Bench noise/yelling/screaming
 

The bench is yelling and screaming. To get the obvious out of the way - no personal, foul language etc. That's clear. But a lot of very loud noise.

Where do you draw the line for a conduct sanction? Or do you?

Just had this on Saturday at a college match. My R1 was a double National. Home team's bench is yelling, playing air guitar, doing jumping jacks, etc.

We're wearing headsets and I asked, "Are we ok with the home bench?" He just said, "We're leaving it alone".

Just my experience. Take it for what it's worth.

Well, that’s the thing - one national doesn’t do anything, another one (same place, virtually same behavior) pulls a card (no prior warning). Hence my question…

Real world answer: every segment of volleyball has its own unique culture. In boy's/men's volleyball, the guys are just stupid, and the bench players are stupid too. Think hockey bench players. Chirping, humorous chants, etc.

As long as it isn't personal, let it go. If you address something that is part of the culture, even the other team is likely to look at you as overofficious.

Find a reasonable line, and stick to it. But make it something that materially affects the match or potentially could cause the match control to be lost.

Just my two cents...

This is basically what I’ve been adhering to. Not because I’m necessarily ok with what happens, but because I couldn’t back a sanction with a clear objective rule reference. “Unsporting” in this context is IMO too open for interpretations.

Hence my question - where do you draw the line when it is not personal (though what is personal also seems to have plenty of gray areas)?

Potential examples - yelling at specific “key” moments like the contact for serve or attack hit; screaming “out”/“in” when the ball is about to be played (or not) by the opponent; using artificial noisemakers (not addressed specifically in USAV AFAIK).

There's not really anything in USAV rules regarding disconcerting the server (like NFHS), so if the server is affected by someone over 9 meters from them (assuming bench players), then that's on them.

Players on the court yelling through the net in any way (unless complimentary or funny to everyone) is something that isn't allowed, which I would lump in with yelling in/out. Just tell them that's specifically addressed in the rules and not to do it.

Thanks!

I am confused on the second part though. We’re talking 100% about bench behavior here. Are you saying that you’d threat the bench yelling in/out the same as court players yelling through the net? I’d think not. 100% of what’s coming from the bench is basically through the net (facing the other team) and I’m not aware of a rule that holds the bench to the same requirement in that regard as the court players.

Sorry for the confusion. I wouldn't worry much about bench yelling in/out. No one on the court will hear that unless they're really amped up.

Roger on the “don’t worry” part.

That said - for better or for worse I am probably the last person in the gym to hear what the bench is screaming. So if I can hear it, there’s no doubt that everyone on the court can hear it too.