Identifying illegal back row attacks
 

I don't know if you VB vets have a good way to identify illegal back row player attacks......but if you do, would you share your tips?

Not sure i am a vet....but I have two things I do.

1) I find a "key" player to remember either a hard hitter or the setter then you get a feel for who is to their right and left and you can know where they are on the court.

2) I use the wheel as a line up tool and glancing down I can get back row players in my head quick

So something like this goes through my head, ok 7 is back left I got 7,10,18 as back row....then on the other side 8 is front row so 9, 1 and 12 are my back row......so if they do anything wrong I got them!

I'm hardly a vet yet either, but here's what I do:

Like Dave, I use the wheel, which I think is a fantastic invention. But it's not like you have time to check everybody every serve to see where they are in the rotation.

Mostly, I use it to track my setter and opposite.

I try to keep the numbers of the two who are front row in my head. So if blue's setter is 12 and her opposite is 7, and red's setter is 4 and opposite is 11, then on any given serve I'll note that 12 is back row, and 11 is back row. So I'm saying to myself, "7, 4. 7, 4. 7, 4."

It's really not all that useful to me when I'm R2. But it's good practice for me for when I'm R1. I don't have my wheel when I'm up, but I identify setter and opposite. Each serve I find my setter and opposite, and remember the numbers of the front row players. Then with each hit, I try to identify "front" or "back", saying the word in my mind.

Obviously at first, I'm identifying only one or two of the hits. But soon I begin to recognize who are the hitters that go with 12 and which go with 11. It's far from foolproof, but I feel like I'm starting to recognize alignments and identify hits as front or back row more frequently.

Don't know if any of that helps or not. I'm interested to learn what actual vets are doing :)

I follow the setter(s).

In my experience, most of your back row attack fouls (and back row blocker fouls) are from a back row setter up near the net. I also try to do something similar to Dave and keep track of the big hitters and when they rotate to the back row as well.

It does take practice and concentration, but keep at it...it will come to you.

People often ask me, "What's it like to ref volleyball? Pretty easy, right?" I always say that many parts are incredibly easy, and a few are impossible.

Identifying back row attack is impossible for me. I honestly don't even try to do it in a match, because I'm worried that I'll be trying so hard to find the back row, that I'll miss something obvious.

After reading the suggestions here, it doesn't really seem to make it any more possible. You still have to remember -- during the play -- the 6 players (half the people out there) who can't attack from in front of the attack line. (With liberos, it's only slightly less impossible -- only 4 to remember.) I readily admit that I am not capable of this.

Heck, there are many times as R2 when I can't even identify the back row of the receiving team before the serve. So how am I supposed to remember them during the play?

Personally, I find the whole thing unnecessary. Just put 6 players out there, make sure they serve in order, and let everyone just do what they do best. Making your best hitter play the back row for half the match is like making your quarterback play left tackle every other down. Does it add strategy? Sure. Does it make the playing of the game any better? Not that I can tell. It just makes administration of the game unnecessarily complicated.

Ouch ! It hurts to even read this. Scrapper, you definitely don't want me as a coach on your match, because if you allow an opponent's back row player to make an illegal back-row attack, I will blow a gasket, and you will be fully deserving of it. And I'll say it point blank... as an official, you're not supposed to "choose to call the faults that you want, and allow other faults because you don't even try and you find it unnecessary." It is necessary on so many levels that conradict your reasoning:
1. It makes administration of the game unnecessarily complicated - On the contrary, allowing faults to occur causes serious coach, team and spectator pandemonium and outrage against the officiating crew, and you create the possibility of complete loss of control of the match.
2. You severely tarnish the trust given to the officials by the sporting administration and schools/clubs. YOUR lack of desire to enforce the printed rules makes ALL OF US look bad. Can you think of a basketball official in the news lately?
3. Does it make the playing of the game any better? - More to the point, if you don't call back-row attacks, you now have 5-6 hitters against the opposing team which is adhering to the rules and allowing themselves only front-row hitters.
4. Where does it end? - Why not allow back-row blockers and Libero blockers.

