Pre-Match – What’s It All About?
As volleyball officials, your duties don’t start after the National Anthem and introduction of the players. There’s a lot to do before you get to that point.
When you get your assignment, CALL YOUR PARTNER at least a week before the match to confirm they will be there and what time you will be arriving at the gym. On the day of the match, or before, fill out all your paperwork so you will have it ready when you arrive. When you do arrive make sure you have a pen to fill out any paperwork required by the school.
When you enter the gym take notice of where the basketball backboards are and how you are going to handle them. (Read your rulebook the night before if you are uncertain). If you arrive before your partner, take care of checking the benches to make sure they are not encroaching into the substitution zone on both sides. Check the height and tautness of the net and, if necessary, have the coach make any necessary adjustments. Check the game ball to make sure it meets NFHS specifications and has the proper inflation level. Bring it into compliance if necessary.
Once your partner arrives, make sure you go over together any ground rules and how overhead obstructions will be handled. Go over what type of assistance the R2 will be providing the R1, including how and when.
Introduce yourselves to the coaches, scorekeeper, Libero tracker (assistant scorekeeper) and scoreboard operator. The R2 should ask the scorekeeper how they want substitutions handled, (i.e., calling out uniform numbers) and how the Libero tracker will let them know if the Liberos are on or off the court when a timeout starts and what to do if that is different when the timeout ends.
The R1 should locate line judges and provide any pre-match instructions necessary for them to carry out their duties.
Remember the referee crew is a TEAM. You are all in this together and every part is important to facilitating the match. Control what you can before the match and then go out and call the match to the best of your ability.
Dave Thompson
This Week’s Updates & Reminders
Next Chapter Meeting: NEW Officials ONLY – Monday, October 10
Location: Dallas Christian School – Mesquite
Start: 6:30 p.m.
Education Forum: Basics 101
On-Line Clinic
The On-line Clinic is now open. TASO has set a deadline for October 7. Please go ahead and take the clinic if you have not attended a clinic in person. Don’t wait until the last minute and then find out you’re not able to get on the system.
Test
If you have not taken the State Test please do so now. The deadline set by TASO is October 7 just like the On-Line Clinic. If you have not completed the test you will not be allowed to officiate after that date.
Meeting Attendance Requirements
If you have not yet your meeting attendance requirement your opportunities are running out. We have one more General Meeting for Veterans scheduled for Monday, October 17 at Dallas Christian.
We have two more meetings scheduled for new officials: Next Monday, October 10 (Dallas Christian) and Monday, October 24 (Plano High School)
Rules
Please be attentive to knowing your rules! Read & Review your Rules Book daily.
While this should not be happening we continue to receive email after email and call after call with concerns/complaints about officials NOT knowing the rules or misapplying the rules. This REALLY should not be happening on the level it is happening. NOT judgment calls – coaches may not like our judgment in some instances – but that is not why they are contacting us – it is because of rules and rules application!
Mentoring Initiative
Please be sure to contact your mentee on a weekly basis to check in on how he or she is doing and answer questions they might have. As a mentor you should take the initiative to ask leading questions – remembering that new officials are sometimes uncertain about “what” to ask you. This can be a very beneficial program working to strengthen our officials and chapter but only so far as we work together to make it successful and vibrant. I am counting on our veteran officials to lead STRONG! New officials, if you are not being contacted by your mentor you can take the initiative. If you need assistance please contact Mark Krone @ MLKTexas@prodigy.net.
Elections
The nominations for the 5 Board positions have been submitted and we are currently confirming acceptance by each official for running. The list of nominees will be posted this week and the elections will begin on Friday, October 7. An email will be sent chapter wide Thursday with complete instructions on how to vote on-line.
Our elections will open on Friday, Oct. 7 at 6:00 a.m. and conclude on Saturday, October 15 at midnight. Results will be announced at our Chapter Meeting on Monday, October 17.
Call Your Partner
Call your co-officials for any assignments you have each week and confirm the game, time, and location of the game you are scheduled to work.
A message left IS NOT a confirmation.
- A conversation about your assignment with your co-official IS a confirmation.
- An email sent is NOT a confirmation.
- An email sent AND replied to IS a confirmation.
If your co-official has not replied to your attempts to confirm 24 hours (preferably 48 hours) before your assignment you need to contact Don Melton and let him know. It could be that the match needs to be filled with another official.
New Officials: Observation Opportunities
If you have not received an assignment yet please consider attending some matches and observe. It can be a great time to see live action, make some notes and visit with the officials working the match at its conclusion to ask your questions.
Opportunities are posted on our website under the Members Area on the Education & Training Resources page.
Zebra-Ware
Please be sure you have checked your Zebra-Ware profile and/or updated your information to make sure it is correct. You can’t be reached to confirm schedules by your fellow officials if we do not have the correct information.
Let Us Know
Your input and active participation in communicating situations and issues concerning our chapter are both needed and solicited. EVERYTHING we do should be for the benefit of all. Your eyes, ears, and ideas will move us forward to where we need to be. your Board is in place to serve you and help in any way possible. If you to contact anyone of them their contact information is on our website under the Members Area
Make this season your best season ever! Work hard. Be professional in all areas. Set goals and find at least one area you can improve upon. Help one another become better along the way. Have a great season!