.

[mikegarrison]

Jul 23, 2025 20:19:00 GMT -5 mln59 said:

if i hit a ball seventeen feet out of bounds, what does it matter that some one inadvertently grazed the net with a hip

Remind me again why hitting the ball out of bounds is a big deal. Is there a rule against it? Oh, there is. Does the rule specify a penalty? Oh, it does. OK, thanks. What if I just barely hit the ball a little bit out of bounds? Oh, that still counts? OK.

[vbnerd]

Jul 23, 2025 20:19:00 GMT -5 mln59 said:

if i hit a ball seventeen feet out of bounds, what does it matter that some one inadvertently grazed the net with a hip

Because somewhere between grazing the net and climbing it like a latter, most people will find a point where it's problematic, and the easiest line to draw is did they touch the net or not.

Jul 23, 2025 20:38:47 GMT -5 Brutus Buckeye said:

It decreases wear and tear on the net.

And yeah, if a player was hanging their armpits on the net every time they blocked, the net would get sweat stained.

And lastly, if the net cable did come off the poles, that would be a delay much longer than the video review.

[vbman100]

Jul 23, 2025 20:19:00 GMT -5 mln59 said:

if i hit a ball seventeen feet out of bounds, what does it matter that some one inadvertently grazed the net with a hip

Propose wording/dialogue of what the net rule would be if net touching is allowed.

[mikegarrison]

Jul 23, 2025 21:04:51 GMT -5 vbman100 said:

Jul 23, 2025 20:19:00 GMT -5 mln59 said:

if i hit a ball seventeen feet out of bounds, what does it matter that some one inadvertently grazed the net with a hip

Propose wording/dialogue of what the net rule would be if net touching is allowed.

I mean, we (collectively) already tried this.

They tried a rule that said that minor contact with the net other than at the tape was not a violation, and it didn't work. The reason why is that the need to control your body so that you don't contact the net affects the whole play. Allowing net contact changes the constraints on how you play the game, and after trying it for a few years the volleyball world collectively went back to the old rule.

[widdledumpling]

Jul 23, 2025 21:08:31 GMT -5 mikegarrison said:

Jul 23, 2025 21:04:51 GMT -5 vbman100 said:

Propose wording/dialogue of what the net rule would be if net touching is allowed.

I mean, we (collectively) already tried this.

They tried a rule that said that minor contact with the net other than at the tape was not a violation, and it didn't work. The reason why is that the need to control your body so that you don't contact the net affects the whole play. Allowing net contact changes the constraints on how you play the game, and after trying it for a few years the volleyball world collectively went back to the old rule.

Memories of playing coed and getting body slammed to the ground through the net by dudes who don’t know how to stop their momentum

[blackcrow]

Jul 23, 2025 20:19:00 GMT -5 mln59 said:

if i hit a ball seventeen feet out of bounds, what does it matter that some one inadvertently grazed the net with a hip

Do you really need a montage of career ending ankle and knee injuries to understand why?

[NoReally]

If you push the net into the opponents space it should be a violation. If you simply just touch it then it shouldn't be a violation. Many refs already don’t call it,. Especially at end of games. Kinda like doubles use to randomly be called or not called. I think this is doable and would take out some whistles stopping play.

[batnasterson]

Jul 23, 2025 22:42:24 GMT -5 NoReally said:

If you push the net into the opponents space it should be a violation. If you simply just touch it then it shouldn't be a violation. Many refs already don’t call it,. Especially at end of games. Kinda like doubles use to randomly be called or not called. I think this is doable and would take out some whistles stopping play.

I assume by many refs don't call it you mean at amateur level, like younger amateur level, because it absolutely gets called in college, high school, and club. I've never seen a lax on net violations outside of when it was legal.

[NoReally]

Jul 23, 2025 23:05:02 GMT -5 batnasterson said:

Jul 23, 2025 22:42:24 GMT -5 NoReally said:

If you push the net into the opponents space it should be a violation. If you simply just touch it then it shouldn't be a violation. Many refs already don’t call it,. Especially at end of games. Kinda like doubles use to randomly be called or not called. I think this is doable and would take out some whistles stopping play.

I assume by many refs don't call it you mean at amateur level, like younger amateur level, because it absolutely gets called in college, high school, and club. I've never seen a lax on net violations outside of when it was legal.

At all levels. I’ve seen refs in big moments watch a players arm graze the net on a block and not call it many times. Unless they see a moving net they swallow the whistle. Especially for home teams in packed arenas. I’ve seen coaches who start complaining about too many net calls and they stop calling as many. I say just call it when the net moves into the opponents court. That’s an unfair advantage. An arm grazing the net is not an advantage.

[vbman100]

Jul 23, 2025 21:42:16 GMT -5 blackcrow said:

Jul 23, 2025 20:19:00 GMT -5 mln59 said:

if i hit a ball seventeen feet out of bounds, what does it matter that some one inadvertently grazed the net with a hip

Do you really need a montage of career ending ankle and knee injuries to understand why?

Would that be more of a center line issue, rather than a net violation issue?

[eyeroll2021]

I always thought it was weird that you could touch the net outside the antenna and it wouldn't be a fault. Can I just stand there and shake it?

[vbman100]

Jul 23, 2025 21:33:52 GMT -5 widdledumpling said:

Jul 23, 2025 21:08:31 GMT -5 mikegarrison said:

I mean, we (collectively) already tried this.

They tried a rule that said that minor contact with the net other than at the tape was not a violation, and it didn't work. The reason why is that the need to control your body so that you don't contact the net affects the whole play. Allowing net contact changes the constraints on how you play the game, and after trying it for a few years the volleyball world collectively went back to the old rule.

Memories of playing coed and getting body slammed to the ground through the net by dudes who don’t know how to stop their momentum

Was that caused by the net rules at the time?

[vbman100]

Jul 24, 2025 9:25:46 GMT -5 eyeroll2021 said:

I always thought it was weird that you could touch the net outside the antenna and it wouldn't be a fault. Can I just stand there and shake it?

You cannot touch the net anywhere in HS rules, even outside the antenna.

You cannot shake the net.

[eyeroll2021]

Jul 24, 2025 15:57:11 GMT -5 vbman100 said:

Jul 24, 2025 9:25:46 GMT -5 eyeroll2021 said:

I always thought it was weird that you could touch the net outside the antenna and it wouldn't be a fault. Can I just stand there and shake it?

You cannot touch the net anywhere in HS rules, even outside the antenna.

You cannot shake the net.

Yes, but it is ok for NCAA and international play to touch outside the antenna...

[houstonbear15]

Jul 24, 2025 8:47:39 GMT -5 NoReally said:

Jul 23, 2025 23:05:02 GMT -5 batnasterson said:

I assume by many refs don't call it you mean at amateur level, like younger amateur level, because it absolutely gets called in college, high school, and club. I've never seen a lax on net violations outside of when it was legal.

At all levels. I’ve seen refs in big moments watch a players arm graze the net on a block and not call it many times. Unless they see a moving net they swallow the whistle. Especially for home teams in packed arenas. I’ve seen coaches who start complaining about too many net calls and they stop calling as many. I say just call it when the net moves into the opponents court. That’s an unfair advantage. An arm grazing the net is not an advantage.

It may not be an advantage, but it is a potential safety hazard which is a big reason for the rule. The solution is for refs to enforce the rule better, not for the rule to bend to the lack of enforcement (which would lead to even less objective officiating than your describing).