IHSAA Volleyball Rules Interpretations—2009
(Revised 10-8-2009)
Rule Interpretations—2009
Situation #1: Rule 4-1-5: Player Equipment and Accessories
A player enters the set wearing: (a) hair tied back with a 2-inch wide ribbon; (b) metal barrette covered with tape; (c) hair tied back with a bandanna folded so it is only 2 inches wide; (d) unadorned bobby pin 2 inches in length.
Rulings: (a), (c), and (d)—legal; (b)—illegal equipment
Comment: In (b), unnecessary delay is assessed and the metal barrette must be removed
Situation #2: Rule 5-6-2: Libero Tracker Responsibilities The host school does not use the libero, but the visiting team does use the libero. Host management wants to designate the visiting team’s libero tracker as the official tracker and allows the tracker to sit on the visiting team bench instead of at the scorer’s table. The R1 instructs the tracker to sit at the scorer’s table.
Ruling: Proper procedure by the R1. Improper procedure by host management.
Comment: The host school must provide properly trained personnel to score, time, and track the match. The host school may designate someone from the visiting team as the official tracker provided that person sits at the scorer’s table. If the visiting team cannot provide a tracker that will sit at the scorer’s table, host management must provide a tracker even if the host school does not use the libero.
Situation #3: Rule 5-4-3: Second Referee Responsibilities Team has an illegal libero replacement during the second set of the match. The R2 manages the illegal replacement, and play resumes.
Ruling: Correct procedure
Situation #4: Rule 9-4-5: Contacting the Ball During the second hit, the CB on Team S keeps the ball in play by contacting the ball: (a) with his/her foot with no prolonged contact; (b) with his/her hip with no prolonged contact; (c) with his/her knee where there is prolonged contact with the leg. The referees allow play to continue.
Rulings: In (a) and (b)—legal, play continues. In (c)—illegal, prolonged contact, loss of rally/point
Situation #5: Rule 10-2-1: Substitution The head coach signals for substitution. The R2 recognizes the request. Then the coach: (a) proceeds to the R2 and gives the numbers of the substitutes and the players to be replaced; (b) immediately sits down; (c) proceeds to the sideline outside the substitution zone and converses with substitute during the dead ball; (d) goes to the officials table and converses with the officials without sending players to the substitution zone. Rulings: (a) improper substitution procedure—The R2 reminds the head coach to remain outside the substitution zone; (b) and (c) proper procedure; and (d) illegal substitution—unnecessary delay
Comment: The head coach may instruct players during a dead ball from the replacement zone
Situation #6: Rule 10-2-1: Substitution Player #5 on Team A approaches the substitution zone as a substitute. The head coach of Team A did not signal for substitution. The R2 sees #5 approaching and (a) blows the whistle before #5 enters the substitution zone; (b) blows the whistle when the player enters the substitution zone.
Rulings: (a) incorrect procedure by the R2; (b) correct procedure
Comment: Substitutes approaching the substitution zone without the head coach’s signal should not be recognized until they enter the zone. In (a) the head coach could withdraw player #5 prior to #5 entering the substitution zone without penalty.
Situation #7: Rule 10-2-3: Substitution The head coach signals for substitution and sends two substitutes toward the substitution zone. The first substitute reports directly to the substitution zone, while the second substitute reports and waits outside the zone until the R2 releases the first substitute to the court. The second substitute then enters the substitution zone.
Ruling: Proper procedure
Situation #8: Rule 12-2-5: Conduct The assistant coach from Team S enters the court to meet with the team: (a) during a time-out; (b) between games. Rulings: (a) and (b)—legal procedures
Situation #9: Rule 12-2-6: Conduct Upon arrival at the match site, the referees discover that there is less than six feet between the team bench and the sideline of the court. During the prematch conference, the head coaches are instructed that they may stand during play, but they must stay in front of their team bench and not approach the sideline during play. Also, if during play the R2 directs the head coach to move back to the bench so the R2 can see the line judge or to keep the area clear for the players, the coach must comply with the R2’s directions.
Ruling: Correct procedure
Comment: Rule 12-2-6 allows the head coach the privilege to stand during play to coach his/her players. However, the coach standing does not take priority over the players being able to use all playable area to play the ball or over the R2 and/or line judge being able to maintain a clear line of sight to observe play and see each other. Coaches must follow the directives of the referees should the physical layout of the facilities not permit six feet or more of unobstructed area around the court.
Situation #10: Rule 9-5-5; 9-5-1-c-3: Back Row Blocker Both front-row player #1 and back-row player #2 are positioned near the net with hand(s) above the net height and in close proximity to each other. The opponent returns the ball and it is touched by #1.
Ruling: Back-row player foul on #2
Comment: This is a collective block. If one player touches the ball, both are considered to have touched the ball.
