How NOT to Act Towards the Ref….

I readily admit I'm trying to learn how to Referee Volleyball. It is much more difficult than I ever imagined!

But with 20+ years as a High School Basketball Referee I do recognize when a Coach has crossed the line and is trying to embarrass the Referee. A "T" in Basketball and a "Yellow" or "Red” Card in Volleyball.

Image by K.M. Klemencic via Flickr

I was working a JV Boy's match. I was the R1, up on the latter across the court from where the teams sit. First Set. The Home team is clearly better than the Visitors team. The Home team has a 10 point lead when a Visitor player slightly miss handles a ball on what could have been called a "Double Hit" Violation. I ignored it. If I tried to call every Minor Violation by the Visitors, they would never have had any Rally Practice and gained no experience in an actual Match setting.

Yes, yes, I understand the philosophy that if the Ref's does not make a call, the team does not realize they are making mistakes and does not "learn" from those mistakes. A Referee needs to walk that oddly placed line between calling everything and allowing teams to play up to, or down to, their ability.

So I ignored a minor "Double" Violation. The Home Team Coach, a really young fellow in his first JV Head Coach job, stands up and hollers, "that's a DOUBLE!” His team won the point without my having to call the violation.

I looked at him, motioned for him to go back to the bench and called for the next Serve. I had no interest in debating the call philosophy with him.

A few plays later the Home Team wins another point and the Home Team Coach leaps up, walks to the sideline, stretches out his hands as he bends at the waist in an imploring manner and bellows, "are WE not calling DOUBLES tonight!! "

Well, "WE" are not Refereeing. My partner & I are refereeing. The Coaches are not Assistant Referees……

I do not tolerate that sort of hysterics in a Basketball game and I will not in a Volleyball Match, so I pulled out a "Yellow Card", which required the Coach to remain seated the rest of the Match.

A few plays later I spotted the Home Team make a "Double Hit" Violation and called it.

Understandably, the Home Team Coach was not too pleased I called a "Double" on his team when I had not called any on the less skilled Visitor team.

I was also letting him know, "Hey, YOU wanted me to start calling 'Doubles', so I am starting with YOUR team first!" I suppose the unsaid thing from me to the coach was, "Are there any other things you think I am missing, so I can start calling them on YOUR team first?”

It was at this point I saw the Head VARSITY Coach walk toward the JV Coach, motion to me, “I've got this Ref!" And sat down next to the JV Head Coach and start talking to him. That was the last complaint I heard from that JV Coach the rest of the Match……

The Varsity Coach knew I was relatively new and had seen me work matches for the last 2 seasons. She also knew I had sent a letter to her school Principal & Athletic Director last season complementing her sportsmanship in a Match I had refereed (she had thanked me for that letter prior to the JV Match).

She was exceptional in the Varsity Match and I just dropped another Good Sportsmanship letter into the mail to her school.

But I did not send one for the JV Coach………