Since you are so comfortable allowing, and not even bothering to look for illegal back-row attacks, then I invite you to, at least, be up-front and honest with the coaches & captains at your pre-match coin-toss. To be fair to both teams, inform them that you will not be looking for illegal back-row attacks because you find it unnecessary. I definitely want to be in the audience at that match.

I'm "sure" (based on conversations with him in other forums) that Scrapper meant that if he were made "god of the volleyball rules" that he would CHANGE the rules to allow any offensive and defensive line-up / block / attack, except that he'd still require the 6 players (and subs) to take turns serving.

What would the game look like if there were no front row/back row distinction? 5-6 hitters v. 5-6 blockers? Or would it naturally evolve such that you need a variety of different skill positions to counter different kinds of attacks?

And why exactly do we have this distinction? Is it just historical accident? Or is there a deliberate reason for it? Not that I'm dissing the game for how it has evolved, just asking. I realize it would change the game, but would it make the game worse, or just different?

Coming from a basketball background, it seems natural to me for any player who is able to make any kind of play anywhere on the court.

That was my impression of his post as well.

Hi Bob. Unfortunately, you are misunderstanding what Scrapper said... he didn't say "if"... his exact words are, "I honestly don't even try to do it in a match." He "is" doing this presently. As an official opting to ignore definite faults that cause an "absolute unfair advantage" to the attacking team, he is failing at his duties, cheating the players of a fairly officiated match, and defying his officiating oath. Scrapper cannot be defended for "choosing" to poorly perform his duties... it is an ongoing learning process... and if you choose to stop improving and opt instead to allow faults to occur unpenalized, it is time to hang up the whistle, for the sake of the sport, the teams, and the officials.

It took five years...
 

for me to recognize a back-row attack/back-row block and once I had done it, I kept trying to figure out how I had done it. I struggled with it for the whole fifth season (can you say 1987???).

When someone told me to keep track of the setter, things suddenly became a LOT clearer. I was able to begin working with my wheel to recognize and even to call the violation.

It was 1995, I think, when I first became aware that I needed to figure out a method of tracking all six service rotations l This was hastened by an incident in a college match where my partner was late and did not arrive until the third game of the match. I had no problems during the first two games, but during the third, there was a collision under the net. After sorting things out and be assured that neither player was injured, we played on. The visiting team was serving and, when I looked at the server, something just didn't look right to me. I asked my partner if this was the correct server and he said "yes". I still wasn't sure so I asked again and he still said, "yes?" We played on and the visitor ended up winning the third game (they had been down 2-0 before this game). I got down off the stand and went across to the table because I had been seeing match-ups during the serves that I had not been seeing all night previously. I got to the scoretable and found out that the person doing the scoring had NO IDEA how to do book! She had written some things downs during the match to this point, but had not recorded the service procedure correctly in a single game prior to this. Bottom line is that this particular game, with its wrong rotations not caught, I began learning how to track all six rotations for both teams on the court so that I would not get burned again.

And I'll toss you from the gym faster than you can say "back row attack". And you'll be fully deserving of it.

If you read my post again, you'll notice that I am not "choosing" not to call it. I freely and fully admit that I am not capable of keeping track of the necessary information. It is not a case of seeing the violation but ignoring because I disagree with the rule. I simply don't see it. And I'm afraid that if I put the necessary effort into trying to see it, that I will miss other more obvious calls.

Cats and dogs living together! Mass hysteria!! How many spectators even know what a back row attack is? Let alone, see it when it happens. Again, that's not WHY I'm not calling it. Just pointing out a little over-the-top emotion in your post.

Do you think I'm doing the Olympics or something? The NCAA tournament? I'm learning with 7th and 8th graders, for crying out loud. Dial it down a little. You think JV basketball officials get every travel or illegal screen?

