Referee Tips for Better Officiating
Spotlight should be on the teams, not the officiating. Allow the game to progress as smoothly as possible. Your primary job is to have the match go as smoothly as possible with little interference from officials.
Strive for consistency. Never “even up” when you have made a mistake. If you make a mistake, let it go and continue to do the best you can. Don’t let complaints bother you or break your concentration. Some of the best matches will bring you the most complaints.
Be friendly and courteous, but also firm. Don’t let players, coaches, and the crowd influence your decisions. Listen to any reasonable inquiry, but don’t allow constant questioning about your calls.
Review rules and situations which tend to cause controversy. Read the rulebook, use “Ask the Ref”, or ask someone that you feel can give you the needed answer. Rules that commonly cause problems are timeout for injury, simultaneous contact by opponents, illegal improper requests for subs, Libero player situations, and backrow attacker/blocker rules.
The officiating crew should be officiating volleyball as a team. Work together with your other officials. Cooperate as closely as possible. Give each other active support.
Be serious but have fun. You owe it to respect the game. Every match is important to the teams playing. Get in the right frame of mind and focus on the match you are about to officiate.
Know the rules. Read the book and use it as a reference. The referee is the final judge on everything, even scorekeeping issues.
Referees should NOT be a part of the match. Your job as a referee is to watch and judge, do not coach. Be consistent.
Use preventive officiating whenever possible. Examples are jewelry, water on the court, etc.
Have consistent judgment. What is a catch/throw or double hit? It all depends on the level of play of the teams. Allow play on both sides of the net and call what is different.
Resourced from Strength and Power for Volleyball (http://www.strength-and-power-for-volleyball.com/officiating-volleyball.html)
This Weeks Updates & Reminders
Next Chapter Meeting: NEW Officials ONLY – This Monday, October 10
Location: Dallas Christian School – Mesquite
Start: 6:30 p.m.
Education Forum: Basics 101
On-Line Clinic or Test
CRITICAL UPDATE: If you have NOT taken the online clinic or did not attend a clinic and/or did not take the online test this season please send Don Melton and email letting him know why you were not able to comply. According to TASO you will not be permitted to officiate beyond Oct. 7 (Friday) and your schedule will be pulled unless we can petition on your behalf.
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: This Monday, October 10 (Dallas Christian) and Monday, October 24 (Plano High School)
Rules & Protocol
Please be attentive to knowing your rules! Read & Review your Rules Book daily.
Examples of some protocols not being administered properly
R2 Protocol: On a ball that is outside the antenna (out of bounds fault) on the R2 side of the net it is the R2’s responsibility to:
- Whistle the ball dead
- Signal Out of bounds
R2 Protocol: On a served ball into the net the R2 does NOT signal ball in the net. Simply mirror the R1 awarding point.
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 are Open
Our elections opened 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 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!