Block of served ball

[chapmaja]

I had this Saturday, HS JV Tourney, NFHS rules.

Team A is serving. Team B's middle is standing at the net when a low serve comes over. The middle jumps with the hands in a straight up motion, (not as a setting position, which she tried to argue). The served ball hits her fingers which are clearly above the height of the net and deflects backwards to the libero who plays the ball.


I whistle the play dead and rule it an illegal block (of serve.)

My rationale for this ruling was as follows.

Rule 9-5-1c (Definition of a block) - the action of a player (s) close to the net that deflects the ball coming from an opponent, by reaching higher than the top of the net at the moment of contact. A block may involve wrist action as long as there is no prolonged contact.


Rule 9-6-5: Blocking a served ball is not permitted.


I had another official (who was watching the match, not my R2) tell me this was an incorrect call because the ball was not blocked back to the opponent.


There is nothing in the casebook covering this ruling.


The key part of this to me is that nowhere in the definition of a block does it say the ball is returned to the opponent's side of the net.