What a ridiculous comment. It makes me look bad. It might make my partner look bad. Possibly it makes my local board look bad, if the coach is a real idiot. But how does me not recognizing a back row attack make you or MCBear, or BITS look bad? Come down off the high horse.

1) If there's no front-row or back-row, then there is no Libero. 2) Answer your own question. Why not allow back-row blockers or attackers? Why not allow any player on the court to make any play that he or she can? What is the real problem with that?

You need to take a deep breath and re-read my original post.

And how do you track all six?

I have also heard about finding the setter. And I have tried in warm-ups to identify the setters, etc. I just can't hold it in my brain with the other stuff.

And I don't use a wheel. I have one, but nobody around here uses it. And I did try it last year, but I just couldn't get the hang of it. Maybe I'll try again tomorrow.

If I can keep track of it 4 years from now, I will consider that a minor miracle. But I'll try the wheel tomorrow and see if that helps.

I have found the wheel very helpful, Scrappy. It's been an investment in time/effort to learn to use it. But it's paid off to this point.

Of course, you can't use it (the same way) on the ladder. But using the wheel when I'm down has helped me with recognizing setter and opposite when I'm up. And I'm getting to the point where I can often (perhaps even usually?) determine if the setter is BR or FR from where she sets up in the alignment. I realize there are other alignments I'm not familiar with yet, but it's a start.

Did you really take an officiating oath?!?! Did they ask you to raise your right hand and place your left hand on a rule book that's been passed down through 5 generations of your family? Was it a chief justice or merely a justice of the peace who administered your oath?

If you didn't have your name in your signature line, I'd say you were a drama queen. Relax a little bit and don't be so quick to pile on a fellow official.

I'm primarily a college basketball official. I work damn hard at being as good as I can be. I understand that an official gives his best effort every time out, regardless of the level of the competition.

However, this is my SECOND year of officiating volleyball. I have a total of about 40 matches under my belt. So my best effort falls well short of most people's.

So take that information for what it's worth. You can dial down your rhetoric, or I can put you on my ignore list. I couldn't care less which one happens.

Scrappy,
I share your diffficulty in seeing BR at times. One thing that helps is if you have one girl who is just absolutely heads and houlders better at kills and spikes than the others, I follow her to the BR and see who's beside her. But honestly, I depend a great deal on my patners and let them know I am doing so before the match begins. I have some partners who can see everything with one eye close and one eye squinted... they are that good. I watch them and rely on them a lot!!

___________________

I hope that you mean you would question him somewhat politely and not blow a gasket. Do really want him making calls he's guessing about? Why not suggest he consult his partner or point out where the violation occured and how. The latter seems productive to me. The other seems very counter productive to the game.... and he can't see what he doesn't see. And, I know of a coach whose games I used to work who deliberately told her players to commit BR attacks until the official called them. Great sportsmanshsip, eh? And, it wasn't that long ago that games were officated by 1 official. Do you think they got IAs and BRs every time?

Scrapper, as BITS said, it takes time and effort. The advantage you have is that you have blown a whistle in basketball, so you know how to do one of the most important facets of the game.

I have learned (due to working with electric motor parts and having to know their ID numbers by heart) to memorize the numbers of the players who are on the court for both teams. Now, I will admit that I have gotten lazy as I have aged, so I actually look to see where my floor captain is located, then I look for each team's setter (if the captain and setter are the same, so much better!) Then I look to see who the first server for each team is. Once I know who is "I", and where my setters are in the rotation, I don't have too much more to worry about.

Plus, here is a little secret that no one ever tells newbies - those back-row players try to get away with illegal stuff! Can you imagine? They actually try to get stuff by us when we are unsure about where they are on the court.

Here is the way to foil those shifty little critters. After they have hit the ball or blocked the ball back to the other side of the net, watch where the player goes...if they drop back on defense, they ARE back-row and you can blow the whistle and give the BRA signal. One other thing you can do is wait until the play is over and then watch where your suspect player goes to on the court. If she goes to CB or LB or LF, guess what? She was a back-row player and you can call the illegal contact up until the time that you beckon for the next serve (something they don't mention in the training manuals!!!).

