NCAA Volleyball
 

One of our players was called for crossing the center line. Can someone explain this rule to me in layman's terms?

Your title is NCAA volleyball, so I assume that is the ruleset that you were officiated under, if you were called for this, then either your player was close enough to a player from the other team that it presented a safety hazard, or they made contact with a player on another court, or they didn't remain "on or over" the line.

OR the ref cas calling out of the wrong ruleset IE NFHS....:D

What is the difference in NFHS and NCAA relative to the center line?

NFHS Rule 9-5-7
 

A player may touch the floor across the center line with one or both feet/hands provided a part of the foot/feet or hand(s) remains on or above the center line. Contacting the floor across the center line with any other part of the body is illegal.

Basically, as G87 indicated, in NCAA, you can cross beyond the center line with any part of the body provided there is no safety hazard and there is a part of the body on or above the center line.

In NFHS, anything other than the hand or foot beyond the center line is illegal, period. If it's a hand or foot beyond the center line, part of it has to be on or above the line.

We started competing in small college athletics this season. Most of the officials available are NFHS officials. The NCAA Basketball rules have an appendix that clearly lists the major differences; I have not been able to find that in volleyball.

Could you list the major differences?

volleyball rules comparison

http://www.pavo.org/comparisons.htm

Why is 15.2.4.1 in the book? Doesn't 15.2.4.2 sort of overrule it? (1) says you can have a hand or foot over the line as long as part of that hand or foot stays over the line. But (2) says that your whole body can be over the line as long as ANY part of your body stays on or over the line.

So what's the point of talking about a hand or foot, if it's ok to put your whole body across? :confused:

I called a girl early in the season for stepping completely across the line with one foot. No part of her foot was on or above the center line. My partner told me that wasn't right. But isn't that exactly what (1) says?

Scrapper1, it is not a choice of one or the other. Both are in effect and used when applicable.

Huh? Would you please explain the difference between the two, and why 15.2.4.1 exists at all considering 15.2.4.2 seems to completely encompass everything covered in 15.2.4.1 and go beyond it. Can you give me a scenario where 15.2.4.1 is applicable, but 15.2.4.2 is not?

I find the lack of response to this question. . . interesting. :)

I'll check with Marcia Alterman, NCAA Rules Interpreter, and let you know what she says.

Marcia's Answer:
 

I'll paraphrase:

15.2.4.1: If the foot or hand go beyond the center line, if part of the hand or foot are above or on the center line, there is no violation if there is no interference. Whether or not there is a safety hazard makes no difference at all, so long as the hand or foot is on or above the line (again, so long as there is no interference).

now, if the hand or foot goes beyond the line, 15.2.4.2 kicks in...

15.2.4.2: Body part is beyond the center line, now safety considerations are taken into account, and you can call a violation based on safety concerns. If there is no body part on or above the center line, a fault occurs regardless of safety concerns.

Hope that makes sense.

Yep, that makes sense. Thanks, Felix. :)

Thanks, Felix, I knew that there was a reason. I went back to the 2004 season when the rule changed but could not find the rationale for the change. Now we know how it applies.