VOLLEYBALL PHILOSOPHY OF RULES

This text is aimed at a broad volleyball public - players, coaches, referees, spectators, or commentators for the following reasons:
- understanding the rules allows better play - coaches can create better team structure and tactics, allowing players full rein to display their skills;
- understanding the relationship between rules allows officials
to make better decisions.
This introduction at first focuses on volleyball as a competitive sport, before setting out to identify the main qualities required for successful refereeing.
Volleyball is a Competitive Sport
Competition taps latent strengths. It exhibits the best of ability, spirit, creativity and aesthetics. The rules are structured to allow all of these qualities. With a few exceptions, volleyball allows all players to operate both at the net (in attack) and in the back of the court (to defend or serve).
William Morgan, the game’s creator, would still recognize it because volleyball has retained
certain distinctive and essential elements over the years. Some of these it shares with other net/ ball/ racquet games:
- service;
- rotation (taking turns to serve);
- attack;
- defence.
Volleyball is, however, unique amongst net games in insisting that the ball is in constant flight – a “flying ball” - and by allowing each team a degree of internal passing before the ball must be returned to the opponents.
The introduction of a specialist defensive player – the Libero – has moved the game forward
in terms of rally length and multi-phase play. Modifications to the service rule have changed the act of service from simply a means of putting the ball in play to an offensive weapon.
The concept of rotation is entrenched to allow for all-round athletes. The rules on player positions must permit teams to have flexibility and to create interesting developments in tactics.
Competitors use this framework to contest techniques, tactics and power. The framework also allows players a freedom of expression to enthuse spectators and viewers.
And the image of volleyball is increasingly a good one.
As the game evolves, there is no doubt that it will change – even better, stronger and faster.

The Referee within this Framework

The essence of a good official lies in the concept of fairness and consistency:
- to be fair to every participant
- to be viewed as fair by the spectators.
This demands a huge element of trust – the referee must be trusted to allow the players to entertain:
- by being accurate in his/her judgement
- by understanding why the rule is written
- by being an efficient organiser
- by allowing the competition to flow and by directing it to a conclusion
- by being an educator – using the rules to penalise the unfair or admonish the impolite;
- by promoting the game – that is, by allowing the spectacular elements in the game to shine and the best players to do what they do best: entertain the public
Finally we can say that a good referee will use the rules to make the competition a fulfilling experience for all concerned.
To those who have read so far, view the Rules which follow as the current state of development
of a great game, but keep in mind why these preceding few paragraphs may be of equal importance to you in your own position within the sport.