Volleyball anyone?

[Mark Padgett]

One of my co-workers who used to work basketball has worked volleyball for the past 5 or 6 years. Their first meeting of the year is coming up and he asked me if I was interested in working volleyball. I told him I'd have to think about it.

Pros - cons? (and by "cons", I don't mean prisoners)

Comments from anyone who works both would be appreciated. BTW - he stopped officiating basketball because of a personal situation having to do with getting up and down the court, not because he didn't like it anymore. He's a good guy and he made it sound like fun, but it doesn't sound like an opportunity to get much exercise, which is one of the reasons I work basketball (at my age, you need all the exercise you can get).

Thanks in advance, everyone.

Oh yeah - do you get to make up your own rules?

[rainmaker]

Originally Posted by Mark Padgett

One of my co-workers who used to work basketball has worked volleyball for the past 5 or 6 years. Their first meeting of the year is coming up and he asked me if I was interested in working volleyball. I told him I'd have to think about it.

Pros - cons? (and by "cons", I don't mean prisoners)

Comments from anyone who works both would be appreciated. BTW - he stopped officiating basketball because of a personal situation having to do with getting up and down the court, not because he didn't like it anymore. He's a good guy and he made it sound like fun, but it doesn't sound like an opportunity to get much exercise, which is one of the reasons I work basketball (at my age, you need all the exercise you can get).

Thanks in advance, everyone.

Oh yeah - do you get to make up your own rules?

Volleyball is better pay in this area, Mark, than basketball, but definitely a LOT less exercise!! We work alone at the MS and freshman levels, so you do have the exercise of climbing up and down the "stand" usually two or three times a game (with time-outs). It's kinda interesting, but the rules are much simpler, and the action isn't really fun to watch until the better JV and varsity level. And at those levels, if you're the "down" or net ref, you don't watch the ball, and that makes it incredibly tedious. The "up" or stand official gets a better view of the action, but also has to watch closely for other things and I find it to be a little dizzying at times.

I was terrible at anything above the MS level, and some freshmen. I just couldn't get the hang of back row attack, or of the lifts and double hits. At the lower levels, back row attack doesn't happen because the girls are too small (ball has to be completely above the level of the net) and the lifts and doubles are easier because they're so obvious.

Around here, there's much more control over the coaches, and they are much more restrained. Parents are just as clueless, though, but you usually have more authority because they don't watch as much v-ball on TV. THere's nothing equivalent to the NBA. On the other hand, a lot of girls play "club" ball, and the rules can be very different and that's confusing, since they really don't understand either set.

But you can get $150 or $200 dollars on a long Saturday, and it doesn't take very many of those to make a good season!

[Texas Aggie]

I worked VB for 2 years while in college and didn't like it very much. I love the sport, but officiating it was quite boring for me. I moved up relatively fast, working varsity games my first year and a couple of playoff games my second. The best match I had was one for a district championship that went 3 games, and I enjoyed that game and the playoff games. The others, I really just wanted to get them over with, so I quit.

These were small schools in Texas without a lot of VB talent there. I've heard that if you work the bigger schools, things are better, but I like football MUCH better -- so it isn't an issue for me anymore.

[Mark Padgett]

Originally Posted by rainmaker

Around here, there's much more control over the coaches, and they are much more restrained.

OK - Juulie, that's starting to sound better. However, my feeling at this time is that I'll pass (pun intended). I asked Lee (my co-worker) to say hi to you at the meeting.

BTW - does the volleyball association have a "Howard equivalent"?

[Zoochy]

Volleyball is not that bad. It can be uninteresting. As Juulie stated, the up official watches the ball and blows the whistle on all calls relating to the ball. Down official watches for net violations. That is basically when he/she blows the whistle.
If you have not played the game, then when you read the rules you will be surprised. I find basketball way more interesting, but there are volleyball officials that are passionate to the sport.

[Scrapper1]

I just finished the training for new volleyball officials and took my test yesterday. Haven't worked any real matches yet. It doesn't seem real interesting, compared to basketball, but I've barely started, so I can't give an honest opinion yet.

