IHSAA Volleyball Rules Interpretations—2012
(Revised September 9, 2012)
Situation #1: Rule 5-2-2 Officials Uniform and Equipment
When the referees arrive on site for their match, they discover that the facility does not have a working score clock.
Neither referee has a watch.
Ruling: Incorrect procedure
Comment: the referees are improperly equipped as the necessary required equipment includes a whistle, set of
yellow and red cards, coin, and a watch.
Situation #2: Rule 5-3-4d Court Protocol
Prior to the deciding set, (a) the first referee calls the captains over and conducts the coin toss, (b) the first referee
calls the second referee over to the referee’s stand to conduct the coin toss, (c) the second referee calls the captains
over to the center of the court to conduct the coin toss, (d) the second referee calls the captains to the scorer’s table to
conduct the coin toss.
Ruling: (a), (b), and (c), Incorrect procedure; (d) Correct Procedure
Comment: The first referee directs the second referee and captains to the scorer’s table. The second referee
administers the coin toss.
Situation #3: Rule 10-3 Penalty 1 Substitutes
An illegal substitute is discovered (a) prior to the serve; (b) after the whistle/signal for serve.
Ruling: (a) Unnecessary delay is charged to the offending team and a time-out is charged to the offending team when
an illegal substitute attempts to enter the set; (b) illegal alignment is charged when an illegal substitute is identified in
the set after the whistle/signal for serve and results in a loss of rally/point.
Comment: When charged with unnecessary delay, if the team has no time-out remaining, it is then a loss of
rally/point.
Situation #4: Rule 4-2-7 Legal Uniform
A player enters the court wearing (a) tie-dyed t-shirt under her/his uniform top; (b) a flowered sports bra under her
uniform top; (c) a compression top with two manufacturer’ logos visible under her/his uniform top.
Ruling: (a) and (c) illegal; (b) legal
Comment: In (a) and (c), the visible undergarments do not meet the requirements of the rule. In (b), a sports bra is
considered a “foundation garment” and is not subject to the requirements.
Situation #5: Rule 4-2-4c, Penalty 4
Legal Uniform
Team A arrives on the volleyball court with uniform numbers like this picture.
The team does not have an
alternate uniform available.
Ruling: Illegal Uniform--Loss of rally/point awarded to the opponent at the beginning of the match
Comment: The numeral must be a plain, Arabic numeral of a solid color. Match officials must notify the state
association of the violation at the conclusion of the match.
Situation #6: Rule 3-1-5 Net antenna
The host school has one piece vertical tape marker/net antenna system. The vertical tape portion of the system is
located directly over the sideline and the net antenna is affixed to the outer edge of the marker. The R1 determines
that the vertical tape marker is out of bounds since it is attached to the antenna and the antenna is out of bounds.
Ruling: Incorrect procedure
Comment: Vertical tape markers are not required equipment, but are sometimes used. Vertical tape markers and net
antennas come in various styles. Some are constructed as one piece and others are two distinct pieces, but
regardless of the construction, the vertical tape is considered inbounds and the antennas are out of bounds.
Situation #7: Rule 11-2-3 Note Media Timeouts
The host school wants to have a “media timeout” during each set of a regular season volleyball match.
Ruling: Incorrect procedure
Comment: The IHSAA does not authorize “media timeouts” during regular season volleyball matches
Situation #8: Rule 5-1-2 Use of Electronic Equipment by Officials
The second referee wants to use a volleyball application on his smart phone instead of a paper lineup card. The R1
uses a smart phone application to flip a coin during the pre-match conference.
Ruling: Incorrect procedures
Comment: The use of electronic equipment by the referees to make decisions related to the set is prohibited.
Situation #9: Rule 10-4-4a Illegal Libero Replacement
The Team B libero replaces #2 and rotates to the LB position. After Team B scores a point, the libero moves to the RB
position to serve; as part of the double libero replacement protocol. Instead of replacing the libero and moving to the
LF position, #2 requests to substitute for #4. The R2 allows the substitution. After Team B’s libero serves and scores
a point, it is discovered that #2 entered illegally.
Ruling: Illegal libero replacement
Comment: A libero replacement is illegal when the libero or the replacement is in the set without following the
required replacement procedure. The illegal replacement was identified after the whistle/signal for serve, illegal
alignment results. The point known to have been scored during a term of service in which an illegal libero is
discovered in the set, shall be cancelled. (Rule 10-4-Penalty 2)
Situation #10: Rule 6-1 Team Composition
During a regular season match, Team A’s coach has her young daughter sitting on the team bench. The R1 informs
the coach that the child is not allowed to sit on the team bench.
Ruling: Incorrect procedure
Comment: Host management bears the responsibility and liability for allowing children to sit on the team bench. The
referees are only responsible for making sure that all bench personnel follow the rules.
Situation #11: Rule 4-2-9 Manufacturer’s Logo/Trademark
Team A arrives at the match site wearing uniform shorts with a pink manufacturer’s logo that is within the size
guidelines specified in the rules. The referees declare the uniforms legal for play.
