7Lesson 4

Playing Actions
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Objectives:

Ou
 Identify the different states of play
 States of Play
 Assess situations related to the team hits or
 Playing the Ball
player’s action at the net
 Ball and Players at the Net
 Discuss the faults that a player may commit
above and below the net
tlin
e
Surf the internet using the link https://youtube/gDwsnGzUe9M and study the video
presentation. Write down your point of view about the said video.

V
V
States of Play

Ball in Play
The ball is in play from the moment of the hit of the service authorized by the 1st
referee.

Ball Out of Play

The ball is out
of play at the
moment of the
fault which is
whistled by one of
the referees; in the
absence of a
fault, at the
moment of the
whistle. Figure 4.1 Ball Crossing the Vertical Plane of the Net to the Opponent’s Court

Ball “in”
The ball is
“in” if at any
moment of its
contact with the
floor, some part of
the ball touches the
court, including the
boundary lines.

Ball “out”
The ball is “out” when:
 all parts of the ball which contact the floor are completely outside the boundary
lines;
 it touches an object outside the court, the ceiling or a person out of play;
 it touches the antennae, ropes, posts or the net itself outside the side bands;
 it crosses the vertical plane of the net either partially or totally outside the
crossing space
 it crosses completely the lower space under the net

Playing the Ball

 Team Hits
A hit is any contact with the ball by a player in play. The team is entitled to a
maximum of three hits (in addition to blocking), for returning the ball. If more are used,
the team commits the fault of “FOUR HITS”.
 Consecutive contacts – a player may not hit the ball two times consecutively
 Simultaneous contacts – two or three players may touch the ball at the same
moment
 Assisted hits – players are not allowed to take support from a teammate or any
structure or object to reach the ball. However a player who is about to commit a
fault may be stopped or held back by a teammate.

Characteristics of a Hit
 The ball may touch any part of the body
 The ball must be hit, not caught and or thrown. It can rebounce in any direction.
 The ball may touch various parts of the body, provided that the contacts take
place simultaneously.

Exception:
 At blocking, consecutive contact may be made by one or more blocker(s)
provided that the contact occurs during one action.
 At the first hit of the team, the ball may contact various parts of the body
consecutively provided that the contacts occur during one action.

Faults in Playing the Ball

 Four Hits: a team hits the ball four times before returning it.
 Assisted Hits: a player takes support from a team-mate or any structure/ object
in order to hit the ball within the playing area.
 Catch: the ball is caught and/or thrown; it does not rebound from the hit.
 Double Contact: a player hits the ball twice in succession or the ball contacts
various parts of his/her body in succession.

Ball at the Net

Ball Crossing the Net

The ball sent to the opponent's court must go over the net within the crossing
space. The crossing space is the part of the vertical plane of the net limited as follows:
 below, by the top of the net;
  at the sides, by the antennae, and their imaginary extension
 above, by the ceiling

The ball that has crossed the net plane to the opponent's free zone totally or
partly through the external space, may be played back within the team hits, provided
that:
 the opponent's court is not touched by the player
 the ball, when played back, crosses the net plane again totally or partly through
the external space on the same side of the court.

The ball that is heading towards the opponent’s court through the lower space is
in play until the moment it has completely crossed the vertical plane of the net.

Ball Touching the Net

While crossing the net, the ball may touch it.

Ball in the Net

A ball driven into the net may be recovered within the limits of the three team
hits. If the ball rips the mesh of the net or tears it down, the rally is cancelled and
replayed.

Player at the Net

Reaching beyond the Net

In blocking, a player may touch the ball beyond the net, provided that he/she
does not interfere with the opponent’s play before or during the latter's attack hit.
After an attack hit, a player is permitted to pass his/her hand beyond the net,
provided that the contact has been made within his/her own playing space.

Penetration under the Net

It is permitted to penetrate into the opponent’s space under the net, provided
that this does not interfere with the opponent’s play. Penetration into the opponent's
court, beyond the centre line:
 to touch the opponent's court with a foot (feet) is permitted, provided that
some part of the penetrating foot (feet) remains either in contact with or
directly above the centre line;
 to touch the opponent’s court with any part of the body above the feet is
permitted provided that it does not interfere with the opponent’s play

A player may enter the opponent's court after the ball goes out of play. Players
may penetrate into the opponent's free zone provided that they do not interfere with
the opponent’s play.
 Contact with the Net
Contact with the net by a player between the antennae, during the action of
playing the ball, is a fault. The action of playing the ball includes (among others) take-off,
hit (or attempt) and landing safely, ready for a new action.

