if she contacts a ball a certain way then she will be called for the violation. If I call it but you don’t call it then we are inconsistent. If a player hits the ball with an open palm and you call that a “lift” but I don’t because it was not “prolonged contact” then we are inconsistent. The spinning of a ball does not always mean that a double contact has occurred. If you did not see 2 distinct contacts on the ball, then you should not call a double, even if the ball is spinning. But if it comes out with a weird change of direction spinning like a Frisbee, chances are that a double contact has occurred and you should call it. Obviously there are many variables i.e. grade level of the match, skill level of the teams playing, etc. This is something that you can discuss with your partner at your match so that you and your partner are consistent that night, and the chapter becomes more consistent as a whole. A good rule of thumb at all levels is to set your tolerance line just below the skill level of the better team. In other words, if Team A has an awesome setter who does not make any mistakes and Team B’s setter has hands like bricks. Then set your line just under the level of Team A. Yes it’s going to be a rough night for Team B’s setter but, they should not gain an advantage over Team A just because you don’t want to “beat up their setter”.