Player outside of sideline when ball served.

[GregAlan]

I referee YMCA games here in Portland. Question, is it legal for a player to be standing outside of the sideline or straddling the sideline when a teammate is serving? This happened while working a game the other night, and I wasn't familiar with the rule. I have observed several teams doing this, I think keeping the frontline player out of harm's way during service. But is it legal?

Also, can a player start their serve from outside the sideline, then run up and contact the ball within the sideline? I ruled that the player had to be within the sideline once I signaled her for service.

Greg

[Homer]

Speaking only of FED rules - I'll leave USVA rules to someone who does USVA officiating although I think the rules are identical on this subject - all players (on both teams) except the server must be on the court at the moment of serve.

Rule 6-3-2, "At the moment of serve, (a)ll players except the server, shall be within the team's playing area and may be in contact with the boundary lines or center line but may not have any part of the body touching the floor outside the lines."

The foot can be on the line or even suspended in mid-air outside the line but if any portion contacts the floor outside the line at the moment of serve, it's an illegal alignment fault.

The server may approach the serve from outside the extensions of the side lines so long as she is within the service area at the time of serve or (with a jump serve) has left the floor from within the service area. Rule 8-1-2 The case book examples are clearer on this than the rule itself.

"Situation B: ... the server runs from outside the left sideline extension to jump serve from within that line extended and behind the end line. RULING: Legal."




[Edited by homer on May 3rd, 2004 at 05:52 PM]

[GregAlan]

nm

[Paul Vancouver]

Yes, USAV is the same.

[dan_renninger]

The rule quote is great - but now what is the call and mechanic that you would make once you see the player out of bounds and you have to blow the whistle?

[TimTaylor]

Originally posted by dan_renninger
The rule quote is great - but now what is the call and mechanic that you would make once you see the player out of bounds and you have to blow the whistle?

For NFHS: Signal #1 - Illegal Alignment/Improper Server

Results in point awarded to opponent and loss of rally

[dan_renninger]

Thanks for the assistance Tim. Your call makes perfect sense to me.