Players may touch the post, ropes, or any other object outside the antennae,
including the net itself, provided that it does not interfere with the play. When the ball is
driven into the net, causing it to touch an opponent, no fault is committed.

Player’s Faults at the Net

A player touches the ball or an opponent in the opponent's space before or
during the opponent’s attack hit. A player interferes with the opponent's play while
penetrating into the opponent’s space under the net. A player’s foot (feet) penetrates
completely into the opponent's court.

A player interferes with play by (amongst others):

 touching the net between the antennae or the antenna itself during
his/her action of playing the ball,
 using the net between the antennae as a support or stabilizing aid
 creating an unfair advantage over the opponent by touching the net
 making actions which hinder an opponent’s legitimate attempt to play
the ball,
 catching/ holding on to the net
Any player close to the ball as it is played, and who is him/herself trying to play
it, is considered in the action of playing the ball, even if no contact is made with it.

Service
The service is the act of putting the ball into play, by the back-right player, placed in the
service zone.

First Service in a Set

The first service of the first set, as well as that of the deciding 5th set is executed
by the team determined by the toss. The other sets will be started with the service of
the team that did not serve first in the previous set.

Service Order
The players must follow the service order recorded on the line-up sheet. After
the first service in a set, the player to serve is determined as follows:
 when the serving team wins the rally, the player (or his/her substitute) who
served before, serves again;
 when the receiving team wins the rally, it gains the right to serve and rotates
before actually serving. The player who moves from the frontright position to
the back-right position will serve .
Authorization to Serve
The 1st referee authorizes the service, after having checked that the two teams
are ready to play and that the server is in possession of the ball.

Execution of Service
The ball shall be hit with one hand or any part of the arm after being tossed or
released from the hand(s). Only one toss or release of the ball is allowed. Dribbling or
moving the ball in the hands is permitted. At the moment of the service hit or take-off
for a jump service, the server must not touch the court (the end line included) or the
floor outside the service zone. After the hit, he/she may step or land outside the service
zone, or inside the court.
The server must hit the ball within 8 seconds after the 1st referee whistles for
service. A service executed before the referee's whistle is cancelled and repeated
 Lesson 6
Officiating Officials

Objectives:

Ou
 Discuss the authorities and responsibilities of
Officiating Officials  Authorities and
 State the mechanics in executing the hand and Responsibilities
flag signals of Officiating Officials o 1st and Referee
 Apply the hand and flag signals in a game
situation with ease and accuracy tlin
o 2nd Referee
o Line Judges
o Scorer

e
 Hand and Flag Signals

Take a look at the given illustrations then express your ideas about it.
 V
V
Refereeing Corps and Procedures

Composition
The refereeing corps for a
match is composed of the following
officials:
– the 1st referee,
– the 2nd referee,
– the scorer,
– four (two) line judges Figure 5.1 1st and 2nd Referee
For FIVB, World and Official
Competitions an assistant scorer is compulsory.

Location

Procedures Figure 5.2 Location of the Refereeing Corps

  Only the 1st and 2nd referees may blow a whistle during the match:
 the 1st referee gives the signal for the service that begins the rally;
 the 1st or 2nd referee signals the end of the rally, provided that they are sure
that a fault has been committed and they have identified its nature.
 They may blow the whistle when the ball is out of play to indicate that they authorize
or reject a team request.
 Immediately after the referee’s whistle to signal the completion of the rally, they have
to indicate with the official hand signals:
 if the fault is whistled by the 1st referee, he/she will indicate in order:
a) the team to serve,
b) the nature of the fault,
c) the player(s) at fault (if necessary).

 If the fault is whistled by the 2nd referee, he/she will indicate:

a) the nature of the fault,
b) the player at fault (if necessary),
c) the team to serve following the hand signal of the 1st referee.
In this case, the 1st referee does not show either the nature of the fault or the
player at fault, but only the team to serve.