Situation #11: Rule 9-5-5; 9-5-1-c-3: Back Row Blocker Front-row player #1 is positioned near the net with hand(s) above the net height. Back-row player #2, in close proximity, is positioned with hands below the net height. The opponent returns the ball and it is touched by #1.
Ruling: Legal block by #1. Play continues with 3 hits remaining.
Comment: This is not a collective block since, by definition, player #2 is not a blocker.
Situation #12: Rule 9-5-2: Front Row Blocker A front-row player #1 is positioned near the net with hand(s) above the net height. The opponent legally blocks the ball back into the hand of #1.
Ruling: Legal block by #1. Play continues with 3 hits remaining
Situation #13: Rule 9-5-2: Front Row Blocker A front-row player #1 is positioned near the net with hands below the net height. The opponent legally blocks the ball back into the hand of #1.
Ruling: First contact by #1. Play continues with 2 hits remaining.
Comment: Player #1, by definition, is not a blocker
Situation #14: Rule 9-5-5: Back Row Blocker Back-row player #2, not the libero, is positioned near the net with hand(s) above net height. The opponent legally blocks the ball back into #2.
Ruling: Illegal back-row block by #2
Situation #15: Rule 9-5-5: Back Row Blocker Back-row player #2, not the libero, is positioned near the net with hand(s) below net height. The opponent legally blocks the ball back into #2.
Ruling: First contact by #2. Play continues with 2 hits remaining.
Comment: By definition, player #2 is not a blocker
Situation #16: Rule 9-5-5: Back Row Blocker A back-row player #2, not the libero, is near the net with a hand(s) above her head. The opponent returns the ball. Player #2 attempts to block the ball, but the ball is not touched.
Ruling: No violation. Play continues.
Comment: Player #2 is not a blocker since the ball was not touched. There is no longer a penalty for an attempted block by a non-libero player.
Situation #17: Rule 12-2-6: Head Coach Standing During Play During play, the head coach of Team A is standing in the libero replacement zone and is more than 6 feet from the sideline when one of Team A’s player bumps into the coach while attempting to play the ball.
Ruling: Play continues
Comment: No replay should be awarded. The head coach has an obligation to keep out of the way of his own players
Situation #18: Rule 9-4-5: Contacting the Ball During a rally, a player appears to intentionally kick the ball. There is no prolonged contact and the ball is returned into the opponent's court. The R1 lets play continue.
Ruling: No violation. Play continues.
Comment: Contact with any part of the body, intentional or non-intentional, is legal provided there is no prolonged contact with the ball.
Situation #19: Rule 5-2: Officials Equipment Upon arrival at the match site, the R2 informs the R1 that he/she plans to use a battery operated hand held whistle, that when activated, emits the sound of a regular whistle. The R1 informs the official that the mechanical whistle is illegal and not permitted for use during a match.
Ruling: Proper ruling by the R1
Comment: The use of a mechanical whistle is prohibited because the match officials need both hands free to properly signal. The battery operated whistles are coaching tools that may be used during practices but are not legal for use by match officials.
Situation #20: Rule 10-2-1-b: Substitution Procedure and Rule 4-2-1-a: Legal Uniform Team A has two players, #1 and #2, on the bench wearing libero jerseys. Player #1 is listed as the libero on the submitted lineup card for the set. (a) During a dead ball, player #2 enters the libero replacement zone and replaces the CB. or (b) During a dead ball, enters the substitution zone to substitute for the CF.
Ruling: (a) Illegal substitution--unnecessary delay. (b) Illegal uniform--unnecessary delay
Comments: In (a), player #2 is not the designated libero even though she is wearing a libero jersey and cannot enter the contest through the libero replacement zone. In (b), player #2 must be wearing a team jersey to participate
Situation #21: Rule 9-5-6: Libero Setting the Ball The libero on Team A sets the ball using overhand finger action to a teammate who then completes the attack while the ball is completely above the height of the net. The libero is (a) on or in front of the attack line when the set occurred; (b) behind the attack line when the set occurred.
Ruling: In (a), Back-row player foul charged to the libero. In (b), No violation. Play continues.
Situation #22: Rule 4-1: Player Equipment and Accessories A player on Team A enters the contest wearing large, solid-colored wrist bands, (approximately six inches in length) which are made of soft material that offers no competitive advantage.
Ruling: Legal equipment—play continues
Comment: The extended wrist bands are legal. They are not made of hard, unyeilding, leather, plastic, or metal material (Rule 4-1-1). They are not a support or brace (Rule 4-1-2). They do not increase a player's advantage or present a safety concern (Rule 4-1-4).
Situation #23: Rule 4: Player Equipment and Uniform During the pre-match warm-up by Team A, members of the junior varsity team are on the court shagging balls. Some JV team members are barefoot, wearing, flip flops, and/or are using music devices while on the court. Also, the varsity coach of Team A is (a) barefoot, (b) wearing high heels on the court during the warm-up. The R1 asks the coach of Team A to remove from the court the students who are not properly attired, but allows the coach of Team A to remain on the court.
