Net fault or not?
 

Setter is positioned in Rotation 1, right next to the referee stand. First contact is a bad pass that sends the ball toward the R2. Thinking the setter needs help, another player moves to play the ball near the net. The setter, however, is hustling to the ball and pushes the other player out of the way. The other player contacts the net as the setter plays the ball, but the setter does not contact the net.

As R2, I had no whistle. I felt the second player was just trying to get out of the setter's way at that point. My partner, who is a much better official than I am, called a net fault.

In looking through my rulebook (NCAA), I can't seem to find a justification for a net fault, UNLESS you consider the second player to be playing the ball.

Anybody have any insight for me on how to think about this play?

I don't think there's any way to really assess whether or not this was a net fault without seeing the play. There are several factors that can help you decide whether or not the player was still in the act of playing the ball, but in the end, it all comes down to judgement. But since the player was attempting to play the ball when she was pushed, can you say for sure that her attempt ended between the push and the net contact? I think because she was clearly making an attempt, I would need to see something that convinced me she was no longer making a play on the ball before the net contact occurred. That's just my take, though. I would be interested to see what others have to say.

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This is a good play, and it may indeed be a HTBT play.

In this play, I believe that the rules set determines whether it's a net fault or not. In my world of NFHS, it is. In NCAA and USAV, it wouldn't be. There will someone more knowledgeable along soon to correct me if needed.