In short Rule 9.4 (NFHS) states that a player cannot intentionally strike the ball with a fist. Has anyone ever called this or seen it called?

At the lower levels, especially girls where they have just finished with volleyball season, you may see this by one or both of the jumpers during the opening toss.

Believe it or not, this story is absolutely true. It happened about 10 years ago in a men's rec league game. I was working the game with a long-time veteran who has since retired.

The game was extremely rough and we had already called a bunch of technicals when it got out of hand and one player threw a really hard elbow in the nose of a defender. Another player on the defensive team then ran up and hit the first player right in the crotch.

He went down like a tree, as you might imagine. After we restored some semblence of order, we dealt with the ejections.

Afterward, my partner said I was too harsh on the guy who threw the punch and only should have called a violation, not a flagrant foul. I asked him why. He replied that it is only a violation for striking the ball with the fist.

I have seen this call made by a partner in a boys' H.S. jr. varsity game years ago and I called it twice on the same player in the same game this summer in the YBOA Boys' Nat'l. Champ. Tourn. (14U age group).

It is a rare one, that is for sure

I've called it, probably Frosh or JV boys. I don't recall where the air ball came from (it was not a shot) but the player wanted to really send it toward his own end.

My problem is thinking "fist" and coming up "open hand". ;)

ROFL my head off :)