OHSBVA State Officials' Coordinator's Page
2018 OHSBVA State Tournament Officiating Crew
Left to right: Michael Chandler (Official Scorer), Joe Bysak (Line Judge), Jim Hammar (Line Judge), Josh Hall (Referee), Mike Merz (Line Judge), Ashley Howerter (Referee), Anthony Hines (Line Judge), Scott Burnett (Referee),Terry Miller (Referee), Lori Francescon (Referee), Lucas Tuggle (Head Referee)
This Week in Boys' Volleyball is a new feature for 2019. Each week, we plan to feature topics we believe are important to referee development or that address a current issue.
This Week in Volleyball Volume 1, 2019
This Week in Volleyball Volume 1, Issue 1: March 18
This Week in Volleyball Volume 1, Issue 2: March 25
This Week in Volleyball Volume 1, Issue 3: April 1
This Week in Volleyball Volume 1, Special Edition: April 5
This Week in Volleyball Volume 1, Issue 4: April 8
This Week in Volleyball Volume 1, Issue 5: April 15
This Week in Volleyball Volume 1, Issue 6: April 22
This Week in Volleyball Volume 1, Issue 7: April 29
This Week in Volleyball Volume 1, Issue 8: May 6
Please view these pages for important updates from
Lucas Tuggle, OHSBVA State Officials' Coordinator.
Access this page frequently for the latest information including NFHS rule changes, rule interpretations and guidance. To access in-depth officiating information, click on "Officiating."
How to Work with a VolleyWrite Scorer: Access this document with the following link VolleyWrite document.
Rule Changes for Upcoming Season
The basic change for 2019 moves us from the solid-colored jersey rule, a rule that has been difficult to enforce effectively for girls'/women's volleyball. For a variety of reasons both USA Volleyball and PAVO/NCAA college women's volleyball previously abandoned this rule.
Jersey rule changes Click here
The move from the solid-colored jersey rule will hopefully make it easier for both schools and referees to more easily identify liberos on the court in the middle of a group of moving players. As we shared in the rules meeting, the revised jersey rule requires the libero jersey to be clearly contrasting from the jerseys worn by his teammates from every angle to allow the libero to be quickly identified by everyone with a need to spot the libero. Review the NFHS jersey PowerPoint at http://www.nfhs.org/media/1019891/2019-contrasting-uniform-top-requirements.pdf!
Revised Rule 4-2-2 states that the libero uniform top must clearly contrast from the predominant color(s) of the team uniform top, excluding trim but including sleeves. Long sleeves could be an issue if they are the same color as the predominant color of the libero’s teammates’ jerseys. Fortunately, short sleeves or cut-off sleeves are more the norm for boys’ VB. The libero’s uniform top cannot be made up solely of the same predominant color(s) of the team’s uniform top, even if the like color(s) are placed differently on the uniform top. The key is that the libero must clearly contrast with the rest of his teammates and conform to all other uniform rules. This means shorts in the same shade range as teammates and having a visible, readable and legal number of the proper size and in the proper location.
Who Decides?
Each set of referees has to apply the clearly contrasting standard from what the referees observe in viewing jersey combinations. In some cases, jerseys are not viewed until warm-up jackets come off, and the referees don't get to see how difficult it is to spot the libero with the libero and his teammates in motion on the court. Of course, it isn’t just the R1 and R2 who need to be able to spot the libero quickly in a crowd from a variety of angles to ensure libero actions comply with the restrictions on the libero. The Scorer and Libero Tracker have to view that the libero is serving, and the LT has to track the libero’s movements on/off the court.
Expectations of coaches/teams
We have put together a reasonable process in an effort to prevent problems and seek compliance. This includes providing coaches with a jersey rule change guidance document, a bullet-point summary and inclusion in the pre-season rules meeting for coaches where a representative from each school is required to attend. We should (and do!) expect cooperation from the coaches.
Expectations of referees
Referees need to reasonably address situations where the contrast is not good enough. Don’t fail to deal with the situation and pass a problem on to the next set of referees! Instead, communicate politely/professionally with the head coach so the issue is understood, and see if you can’t get the coach to come up with a better option for the libero. Regardless, marginal combinations aren't to be ignored; if the coach doesn't present another jersey option, let the libero play that match and report the issue to your assigner and to the State Officials' Coordinator. Also, please let the coach know that another set of referees may not allow the libero to play in that jersey combination and that you are reporting it as an issue. The situation will be addressed administratively with the school, and we will keep folks informed as needed.
However, if it’s a really bad combination in terms of contrast, the libero should not be allowed to play in that jersey. For example, if you are looking at two light colors (such as light blue and light gray, white and pale blue, white and light yellow, etc.) or - more likely - two dark colors (like black with any of the following colors: navy blue, dark green, dark gray, maroon, purple and other really dark colors; navy and maroon, etc.), it is not okay for the libero to play wearing that jersey. From a problem-solving standpoint, as early as possible, give the coach a chance to fix the problem through quick, respectful and professional communication. Use the same approach as with marginally contrasting jerseys in terms of asking the coach to provide a contrasting jersey for the libero when the jerseys are clearly not contrasting. The difference is that failure to produce a clearly contrasting jersey means the team plays without a libero until a compliant jersey is found. The team's libero will have to play instead as a regular player.
From not being allowed to play with a libero, it probably won’t take very long before the team produces a light or dark jersey as appropriate to be able to play a libero, if not for this match, then likely the next one! Referees should plan to report to their assigner and the State Officials’ Coordinator, who also is our State Rules Interpreter, when a team was not allowed to play a libero due to failure to comply with the clearly contrasting from every angle requirement.
Summary: The clearly contrasting requirement has been around since the the libero player was introduced to volleyball. Reasonable compliance is expected. Failure to produce a clearly contrasting jersey means the team will have to play without a libero, and the player who would have been libero gets to play but as a regular player.
List of "High School Rule Differences" for new OHSBVA Referees who have not officiated OHSAA matches before! Click here.
HAVE A GREAT SEASON!
Lucas Tuggle, OHSBVA State Officials' Coordinator/State Rules Interpreter
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