[Andy]

There is very little physical exertion in officiating volleyball. There is, however, just as much mental exercise as any other game out there.

The lower level (MS, FR) matches can be boring as the skills may not yet be fully developed. Some of the athleticism displayed at the Varsity HS and college levels is great. If you can make it through the lower levels as you are working your way up, VB becomes a fast-paced, exciting game to officiate at the higher levels.

[TimTaylor]

Originally Posted by Mark Padgett

OK - Juulie, that's starting to sound better. However, my feeling at this time is that I'll pass (pun intended). I asked Lee (my co-worker) to say hi to you at the meeting.

BTW - does the volleyball association have a "Howard equivalent"?

Along the lines of what Juulie said, I like to refer to volleyball as a kinder, gentler sport. We probably have more ejections in basketball in one week than volleyball has had in this state in the last 5 years.

While it is not as physically demanding as basketball (although spending 2+ hours on top of a 2'x2' stand can be pretty tiring), it is much more mentally demanding if you're doing the job right. The up official has to judge every contact of the ball for legality based on several criteria, keep track of the number of hits, front row/back row status of the players, height of the ball when contacted under certain circumstances, etc. In a game/match between reasonably good teams it can be a real challenge.

Yes we have a "Howard" equivalent - very sharp lady & is also the SRI for volleyball. I think we had almost 30 new folks show up last night. When I started 5 years ago we had a shortage of officials in this area, but from what the commish said that's no longer a problem - to the point where most of the new officials may only see MS matches their first year.

[Mark Padgett]

Originally Posted by TimTaylor

We probably have more ejections in basketball in one week than volleyball has had in this state in the last 5 years.

OK - that's the clincher. If there's no fun in it, I'm out.

[BktBallRef]

Volleyball officiating is like stealing money.

But it bores me to death.

[refnrev]

[QUOTE=BktBallRef]Volleyball officiating is like stealing money.
__________________________________________________ ________

I hear this phrase a lot -- usually from football or basketball guys -- but always from people who have no idea how stupid a statement it is!

[Back In The Saddle]

I've done one season of wreck league quality volleyball. It can be really boring. It does require quite a bit of mental effort. Some of that effort is just keeping your head in the game. Unlike basketball there isn't the physical effort that generally keeps you in the game. I concur with Juulie's dizzying comment, the ball moves pretty quickly and there's other stuff to watch right along with it and until you adjust it can be kinda harrying. Fortunately adjusting doesn't take too long. I'm tempted to do it this year for the money.

[a4caster]

I am a tri-official (football, basketball, volleyball) and each sport has their goods and bads. I think that when you take multiple sports, it forces you to learn the rules even more. For those thinking volleyball is boring, I must beg to differ. I work a lot of HS in the larger schools and the hits and digs are great to watch. When you have to keep the back rows straight and look that net straight down for a touch, you can't afford to doze off.
I have a little matrix for my sports and their demands on me:

Football: Highly Physical Low Mental
Volleyball: Low Physical Highly Mental
Basketball: Highly Physical Highly Mental

Great mix of sports for me. Enjoy all of them.

[BktBallRef]

Originally Posted by a4caster

I am a tri-official (football, basketball, volleyball) and each sport has their goods and bads. I think that when you take multiple sports, it forces you to learn the rules even more. For those thinking volleyball is boring, I must beg to differ. I work a lot of HS in the larger schools and the hits and digs are great to watch. When you have to keep the back rows straight and look that net straight down for a touch, you can't afford to doze off.

[BktBallRef]

Originally Posted by refnrev

I hear this phrase a lot -- usually from football or basketball guys -- but always from people who have no idea how stupid a statement it is!

Call it stupid if you like but I'm not just a football/basketball official who's just saying it. I've worked volleyball. I've never made so much for doing so little. It's a piece of cake, it's boring as hell, it's stealing money. In my area, the guys who are are now in the 60's and 70's call volleyball. There's nothing to it.

Stupid is as stupid does, Forest.