OHSBVA State Officials Coordinator's Page
2019 OHSBVA State Tournament Officiating Crew Left to right:
Lucas Tuggle (Head Referee), Dan Litteral (Referee),
Dave McCray (Line Judge), Mary Black (Referee),
Gerald Price (Line Judge), Michael Chandler (Official Scorer),
Jeff Kline (Line Judge/Referee),Brien Rife (Referee),
Shane White (Referee), Drew Puckrin (Line Judge),
Steve DiBacco (Scoreboard Operator);
not pictured - Mike Merz (Line Judge)
This Week in Boys' Volleyball was a new feature added for 2019. For 2021, we plan to feature topics we believe are important to referee development or ones 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."
State Rules Interpretation Meetings for 2021
Given the current COVID-19 situation, OHSBVA State Rules Interpretation meetings will be conducted as virtual sessions using the Zoom platform. Dates and times are posted below and are being shared via blast email from this website and through local officials' associations in each Region. We want to make sure that new officials get this information, too.
Tuesday, March 2: 6pm start time; Wednesday, March 10: 7pm start time; and Tuesday, March 16: 5:30pm start time. Plan to attend one of these virtual rules meetings. We will share information regarding how to sign up.
Improve your Second Referee Skills! Master the information in the document "How to Work with a VolleyWrite Scorer": VolleyWrite document.
Rule Changes for Upcoming Season
The basic change for 2019 moved us away from the solid-colored jersey rule and back to the requirement that the libero jersey must be "clearly contrasting from every angle," allowing the libero to be quickly identified, even in a group of moving teammates. There were some changes in 2020 State Rules Meetings that were posted on the Officiating webpage to facilitate review. These touched upon how a side-folding retractable backboard over a playable area (play on), procedural changes involving roster submission to the R2 at the pre-match meeting and reduced penalties for delay submission, new informal R1-only signals for legal back-row attacks, changes involving how ball handling should be called, especially athletic plays on the second contact involving minor double-hits where the ball stays on that team's side of the net, correcting a lineup lwith a clerical error (number listed for libero that no player is wearing) and legal protective facemasks.
When 2021 rule changes are published by the NFHS, we will evaluate these and determine which will be put into place for our spring season.
To review 2019 Jersey rule changes, Click here
The solid-colored jersey rule was abandoned. The focus returned to libero jerseys needing to be clearly contrasting from the jerseys worn by each libero's teammates to allow the libero to be quickly identified by everyone with a need to track the libero. The uniform rule (4-2-2) was revised to state that the libero uniform top must clearly contrast from the predominant color(s) of the team uniform top, excluding trim but including sleeves. The libero’s uniform top could not be made up solely of the same predominant color(s) of the team’s uniform top, even if the like color or colors were placed differently on the uniform top. We also clarified that the libero's shorts had to be in the same shade range as those worn by the libero's teammates.
Who Decides?
Each set of referees has to apply the clearly contrasting standard from what the referees observe in viewing jersey combinations before the start of each match. If team 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, this becomes an issue. Therefore, referees should view uniforms as early as possible, and coaches should cooperate. 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 and off the court.
Expectations of coaches/teams
We support a reasonable process with referees AND coaches partnering to prevent and resolve issues rather than looking to penalize a team. When the referees indicate that a team's libero jersey is either marginal or non-compliant, the coach of that team should try to find another jersey that is more contrasting so the team will be able to play as a libero.
Expectations of referees
Referees need to address situations with coaches where contrast is simply not good enough, communicating calmly, clearly and professionally so the issue is understood, to get the team to come up with a better jersey 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 the State Officials Coordinator within a business day to allow follow-up. When this occurs, let the coach know that another set of referees may not allow the libero to play in that jersey combination and that you will be reporting it to allow it to be reviewed and addressed administratively with the school. 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. As early as possible, give the coach a chance to fix the issue. 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 unless and until a compliant jersey is found. The team's libero will have to play instead as a regular player.
Referees should plan to report to Lucas Tuggle when a team was not allowed to play with a libero due to failure to comply with the clearly contrasting requirement.
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