Fans Yelling During Serve
 

Can a team get a yellow card due to it's fans yelling during the opponents serve?

Are there certain things that are not allowed to be yelled during the serve?Name? Number?

It depends on what they're yelling. Rude conduct potentially can garner a sanction, particularly if host management doesn't deal with it. The line in high school matches generally is comments directed at a particular player, rather than just yelling in general. But there's no requirement that the fans be silent during the serve.

It'd be like requiring fans to be silent during a free throw in basketball.

Which, if any, are a problem:

1. "Hit it into the net, 4."
2. "Your team stinks."
3. "Don't whiff, 4."

It just depends. Do you hear it. Do they? Don't have rabbit ears, and you'll know when you think something has crossed a line and you need host management to address it.

I would say that all of these would be considered inappropriate for fans to be yelling and would have me getting host management involved, if they were loud enough for me to hear from the stand or scorers table. I am not going to have rabbit ears, but I do tend to make a bigger deal about #1 and #3. At that point the yell has made it personal and is directed at an individual player.

We actually had an issue last night where a HS football team was cheering for their VB team (crosstown rivalry game) where the fans had been yelling most of the match when the rival's players were serving. We and the visiting coach, had no problem with it until the middle of the 4th set. At that point one of the fans made very loud screeching noises right at the moment the jumper server was taking off. This was located about 15 feet from the jumper server. At that point the R1 called the home team captain over and the captain was asked to tell the coach to get game management over to the corner. The R1 felt the noise being done in an attempt to startle and disrupt the player and was a potential safety risk. After the warning things went fine.


What I will not tolerate is a fan who verbally abuses the table staff or line judges (when younger players are on the lines). If I hear that I do get game management involved.

In my area we have generally been told don't penalize the home team when any other option is available.