 In the case of an attack hit fault or blocking fault by back row or Libero players,
both referees indicate according to the above statements
 In the case of a double fault both referees indicate in order:
a) the nature of the fault,
b) the players at fault (if necessary),
The team to serve next is then indicated by the 1st referee.

First Referee
The 1st referee carries out his/her functions standing on a referee's stand located at one
end of the net on the opposite side to the scorer. His/her view must be approximately 50 cm
above the net.
The 1st referee directs the match from the start until the end. He/ she has authority
over all members of the refereeing corps and the members of the teams. During the match
his/her decisions are final. He/she is authorized to overrule the decisions of other members of
the refereeing corps, if it is noticed that they are mistaken. He/she may even replace a member
of the refereeing corps who is not performing his/her functions properly.
He/she also controls the work of the ball retrievers, floor wipers and moppers. He/she
has the power to decide any matters involving the game, including those not provided for in the
rules.

He/she shall not permit any discussion about his/her decisions. However, at the request
of the game captain, the 1st referee will give an explanation on the application or
interpretation of the rules upon which he/she has based the decision.
 If the game captain does not agree with this explanation and chooses to protest against
such decision, he/she must immediately reserve the right to file and record this protest at the
conclusion of the match. The 1st referee must authorize this right of the game captain.
The 1st referee is responsible for determining before and during the match whether the
playing area equipment and the conditions meet playing requirements.

Responsibilities:
Prior to the match, the 1st referee:
 inspects the conditions of the playing area, the balls and other equipment;
 performs the toss with the team captains;
 controls the teams' warming-up
During the match, he/she is authorized:
 to issue warnings to the teams;
 to sanction misconduct and delays;
 to decide upon:
 the faults of the server and of the positions of the serving team,
including the screen;
 the faults in playing the ball;
 the faults above the net, and the faulty contact of the player with the
net, primarily on the attacker’s side;
 the attack hit faults of the Libero and back-row players;
 the completed attack hits made by a player on a ball above net height
coming from an overhand pass with fingers by the Libero in his/ her front
zone;
 the ball crossing completely the lower space under the net;
 the completed block by back row players or the attempted block by the
Libero.
 the ball that crosses the net totally or partly outside of the crossing
space to the opponent’s court or contacts the antenna on his/her side of
the playing court.
 the served ball and the 3rd hit passing over or outside the antenna on
his/ her side of the court
 At the end of the match, he/she checks the score sheet and signs it

Second Referee
The 2nd referee performs his/her functions standing outside the playing court near the
post, on the opposite side of and facing the 1st referee. The 2nd referee is the assistant of the
1st referee, but has also his/her own range of jurisdiction. Should the 1st referee become
unable to continue his/her work, the 2nd referee may replace him/her.
He/she may, without whistling, also signal faults outside his/her range of jurisdiction,
but may not insist on them to the 1st referee. He/she controls the work of the scorer(s).
He/she supervises the team members on the team bench and reports their misconduct
to the 1st referee. He/she controls the players in the warm-up areas.
 He/she authorizes the regular game interruptions, controls their duration and rejects
improper requests. He/she controls the number of time-outs and substitutions used by each
team and reports the 2nd time-out and 5th and 6th substitutions to the 1st referee and the
coach concerned.
In the case of an injury of a player, he/she authorizes an exceptional substitution or
grants a 3-minute recovery time. He/she checks the floor condition, mainly in the front zone.
He/she also checks, during the match, that the balls still fulfil the regulations
He/she supervises the team members in the penalty areas and reports their misconduct
to the 1st referee

Responsibilities:
 At the start of each set, at the change of courts in the deciding set and whenever
necessary, the 2nd referee checks that the actual positions of the players on the
court correspond to those on the line-up sheets.
 During the match, he/she decides, whistles and signals:
 penetration into the opponent's court, and the space under the net
 positional faults of the receiving team
 the faulty contact of the player with the net primarily on the blocker’s
side and with the antenna on his/her side of the court
 the completed block by back row players or the attempted block by the
Libero; or the attack hit fault by back row players or by the Libero
 the contact of the ball with an outside object
 the contact of the ball with the floor when the 1st referee is not in
position to see the contact
 the ball that crosses the net plane totally or partly outside of the crossing
space to the opponent’s court or contacts the antenna on his/ her side of
the court
 the served ball and the 3rd hit passing over or outside the antenna on
his/ her side of the court.
 At the end of the match, he/she checks and signs the score sheet.

