[Back In The Saddle]

I worked a state tourney play-in match last night. One team had very few problems, and nothing out of the ordinary (the odd double-hit, one lift, a few net and center line violations). The other team had a similar helping of those issues. Plus some improper servers and illegal substitutions. In fact, I had to explain to their coach how one goes about subbing for the player the libero replaces. It was all news to her (though she was entirely positive and pleasant about it).

The bottom line...

Here it is state tourney time. In a crucial match, one team came ready to play, and the other was still learning to play. Those mistakes cost them points in an otherwise very competitive match. And now, they're sitting home talking about "next year."

Did those girls and their coaches and their programs and the sport really benefit from officials who chose to overlook those issues in previous matches? Or would they have been better served to have been held accountable for knowing and playing by all the rules long before last night?

Your call.