Well IMO you were correct to have your main focus on the ball, but I think in working a 1 person you have to give a little. By that I mean you have to make a decision on every situation what to watch, you can only watch one thing.....so priortize what to watch. If a girl is running toward the net to hit the ball, give the net a little more attention (watch her longer than you normally would) before following the ball. I think #1 is ball handling and net play I know that is 2 things but like I said you have to follow both focusing on what is more likely to create a need to blow your whistle.
A couple of generic things if you are working alone.....slow everything down, you are one person doing the job of two people....if it takes you longer to ring in and out subs so what! If you have to pause an extra second to make sure the scorekeeper game the home team a point not the visitors, do what you have to do. About your wheel, I assume you are talking about the disk that rotates with the girls, I also use one of those and love it, some hate it but to each their own. What I do is I take a big binder clip up with me and I clip the thing in the middle to the rope / cable. This allows both sides to be accessable to rotate easily as they are suspended in the air. I am able to look down quickly to verify positioning prior to the whistle blow for a serve, I have my back row there to see them.....it works for me. And to ring subs in and out all I have to do is grab my pencil and write it down on the card. It makes it much nicer.
Bottom line is you call what you can and don't beat yourself up cause you can't see it all!! That is why they schedule two of us!!!!
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