1
Inadverent Whistle
The serving team serves the ball out of bounds. Before the ball crosses the net and touches the floor the R2 blows her whistle because she thought the receiving team was out of alignment. After checking the line up the receiving team wasn’t out of alignment. The R1 awarded a point to the receiving team. Why was there NOT a re-serve called? The ball is dead when the whistle is blown. Plus, the receiving team could of played the ball going out of bounds if the whistle hadn’t been blown.
This can be tricky. Why? It depends on exactly what happened. Let’s look at this closer. Page 21 Rule 5 Sec 4 Art 3a The first ref is the head official:
1. Have general supervision of officials;
2. Make decisions on matters not specifically covered by the rules.
OK, the ball is served and the R2 blows for out of position. #1 was the ball hit in a manner that the other team might (not could) have made a play on the ball? Probably inadvertent whistle. It’s judgment. The R1 has to make a decision that is fair to both teams.
Did it go outside the antenna? No replay… Point receiving team. Was it way out of bounds….no replay, point receiving team.
This is critical…nothing destroys our creditability more than calling someone out of position incorrectly. Be extremely careful when calling someone out of position. I know this personally. We will all do this sometime in our career even when we are experienced. It’s better to wait and not call it than to make a mistake here. But, it will happen. Make sure you check an opposite to the one your calling out of position before making your final decision and blowing your whistle. Know that you can explain fully who is out of position. Now, when this happens, it puts the R1 in a corner and they must make a decision that will not unfairly penalize either team.
The R2 or this observer states that the receiving team could have played the ball going out of bounds. In this case could have and did play the ball are two different things. It appears in this case that the R1 made the decision to go ahead and award the point to the receiving team because in their judgment, the receiving team would not have (and did not) make a play on the ball that was hit out.
Now, as the R2 support and protect your R1 even if you don’t agree with their call. How? If this is argued…make sure the coach is not yelling across the court and is talking to you as the R2. Use WE and OUR when talking about US as OFFICIALS. “Coach, in OUR judgment, the ball was hit in a manner that the receiving team would not and did not make a play on the ball, therefore the receiving team receives the point.” Done! No more extended discussion. If the coach continues… “Coach WE are not going to discuss judgment, WE’VE made OUR final decision.” “It’s now time to move on.” Return to base and give the court back to the R1.
You know what happens if the coach continues to argue…and it’s not good for the coach.