Net Play

[diggerdive]

Sorry to repeat but some leagues and players claim that touching only the top tape of the net is a violation. Everything I'm reading NCAA and USA volleyball says you can't touch any part of the net if your making a play for the ball or interfering in the play. Am I missing something?

These folks are convinced, and I'm just wanting to get the right answer. Of course, I suppose, any league can make up their own set of Calvin-ball style rules, but generally all rules fall from NCAA and USA rules. Thanks!

[oshkoshdadmjs]

You are mistaken. The rule changed in 2010(ish?) for USAV. Not sure when it changed for the NCAA, but only touching the top of the tape is a violation.

[oshkoshdadmjs]

www.volleyballreftraining.com/includes/2013_15DCRindoor.pdf

Rule 11.4.4 actual pages 38-39 of the rule book, pages 60-61 of the .pdf

[mikegarrison]

Oct 16, 2014 0:24:13 GMT -5 oshkoshdadmjs said:

You are mistaken. The rule changed in 2010(ish?) for USAV. Not sure when it changed for the NCAA, but only touching the top of the tape is a violation.

There is so much confusion on this.

The NCAA rulebook is online, and touching the net or the antenna anywhere inside the width of the court IS an NCAA violation, if it is made while "playing the ball". The NCAA has not adopted the FIVB rule change. Note that in the NCAA rule there is no special mention made of the top of the net like there is in the USAV rule.

In fact, it is sometimes discussed on NCAA telecasts that players who learned with the USAV rules in club may be caught by surprise when net calls are made on them during NCAA play.

www.ncaapublications.com/p-4321-2014-and-2015-volleyball-rules.aspx

15.2.1 Player Contact With Net or Antennas
Contact with the net or antenna by a player is not a fault, unless it is made
during an action of playing the ball, or it interferes with the play. Playing the
ball may include actions in which the player(s) does not actually touch the
ball.
15.2.1.1 If the ball is driven into the net with such force that it causes the net
or antenna to contact a player, no fault is committed.
15.2.1.2 A player may touch a post, a rope or any other object outside the
antenna, including the net itself, provided this contact does not interfere
with the play or is not used as a means of support while contacting the
ball.

[WI FIB]

Oct 16, 2014 0:24:13 GMT -5 oshkoshdadmjs said:

You are mistaken. The rule changed in 2010(ish?) for USAV. Not sure when it changed for the NCAA, but only touching the top of the tape is a violation.

Not true.

[trollhunter]

Touching any part of net is a fault in Girls High School and Womens NCAA (while playing the ball).

Touching any part of the net besides the top of the tape is ok in all ages and genders of USAV club/Open, Men's NCAA, and NCAA Sand.

Not sure about Boys High School.

P.S. I expect Women's NCAA to change rule within next couple of rule change periods (2 year cycle).

[trojansc]

Any contact with net should be a fault!

[oshkoshdadmjs]

Oct 16, 2014 23:01:50 GMT -5 WI FIB said:

Oct 16, 2014 0:24:13 GMT -5 oshkoshdadmjs said:

You are mistaken. The rule changed in 2010(ish?) for USAV. Not sure when it changed for the NCAA, but only touching the top of the tape is a violation.

Not true.

I just assumed that women's NCAA was the same as men's NCAA; whoops.

[Not Me]

Oct 17, 2014 19:50:21 GMT -5 trojansc said:

Any contact with net should be a fault!

I completely disagree. Incidental contact calls just kill the game. Touches that have nothing to do with the play should not be called. As a fan, you don't want to see play stopped because some player hit the net after they landed and were transitioning.





Last spring I had to watch some boys JV volleyball. These were all new players, many of whom where playing in their first year. the game was unwatchable. So many net calls, and few involved the play. At one point, there were 9 points in a row from net calls, and only one involved an actual play not he ball. So the kids get frustrated, and lose their desire to play the game. And people don't see what makes the game good, because all they see is the referee.


I think their is a balance between calling everything (high school) and the USAV or the NCAA rules that i feel are a bit too lenient.


incidental contact should be allowed.
Touching the net while in the act of playing the ball should not be allowed.

[trojansc]

I'm not talking about JV boys, i'm talking about NCAA / FIVB.

I get your point though. It makes sense in the scenario's you described.

[mikegarrison]

Oct 20, 2014 11:30:42 GMT -5 Not Me said:

incidental contact should be allowed.
Touching the net while in the act of playing the ball should not be allowed.

I agree. The FIVB/USAV rule that says only the top of the net is a fault is too lenient. I like the idea that the setter needs to stay out of the bottom of the net (makes precise passing more important) and that the hitter can't land in the net on follow-through (makes body control while hitting more important).

But a middle brushing the net while moving back and forth to get in position or a hitter or setter brushing the net when they turn around to transition probably shouldn't be a net fault.

I think in NCAA women's rules those are technically not net faults by rule.

[gizzsdad]

Actually the women's rule was tightened up last year. And let's face it - the coaches are the primary drivers of rule changes. The old interpretation was that if a hitter or blocker was touching the floor, they were not yet/no longer "involved" in hitting or blocking. So the rules on net and centerline faults were tightened - meaning they wanted more faults called. This was covered extensively in pre-season clinics with many video clips showing the kinds of calls that had not been made - and were henceforth supposed to be made.