Hope those suggestions help you out, Scrapper. BTW, one reason you can't see the back-row attack/block is because I am betting that you say that you can't with emotion. As long as you vehemently say that you can't see it, my friend, you never will...it is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Good luck!

I will try to experiment with them as the season progresses. I'll try the wheel tomorrow as well.

Honestly, when I originally said it in this thread, it was a simple statement of fact. I can't see it. I can't process all the information. I only got emotional when Mike jumped all over me and grossly misrepresented my original comments.

I beg to differ! I use the wheel when I am the up official. I take a big binder clip, one of those black C shaped things with chrome extensions that will fold either way, and I clip that baby on the net, center on the rope so it kind of hangs to either side of the rope and I can easily grab the wheel and turn it as the sides rotate! Works great. It may be a security blanket for me but I am SO much more in the game when I have it up there with me. Also I can glance down during the action and see if I missed something(second guess if 6 was back row). Also I have yet to have the teams waiting on me this year to write down a sub on my wheel. One more tip since we are on the wheel kick, get a 2nd one. Now you have can have one with team A on the right team B on the left and one with team B on the right and A on the left. Great thing is a lot of teams dont change their lineups so after the 1st game erase the subs from the outer ring and you usually have your card all ready for game 3!

Consider yourself lucky :) Here we have been told specifically we're not allowed to use a wheel or card as R1.

That said, I still take it up with me. Having noted who the setters are during warmups, I note the opposites while R2 is checking lineups. Then the thing goes in my pocket, until I need a quick check. I also note subs for either of those players as they occur.

It usually doesn't take too long to identify a pattern to how the coach subs the setter and opposite. Sometimes it's never. Sometimes it's subbing a hitter for the setter when she rotates to the front in a 6-2. Sometimes it's swapping a blocker for a passer as the opposite in a 5-1 rotates to the front. Those substitutions help me, because I recognize that if player X is in the game, then my setter is back row, while if player Y is in, my setter is front row.

Oh, and I also write down who won each game. I can't ever seem to remember from game to game. And I don't want everybody's final impression of me to be that I told everybody to switch sides when it was end of match, or vice versa. :D

Scrapper try this
 

Get a dry erase marker, and write on the back of your hand:

1. Each team's captain
2. The setter and his/her opposite.
3. Refer to your hand very quickly until you get the hang of who is who.
4. When you are up, remember that you need to signal legal BRA's. In some places they don't care if you do, others will be all over you if you don't. but the more you use the legal BRA signal (i.e. the more you see legal BRA's), the more comfortable you will get with seing and looking for the illegal ones.
5. See if you can do some JV/Varsity matches, if you are not doing them already. You know how pressure gets the mind to concentrate, it will happen here too.
6. If you can, get a veteran guy or gal to work a match w/ you as an observer/helper. JH, Fr. or maybe JV won't care if you have help, and it may make you feel better in your learning curve.

Once you find a way to drill the setter's number in your head, the whole floor will open up to you!

Also, go to a HS Varsity match, follow the crew around in pregame, then grab a wheel and work with it. Get a good 5 set match, and you will feel comfortable with it.

Be patient with yourself, if you are coming in from other sports w/o a lot of VB experience as a player/coach/fan, it is easy to get lost. Work as hard on this as your do your BK rules and mechanics, and it will come. When you think about your hoops experience, you have so much experience in your brain, that a lot of things even good HS guys have to think about you do as a matter of course, w/o thinking. VB gets to be that way too, if you work at it.

Dollars to donuts, sometime early next season it will all come into focus,and you will start to see it, both BRA's and overlaps.