Scorer
The scorer performs his/her functions seated at the scorer's table on the opposite side
of the court from and facing the 1st referee.

Responsibilities:
He/she fills in the score sheet according to the rules, co-operating with the 2nd
referee. He/she uses a buzzer or other sound device to notify irregularities or give
signals to the referees on the basis of his/her responsibilities.

 Prior to the match and set, the scorer:

  registers the data of the match and teams, including the names and
numbers of the Liberos, according to the procedures in force, and
obtains the signatures of the captains and the coaches;
 records the starting line-up of each team from the line-up sheet (or
checks the data submitted electronically.) If he/she fails to receive the
line-up sheets on time, he/she immediately notifies this fact to the 2nd
referee.
 During the match, the scorer:
 records the points scored
 controls the serving order of each team and indicates any error to the
referees immediately after the service hit
 is empowered to acknowledge and announce requests for player
substitutions by use of the buzzer, controlling their number, and records
the substitutions and time-outs, informing the 2nd referee
 notifies the referees of a request for regular game interruption that is out
of order
 announces to the referees the ends of the sets, and the scoring of the 8th
point in the deciding set
 records misconduct warnings, sanctions and improper requests
 records all other events as instructed by the 2nd referee, i.e. exceptional
substitutions, recovery time, prolonged interruptions, external
interference, re-designation, etc.
 controls the interval between sets
 At the end of the match, the scorer:
 records the final result
 in the case of protest, with the previous authorization of the 1st referee,
writes or permits the team/game captain to write on the score sheet a
statement on the incident being protested
 signs the score sheet him/herself, before obtaining the signatures of the
team captains and then the referees

Line Judges
If only two line judges are used, they stand at the corners of the court closest to the
right hand of each referee, diagonally at 1 to 2 m from the corner. Each one of them controls
both the end line and side line on his/her side.

For FIVB, World and Official Competitions, it is compulsory to have four line judges. They
stand in the free zone at 1 to 3 m from each corner of the court, on the imaginary extension of
the line that they control.

Responsibilities:
 The line judges perform their functions by using flags (40 x 40 cm), to signal:
  the ball ”in” and “out” whenever the ball lands near their line(s)
 the touches of "out" balls by the team receiving the ball
 the ball touching the antenna, the served ball and the third hit of the
team crossing the net outside the crossing space, etc.
 any player (except the server) stepping outside of his/her court at the
moment of the service hit
 the foot faults of the server
 any contact with the top 80 cm of the antenna on their side of the court
by any player during his/her action of playing the ball or interfering with
the play
 the ball crossing the net outside the crossing space into the opponent's
court or touching the antenna on his/her side of the court.
 At the 1st referee's request, a line judge must repeat his/her signal

Referees’ Hand Signals

The referees must indicate with the official hand signal the reason for their whistle (the
nature of the fault whistled or the purpose of the interruption authorized). The signal has to be
maintained for a moment and, if it is indicated with one hand, the hand corresponds to the side
of the team which has made the fault or the request.

Delay Warning Symbols and Sanctions

Misconduct, Warnings and Sanctions

Hand Signals

Figure 5.3 Figure 5.4

 Figure 5.5 Figure 5.6

Figure 5.7 Figure 5.8

Figure 5.9 Figure 5.10

 Figure 5.11 Figure 5.12

Figure 5.13
Figure 5.14

Figure 5.15 Figure 5.16

 Figure 5.17 Figure 5.18

Figure 5.19 Figure 5.20

Figure 5.21 Figure 5.22

 Figure 5.23

Figure 5.24

Figure 5.25

Figure 5.26 Figure 5.27

 Figure 5.28

Line Judges’ Flag Signals

The line judges must indicate with the official flag signal the nature of the fault called,
and maintain the signal for a moment.

Figure 5.29 Figure 5.30

Figure 5.31 Figure 5.32

Figure 5.33