Thread: USA v. China
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Old Sat Aug 23, 2008, 09:48pm
MCBear MCBear is offline
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TV Commentators

This is the problem when they hire former players to do broadcasting. They have been out of the game and have not kept up with the changes that have taken place within the game.

In this instance, it doesn't matter if it is Chris or Karch - on telecasts that I have seen, they have both been guilty of giving rules opinions that are totally screwed up based on their former experience as players. The problem is that both of them have a tendency to think that the game is still being played exactly the same way that it was when they were on the court as players. The instance that you cite is a perfect example. The rule changed two years ago that the ball could only be played over your own court and that no one was allowed to play the ball over the opponent's court. The most obvious result - no more "save set" by the setter attempting to pull an overpass back to their own side of the net from within the vertical plane of the net. ANYTIME this happens in FIVB (which is also Olympic VB) or USAV, the first referee will be blowing the whistle and signaling a reach-over on the player who tried to play the ball back from the plane of the net.

You would never see or hear John Madden (NFL) or Marty Brenneman (Cincinnati Red's Broadcaster) get caught not knowing what happened during a play and being able to give the correct information concerning it. But, these yo-yo's doing NCAA and Olympic volleyball think that they can do the job without being conversant with the current rules.

'Nuf said...it is time for me to get off the soapbox and allow another fine citizen the opportunity to participate in an eloquent rant.
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Jan G. Filip - San Jose, CA
EBVOA Rules Interpreter Emeritus
NCS Volleyball Officials Coordinating Committee Recorder
CIF State Volleyball State Championships Referee (2005), Scorekeeper (2006-2007) & Libero Tracker (2010)
PAVO State Referee (2014) / PAVO Certified Scorekeeper (2014) / PAVO Certified Line Judge (2012)
USAV Junior National Referee (resigned 2013) / USAV National Scorekeeper (2014)
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