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OK, but -any- delay in play not otherwise authorized be the rules can be ruled unnecessary delay under 21.1.
In tournaments, there is a lot pressure on the officials to keep things moving. As you say, it's "only ten seconds" - but, over a 25 point game that's four plus minutes - eight minutes if you play two games in pool play. Multiply that by three pool matches and that puts your pool nearly a half an hour behind everybody else. If EVERY team in the pool took "only" ten extra seconds after each point, that puts the pool about an hour and a half behind everybody else and you're gonna be starting the championship match in bracket play at 8 PM!
Team spirit is all well and good but especially in tournaments, things have to be kept moving or the whole thing rapidly gets messed up.
That being said, the "quick whistle" was clearly not the way to proceed. Rule 17.4 says the first official will signal for serve only -after- ascertaining the server is in the service area and the other players on both teams are in position.
The proper way to have handled this would have been a warning for unnecessary delay and then a yellow card - point and sideout - for any subsequent offenses. But, perhaps the official thought s/he was doing you a favor by using the "quick whistle" approach - that may rush the serve a bit but at least it isn't an automatic point/sideout like the rule book calls for.
I doubt you'll ever get in trouble for spontaneous celebrations/cheers/high fives after a spectacular play or a prolonged rally but on EVERY point, some officials are gonna see that as unnecessary delay and proceed accordingly to try and keep things on schedule. And, I think I'd probably agree. Such celebrations are NOT needed on every darn point to build team spirit and they DO slow things down significantly.
-Homer-
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