Coach Houser:
The referees at our most recent tournament were all so different. How can they be that way? One would not call jerseys in the net. One woman only made any calls if the game was close. I assume she figured after one team got up by 10, why interrupt the inevitable? Then one referee actually told me that he doesn't call foot faults unless they're really bad. So many referees this season have been talking about not wanting to "affect the flow of the game"; but, how about fulfilling the requirements of the rule book? How can I explain this to my players? How do I explain it to myself?

I've been reffing on and off for 20 years; but, I've been reffing full time for the past 2 years.

My first impression............If it's a rule that has an impact on the scoreboard, then I call it. Period! If there's a jersey in the net, I call it. The only time I'm tempted to let it go is when the score is 22-8. But even that would be wrong! And I know it would be wrong, thus I make the call. Why? If I don't call it on the team that's winning, then the coach of the team that's behind will legimately say, "So you're deciding that we've lost". I've said those exact same words to referees myself when they stop calling violations against the team that's way ahead. It infuriates me! I'm telling my team to keep trying and to show character, then the ref won't make a call that he would make if the game was competitive.

Let's say that at 22-8 I don't make a call against the team that's losing. And let's suppose that team starts making a miraculous comeback. The coach of the team that had the big lead can legitimately say, "See what happens when you stop doing your job? If you'd have called the jersey in the net, the game would be over at 25-15. But now it's 24-22. I know you saw it, I could see it in your eyes. "

The flow of the game, in my opinion, is what it is. The refs should call the violations if they effect the scoreboard or give a player an advantage. If my team commits 3 doubles, misses 3 serves and has 3 net violations, then I expect the other team to score 9 easy points........and I expect the referee to call all 9 of them. It's not the refs job to worry about game flow. (In fact, if the referees don't make the proper calls, THAT in itself affects the flow also!!) It's his job to call the game by the rule book, the girls' job to play by the rulebook and the coaches' job to teach the players how to play by the rulebook.

Let's say I'm the referee. Let's say a middle school girl has something hard on her wrist/arm/hand, which has occured several times both seasons I've reffed. Then I require that she remove it in order to play (unfair advantage). On the other hand, if a middle school girl has a T or camilsole (sp?) showing beyond her jersey, I will tell the coaches that I will permit it that day, but not again (no effect on the scoreboard). Many middle school coaches have enough to worry about, and teaching the girls that rule is priority #200. However, if I was reffing a high school game, I would enforce the undergarments rule immediately. The high school girls and their coaches know the rule.

Furthermore, the rules are there for a reason. Do I know all the reasons? No. Am I going to contend that I'm smarter than the people who adopted the rule? No. Therefore, if I think a rule is stupid (rotate on the first sideout, for example) it's not my call to decide that I'm not going to enforce it. I guess I do have the power to choose which rules I enforce and which I don't enforce, but doesn't that make everyone think that I believe I'm smarter the the hundreds of people that create/review/alter the rules every year?

In addition, there's nothing in the rule book that gives us refs the power to pick & choose the rules we enforce. Therefore, I'm going to enforce nearly all of them. I will enforce 100% of the rules that affect the scoreboard.

Here's a good one! At the junior tournaments I was at this past season, some refs were strictly enforcing the new USA interpretation of the contrasting libero jersey rule. When they came to my team to ask us to switch jerseys, I told them, "OK, we will, but how about that non-red lace that's showing below those girls' red jerseys. If my girl must change her libero jerseys, then please tell them they're wearing illegal uniforms." I just don't understand enforcing one judgment rule, but not a rule that's black-and-white, like the undergarments-that-show rule. Each time, the ref never answer, "I said your libero jersey is illegal. Fix it or she doesn't play." haha I tried!

Tom Houser

Head Coach, 2007 and 2008 Roanoke Juniors 15's Open

Head Coach, 2006 Roanoke Junior 15 Nationals, JOVC Qualified

Director, STAR Volleyball Camps

Author, "I Can't Wait" Drill Collection and Ebooks

www.coachhouser.com