Ruling: Correct procedure
Comment: The rule does not limit the color of the logo.
Situation #12: Rule 10-4-4a Illegal Libero Replacement
At the start of the set, the R2 checks Team R’s lineup from his lineup card and then motions the libero onto the court.
While the R2 is checking Team S’s lineup, the Team R’s libero replaces #3 and realizes that #3 is in the RF position.
Trying to avoid a penalty, the Team R players rotate positions, putting the libero in the RB position. Team S serves
and scores the first point of the set. Prior to the whistle/signal for the second serve, the R2 realizes that Team R is out
of rotation, whistles and signals unnecessary delay.
Ruling: Correct Procedure
Comment: The illegal libero replacement was discovered prior to the whistle/signal for serve. Team R’s lineup is
made correct and Team S retains the point scored on the first serve.
Situation #13: Rule 4-2-1a, Penalty 2 Legal Uniform
Team A has uniform shorts that are solid black. During play the referee notices that one player has black shorts with a
pink waistband that had been covered by her shirt. The referee charges Team A with an unnecessary delay and the
player is removed from the set until she is wearing a legal uniform.
Ruling: Correct Procedure
Situation #14: Rule 12-2-8g Use of Electronic Equipment by Coaches
Team A has statisticians using hand-held computer tablets to record statistics during the match while sitting on the
team bench. The R2 informs the head coach that the use computer tablets by team bench personnel is prohibited.
Ruling: Incorrect ruling
Comment: The use of computer tablets for recording statistics is permitted. The use of television replay equipment,
radio headsets, and other electronic coaching aides is prohibited.
Situation #15: Rule 9-5-4, 5, note and Rule 9-7-2 Back Row Attack / Double Foul
A back-row player on Team A completes an attack on a ball that is completely above the height of the net while on or
in front of the attack line. The ball is blocked by an illegal blocker on Team B while the ball is in the plane of the net.
The R1 whistles an illegal back row attack when the ball is touched by the Team B blocker.
Ruling: Incorrect procedure
Comment: The R1 should declare a double foul. The illegal back-row attack by the Team A player and the illegal
block by the Team B player occur at the same instant. The R1 should have whistled the play dead, signaled each
violation, and then called for a replay.
Situation #16: Rule 10-4-1c and 10-4-5b Libero Serving
Team A’s libero is in the Left Back position when her team wins the serve. The libero leaves the court to the team
bench and then replaces the RB in the serving position. The R2 charges Team A with an unnecessary delay penalty
for an illegal replacement.
Ruling: Correct procedure
Comment: Once the libero leaves the court, the libero must remain on the bench for at least on serve before
replacing another player. When the libero is on the court and moves to the RB position to serve, the libero must not
leave the court.
Situation #17: Rule 9-6-7a Net Fault
While the ball is being played by the LB player, the R2 observes the RF player brushing the net with her shoulder. The
R2 allows play to continue because the net contact was deemed to be incidental.
Ruling: Incorrect procedure
Comment: NFHS rules do not allow incidental contact of the net by a player.
Situation #18: Rule 9-4-5 Contacting the Ball
During play, a player on Team A returns the ball by kicking the ball over the net to Team B. The coach of Team B says
the intentional kicking of the ball is unsporting. The R1 allows play to continue without penalty.
Ruling: Correct procedure
Comment: Legal contact is a touch of the ball by any part of a player’s body which does not allow the ball to visibly
come to rest or involve prolonged contact with a player’s body. Officials do not judge the intent of the player, only the
type of contact the ball makes with the player.
Situation #19: Rule 4-1-4 Equipment and Accessories
During the team warm up, the referees see a player with a towel tucked into her waistband of her uniform pants. The
referee tells the coach that the towel is an illegal accessory and must be removed before the player can continue in the
warm up.
Ruling: Correct procedure
Comment: The towel in the uniform waistband represents a safety concern.
Situation #20: Rule 9-6-7a Net Fault
Team A serves the ball and it heads into the net in front of Team B’s player #10. Player 10 extends her hands in front
of her. The ball forces the net into #10’s hands. The referee calls a net fault on player #10.
Ruling: Correct procedure
Comment: Player #10 initiated the contact by extending her hands.
Situation #21: Rule 4-2-4; Penalty 4 Legal Uniform
Team A is wearing a uniform top that has a number on the back but does not have a number on the front. The R1
penalizes Team A loss of rally/point at the start of the match and notifies the state association of the violation after the
match.
Ruling: Correct procedure
Situation #22: Rule 3-2-1 The Ball
In order to promote breast cancer awareness, the host school wants to play the match with a solid pink volleyball. The
R1 informs the host management that a solid pink volleyball is illegal.
Ruling: Correct procedure
Comment: If the ball is a solid color, the ball must be white. If the ball has multi-colors, at least 1/3 of the ball must be
white.