Ruling: Proper ruling
Comment: The NFHS stated in the 2008-09 Volleyball Rules Interpretation that: It is important for purposes of risk minimization that any student actively taking part in team warm-ups be in proper attire, including proper footwear, and free from electronic devices such as cell phones and music devices. It is strongly recommended but not required that all adults, including coaches, follow the same procedures as the students.
Situation #24: Rule 5-4-3-b-9: Libero as a Starting Player The coach of Team A submits a legal starting line-up and player # 8 is listed as the libero. Team A is receiving the first serve. At the beginning of the set, the coach of Team A sends libero #8 onto the court in place of starting back-row player #10. The R1 instructs #10 to take her position on the court until the R2 has verified the starting line-up.
Ruling: Proper ruling
Comment: The libero is not listed as a starting player on the lineup sheet. If the libero wishes to be on the court for the first serve, she should take a position within the replacement zone and wait to be signaled onto the court by the R2 once the starting line-up is verified.
Situation #25: IHSAA Modification: Responsibility to Provide a Libero Tracker The host team does not play with the libero. The visiting team does use the libero. The host school asks the visiting team’s tracker to sit at the scorer’s table and be the official Libero Tracker.
Ruling: Proper procedure
Comment: During the regular season, the host school must provide properly trained personnel to track the libero replacements and substitutes during the match. The host school may designate someone from the visiting team as the official libero tracker provided that person sits at the scorer’s table. If the visiting team cannot provide a tracker that will sit at the scorer’s table, host management must provide a libero tracker even if the host team does not use the libero.
Situation #26: Rule 5-6-3-a: Libero Tracker Responsibilities During the first set, Team A does not use the libero but Team B uses the libero. The R1 instructs the libero tracker to track the libero replacements and substitutions for Team B only.
Ruling: Proper procedure
Comment: The NFHS has ruled on this situation. Under Tracking Sheet Instructions--#1 on Page 94 of the 2009-10 Case Book it states: “If no libero is being used, no tracking for that team is necessary”.
Situation #27: Rule 11-Penalty: Time-out Delay Following a time-out, only 5 team members of Team A return to the court for play. The R2, using preventive officiating, informs Team A’s coach that they are short one player. The coach makes no effort to find the missing player. The R1 charges Team A with unnecessary delay.
Ruling: Proper procedure
Comment: For a team delaying its return to the floor after a time-out, unnecessary delay shall be charged.
Situation #28: Rule 7-2: Lineup Change During warm-up prior to the first set, player #8 of Team A is injured. Team A’s starting line-up has been submitted by the coach. The R1 allows Team A’s coach to substitute for player #8 and charges Team A with a loss of rally.
Ruling: Improper procedure
Comment: A starting player may be replaced in the lineup without penalty due to an injury or illness at the start of the match or between sets of the match. This is not a substitution, therefore, no substitution is to be charged to the team.
Situation #29: Rule 9-4-8: Contacting the Ball During play, the LB of Team R contacts the first hit with her left wrist and right wrist. There is no prolonged contact. The R1 whistles a double hit foul against Team R.
Ruling: Improper ruling by the R1
Comment: A first hit is the first contact of any ball after it legally does over the net. This could be a serve reception or during play, any ball that legally crosses the net from one team to the other. Multiple contacts are allowed on any first hit as long as there is only one attempt to play the ball and the contacts are not prolonged. Prolonged contact is not allowed at any time when playing the ball.
Situation #30: Rule 11-5: Between Sets Between sets, Team A: (a) stays on the court to practice; (b) goes into the locker room; (c) starts hitting balls on its own court while Team B rests on the bench.
Ruling: From the Case Book: 11.5.1 SITUATION A (a), (b), (c) are Legal.
Comment: Balls cannot be hit over the net between games: players may warm up on their respective court. Players must keep balls in area away from opponent.
Situation #31: Rule 4-1-6: Jewelry A player is found on the court with a plastic device in the hole of an ear piercing. The plastic device is small and merely covers the ear hole. The R1 allows play to continue without penalty.
Ruling: Improper ruling by the R1
Comment: The likelihood of seeing the plastic plug is minimal, but when it is discovered it is considered illegal equipment and an unnecessary delay is assessed.
Situation #32: Rule 10-4-5-a-Penalty 1 Libero Replacement After the whistle/signal for serve by the R1, the libero for Team R replaces a back row player. The R1 waits until the server for Team S contacts the ball before blowing the whistle for illegal replacement.
Ruling: Proper procedure. Illegal alignment is assessed to Team R.
Comment: Once a replacement has taken place after the whistle/signal for serve, an illegal alignment penalty must be assessed. Waiting until the server contacts the ball to whistle the penalty is the proper procedure.