Consider this:
In volleyball, the object of the game is to send the ball over the net in order to ground it on the opponent’s court. Sounds simple. So, actions that terminate play are the first to consider when looking at the rules. If the ball lands within the opponent’s court, your team gets a point. If you attempt to do this and the ball lands out of the opponent’s court due to your team’s actions, then they get a point.
Next, in the process of keeping the ball off the ground on your side of the court, if you touch the ball and it is deflected out, then your opponent gets a point because you could not keep the ball in play and direct it over the net and in.
To me, the basics of the ball being "In" and "Out" are simple when determining what terminates play.
The second thing we need to consider is how we keep the competition fair for both teams. We do not want one team getting an unfair advantage over the other when they are playing. For instance, if your team is serving and the ball is served low and about to hit the net, if a teammate pulls the net down to let the ball go over, this would be seen as an unfair advantage and a fault would be called on the serving team.
Because in the game of volleyball, each player can only contact the ball with one "Hit" (except for blocking), if a player touches the ball twice in succession, this is seen as an unfair advantage and a fault is called. (A "Hit" is characterized as any contact by the player where the ball is hit. It can rebound in any direction - see 9.2.2)
If the ball is contacted for an extended period of time, this is characterized as a "Catch" (9.3.3). This is also seen as an unfair advantage.
I would even classify unsportsmanlike conduct as giving a team an unfair advantage.
So, in summary, play in volleyball is terminated when the ball is sent either "In" or "Out", or when one team commits an action that gives them an unfair advantage...
Except for the Volleyball Canada addendum to rule 9.2.3.2.
Contacting a served ball with an overhand motion using the fingers has nothing to directly do with putting a ball "In" or "Out". Nor does it give one team an unfair advantage over the other.
I cannot figure out any good reason why this is a rule.
There are plenty of bad reasons. Some rationalizations I have heard for this rule are that "We need to teach better forearm passing on serve receive". My argument against that statement would be "Then start teaching better forearm passing on serve receive in you practices". Another rationalization I have heard is that "It protects the fingers of the serve receiver from a hard serve". My argument against that statement would be "Then, why do we allow athletes to receive a hard driven attack / spike with an overhand motion using the fingers?"
It just doesn't make sense, and it confuses developing athletes.
My observation of the quality of volleyball, at least in Alberta, is that we actually play "Bump Ball", especially at the younger age classes. After the serve, we see a lot of Bump, Bump, Bump, on each side of the net rather than, Pass, Set, Attack. We wonder why our setters forearm pass the ball rather than "Volley" it with an overhand motion. I believe part of the reason is because we have introduced a rule to teach a skill, and that one skill is being emphasized in every aspect of the game.
If taking a serve with an overhand motion using the fingers is tactically a bad decision in a certain context, then I would rather the naturally occurring negative consequence of the action be what teaches the skill. By not doing so, we are robbing our athletes of the opportunity to learn a valuable "read and react" skill. And we are also unfairly punishing them when the proper action does call for an overhand pass during a serve receive. They start to develop a pavlovian response to overhand passing the ball on a first contact.
Let's all hope they discard this addendum in the near future. Then maybe we will be able to put the "Volley" back in volleyball, especially at the younger age’s classes.
9.2 Characteristics Of The Hit
9.2.3.2 Volleyball Canada, 16U and younger competitions, receiving the serve with an overhand motion using the fingers (volleying/setting the serve) is not permitted, regardless of the quality of the contact. The first referee will use the "double-contact" signal to indicate this infraction.
In volleyball, the object of the game is to send the ball over the net in order to ground it on the opponent’s court. Sounds simple. So, actions that terminate play are the first to consider when looking at the rules. If the ball lands within the opponent’s court, your team gets a point. If you attempt to do this and the ball lands out of the opponent’s court due to your team’s actions, then they get a point.
Next, in the process of keeping the ball off the ground on your side of the court, if you touch the ball and it is deflected out, then your opponent gets a point because you could not keep the ball in play and direct it over the net and in.
To me, the basics of the ball being "In" and "Out" are simple when determining what terminates play.
The second thing we need to consider is how we keep the competition fair for both teams. We do not want one team getting an unfair advantage over the other when they are playing. For instance, if your team is serving and the ball is served low and about to hit the net, if a teammate pulls the net down to let the ball go over, this would be seen as an unfair advantage and a fault would be called on the serving team.
Because in the game of volleyball, each player can only contact the ball with one "Hit" (except for blocking), if a player touches the ball twice in succession, this is seen as an unfair advantage and a fault is called. (A "Hit" is characterized as any contact by the player where the ball is hit. It can rebound in any direction - see 9.2.2)
If the ball is contacted for an extended period of time, this is characterized as a "Catch" (9.3.3). This is also seen as an unfair advantage.
I would even classify unsportsmanlike conduct as giving a team an unfair advantage.
So, in summary, play in volleyball is terminated when the ball is sent either "In" or "Out", or when one team commits an action that gives them an unfair advantage...
Except for the Volleyball Canada addendum to rule 9.2.3.2.
Contacting a served ball with an overhand motion using the fingers has nothing to directly do with putting a ball "In" or "Out". Nor does it give one team an unfair advantage over the other.
I cannot figure out any good reason why this is a rule.
There are plenty of bad reasons. Some rationalizations I have heard for this rule are that "We need to teach better forearm passing on serve receive". My argument against that statement would be "Then start teaching better forearm passing on serve receive in you practices". Another rationalization I have heard is that "It protects the fingers of the serve receiver from a hard serve". My argument against that statement would be "Then, why do we allow athletes to receive a hard driven attack / spike with an overhand motion using the fingers?"
It just doesn't make sense, and it confuses developing athletes.
My observation of the quality of volleyball, at least in Alberta, is that we actually play "Bump Ball", especially at the younger age classes. After the serve, we see a lot of Bump, Bump, Bump, on each side of the net rather than, Pass, Set, Attack. We wonder why our setters forearm pass the ball rather than "Volley" it with an overhand motion. I believe part of the reason is because we have introduced a rule to teach a skill, and that one skill is being emphasized in every aspect of the game.
If taking a serve with an overhand motion using the fingers is tactically a bad decision in a certain context, then I would rather the naturally occurring negative consequence of the action be what teaches the skill. By not doing so, we are robbing our athletes of the opportunity to learn a valuable "read and react" skill. And we are also unfairly punishing them when the proper action does call for an overhand pass during a serve receive. They start to develop a pavlovian response to overhand passing the ball on a first contact.
Let's all hope they discard this addendum in the near future. Then maybe we will be able to put the "Volley" back in volleyball, especially at the younger age’s classes.
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