[MCBear]

Scrapper, as BITS said, it takes time and effort. The advantage you have is that you have blown a whistle in basketball, so you know how to do one of the most important facets of the game.

I have learned (due to working with electric motor parts and having to know their ID numbers by heart) to memorize the numbers of the players who are on the court for both teams. Now, I will admit that I have gotten lazy as I have aged, so I actually look to see where my floor captain is located, then I look for each team's setter (if the captain and setter are the same, so much better!) Then I look to see who the first server for each team is. Once I know who is "I", and where my setters are in the rotation, I don't have too much more to worry about.

Plus, here is a little secret that no one ever tells newbies - those back-row players try to get away with illegal stuff! Can you imagine? They actually try to get stuff by us when we are unsure about where they are on the court.

Here is the way to foil those shifty little critters. After they have hit the ball or blocked the ball back to the other side of the net, watch where the player goes...if they drop back on defense, they ARE back-row and you can blow the whistle and give the BRA signal. One other thing you can do is wait until the play is over and then watch where your suspect player goes to on the court. If she goes to CB or LB or LF, guess what? She was a back-row player and you can call the illegal contact up until the time that you beckon for the next serve (something they don't mention in the training manuals!!!).

Hope those suggestions help you out, Scrapper. BTW, one reason you can't see the back-row attack/block is because I am betting that you say that you can't with emotion. As long as you vehemently say that you can't see it, my friend, you never will...it is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Good luck!