Difficult Calls

•Illegal Attacks

•Illegal Blocks

•Over the Net

Ed Vesely, Illinois, and Rick Brown, Ohio 7//2007

ILLEGAL ATTACKS

What types of illegal attacks do we need to consider?

• Illegal Back-Row Attack

• Illegal Libero Attack

• Illegal Attack from a Libero Assist/Pass

• Illegal Attack of Serve

What is common betweenthese four calls?

• Ball must be entirely above the net when attacked by the offending team.

• The attack must be “completed.”

• Basic signal to use is the same, Signal 8.

What is a “completed” attack?

• An attack is a ball directed towards the opponent’s court.

• The attack is considered “completed” when any of the following three things happen:– The ball goes completely beyond the vertical

plane of the net untouched.– The ball is played by the opponents while in

the vertical plane of the net.– The ball is legally blocked by the opponents

before it reaches the vertical plane of the net.

Illegal Back-Row Attack

• Player is back row.• Player’s last contact with the floor is on or

in front of the attack line.• And...the other illegal attack criteria apply:

– Ball entirely above the net when attacked.– Directed toward the opponents.– Attack “completed.”

Illegal Back-Row Attack

• The “Safe Set” is eliminated for 2007. In previous years, if a back-row player on or in front of the attack line contacted the ball when it was entirely above net height and directed the team’s first or second hit toward a teammate AND the ball was next played by the opposition in the vertical plane above the net, it was “play on.” Now, a completed attack is an illegal back-row attack on this play.

Illegal Libero Attack• Libero contacts the ball.• Libero is ANYWHERE on the court.• And ... the other illegal attack criteria apply.

• If the libero directs the team’s first or second hit (ball totally above net height when contacted by the libero) and the ball is next played by the opposition in the plane of the net – even if directed toward a teammate, we signal ILLEGAL ATTACK.

Illegal Attack from a Libero Assist• Libero:

– On or in front of the attack line (front zone).– Plays a ball using overhead finger action.

(ball height at time of set doesn’t matter).

• Player receiving the set:– Is ANYWHERE on the court.– Attacks the ball when it is completely above the height

of the net.– The attack is completed.

• Signal Illegal Attack, then indicate libero.

You Make the Call

• Libero in front of the attack line sets a ball that is partially below the height of the net to a teammate using overhead finger action. When the ball is completely above the height of the net, the teammate swings and misses. The ball is blocked in the plane of the net by the opposition.

You Make the Call

• Libero in front of the attack line sets a ball that is partially below the height of the net to a teammate using overhead finger action. When the ball is completely above the height of the net, the teammate swings and misses. The ball is blocked in the plane of the net by the opposition.

PLAY ON

You Make the Call

• Libero in front of the attack line picks up a “dump” from the opposition using overhead finger action. When the ball is completely above the height of the net, the setter sees an opening and dumps the ball to the opponent’s court.

You Make the Call

• Libero in front of the attack line picks up a “dump” from the opposition using overhead finger action. When the ball is completely above the height of the net, the setter sees an opening and dumps the ball to the opponent’s court.

ILLEGAL ATTACK – INDICATE LIBERO

You Make the Call

• Libero jump-sets a ball using overhead finger action after leaving the ground with a foot on the attack line. When the ball is completely above the height of the net, a back-row player jumps 15’ from the center line and sends the ball to the opponent’s court.

You Make the Call

• Libero jump-sets a ball using overhead finger action after leaving the ground with a foot on the attack line. When the ball is completely above the height of the net, a back-row player jumps 15’ from the center line and sends the ball to the opponent’s court.

ILLEGAL ATTACK – INDICATE LIBERO

You Make the Call

• Libero jump-sets a ball using overhead finger action after leaving the ground with a foot on the attack line. A teammate lets the ball drop partially below the height of the net before down-balling it over the net.

You Make the Call

• Libero jump-sets a ball using overhead finger action after leaving the ground with a foot on the attack line. A teammate lets the ball drop partially below the height of the net before down-balling it over the net.

PLAY ON

You Make the Call

• Libero in front of the attack line picks up a tip from the opposition using overhead finger action. When the ball is completely above the height of the net, the setter sets the ball towards a teammate. When the ball enters the plane of the net, it is blocked by the opponent.

You Make the Call

• Libero in front of the attack line picks up a tip from the opposition using overhead finger action. When the ball is completely above the height of the net, the setter sets the ball towards a teammate. When the ball enters the plane of the net, it is blocked by the opponent.

ILLEGAL ATTACK – INDICATE LIBERO

You Make the Call

• Back-row setter goes up to set a ball that is in the plane of the net and contacts the ball at the same time as an opposition blocker. The ball goes to the setter’s teammate who pounds the ball, which is completely above net, to the floor.

You Make the Call

• Back-row setter goes up to set a ball that is in the plane of the net and contacts the ball at the same time as an opposition blocker. The ball goes to the setter’s teammate who pounds the ball, which is completely above net, to the floor.

TRICK QUESTION: BACK-ROW BLOCK

ILLEGAL BLOCKS

How many types of illegal blocks do we have to consider?

• Completed Back-Row Block

• Block or Block Attempt by a Libero

• Block of a Serve

Definition of a Blocker• Player close to the net.• Player reaching higher than the net.• Player deflects a ball coming from the opponents.

• Completed Block: When a blocker makes contact with a ball coming from the opponents, the block is considered completed.

Illegal Back-Row Block• Back-row player completes a block including participation in a collective block.

• Block does not have to be intentional.

• A back-row player who contacts a ball at the same time as an opponent has committed a back-row block.

• Faking or attempting a block is LEGAL. Only a completed block by a back-row player is illegal.

Collective Block

• Two or more blockers in close proximity form a collective block. Close proximity is considered a player within an arm’s length of another player.

• A collective block is completed if any of the players involved in the collective block contacts the ball.

• A back-row player participating in a completed collective block results in a back-row block being called.

Other Blocking Faults• Libero

– All back-row blocking faults apply.– A libero is not allowed to attempt a block.– Attempting to block requires the libero to be near the net and near where the attacked ball is

occurring. The libero being above net height is one key element. Being near the net AND near the play is the other.

• No player may complete a block on a served ball.

OVER THE NET

Playing the Ball at the Net

• A player is not permitted to contact a ball that is completely on the opponent’s side of the net unless the contact is a legal block.

• A ball in the vertical plane of the net may be played by either team. This may be an attack or a block.

Legal Block

• A block may occur on a ball completely on the opposition’s side if the opponent has had the opportunity to complete its attack:– Attacking team has had its three hits.– Attacking team has had the opportunity to

complete its attack or directs the ball towards its opponent’s side of the net. [Simultaneous contact on an attacked ball on the opponent’s side is illegal: over-the-net fault is called.]

– The ball is falling near the net and no team member could make a play on the ball.

Change for 2007 – 2008 Season

• The “safe set” exception is now removed from the back-row attack rule. This makes it easier for officials to make the call since the only issues are whether the attack or the block got to the ball first and whether the ball reached the plane of the net.