There are officials that bust their butt to try and do their best, and then there are those that have posted on other officiating boards here that say "if you want to take up another sport, officiate volleyball, it's easy money." And, unfortunately, I've had the displeasure to have those officials as partners. Maybe you forget that I don't know who you are... you said you'd call me a "drama queen" if my signature wasn't displayed, and I actually provide plenty of information of who I am and what level I'm at... you're profile doesn't even list your real name... so how am I to know if this is your 1st, 40th or 10,000th volleyball match? But however long or short you've been officiating volleyball, it's still important to "try to improve." You talk about my over-the-top emotion... I say it's appropriately proportionate to your comments. When an official says "I honestly don't even try to do it (look for back row attack) in a match"... you didn't say that you're struggling with learning it... hey, anyone who's learning and having trouble deserves support and guidance. BUT, anyone who says they "don't even try" and then follow up with "Personally, I find the whole thing unnecessary" and then also says "it just makes administration of the game unnecessarily complicated" well, I have a HUGE problem with that attitude. Also, when I told you that I'd blow a gasket if I was a coach having you not even trying to call back row attacks, think about what you replied to me, you said "And I'll toss you from the gym faster than you can say "back row attack". And you'll be fully deserving of it." Do you hear yourself? You'd throw me out for being upset that you "don't even try" to look for illegal back-row-attack's? Guess what, that's your job! I'm serious when I say that you need to either change your attitude or hang up your whistle. You said "do you think I'm doing the Olympics" and I say it doesn't matter what age or performance level, an illegal back-row-attack is illegal, no matter what. And finally, to answer your question about the oath, in NFHS it's called the Officials Code of Ethics, in NCAA it's called the Code of Ethical and Professional Conduct, and in USAV it's called Philosophy of Rules and Refereeing - The Referee within this Framework. So while your mocking my comments, my defense of proper officiating, and my disdain of poor attitudes and poor officiating lacking any desire to improve, I truly don't appreciate your comments such as "Did you really take an officiating oath?!?! Did they ask you to raise your right hand and place your left hand on a rule book that's been passed down through 5 generations of your family? Was it a chief justice or merely a justice of the peace who administered your oath?" So, if you're standing so tall with your thoughtless sarcastic remarks, why won"t you publish your REAL name? I did.

Lighten up, Francis.

You've been here for what, like 2 weeks and have contributed a whopping 23 posts. The last two of which seriously are overly-aggressive and aimed at a very long time contributor to this board. One, who I might add, is highly respected for the fair and open-minded approach he takes towards other posters.

You'll notice that most of the rest of us have been encouraging and have offered helpful suggestions.

You, OTOH, jump in with both barrels blazing in an attempt to put somebody you don't know, whose ethics you know nothing about, and whose history as an outstanding and committed official in other sports you are completely ignorant of down for the sins of others.

As for using real names on here... Sadly the use of real names in an internet forum has come back to haunt many people in many different ways. And the posting of one's credentials in one's signature line can just as easily come across as being pompous.

I'm just saying.

That's right. You have no idea who I am. And yet, your first post directed at me was to blast away at me with both barrels blazing. Very helpful.

You can't. And yet, your first post directed at me was to blast away at me with both barrels blazing.

And I say it's not. You must be a joy to work with.

Read the rest of the sentence, Brainiac, instead of taking things out of context.

Can you even read?!?! Good grief. I'd throw you out for "blowing a gasket", which I'm guessing would be excessively demonstrative. If you were simply to yell "That was back row!", you probably wouldn't get tossed. Although around my neck of the woods, yelling tends to get carded.

Of course it's illegal. Would I love to be as amazingly awesome as you, and catch them all? Of course I would. But you know what? I'm not that amazingly awesome in my 2nd season.

So you're saying that you didn't actually take an oath. Right? That was simply more grandstanding to make your emotional rant seem more compelling.

Oh, oh, let me play!! Guess how many of your comments I appreciated!! Go ahead. Take a guess!!

I actually have a very good reason for not using my real name, not that it's any of your business. And it wouldn't make any difference if I did use my real name, because there's no way for you to know if I really am who I say I am.

One thing I do know, however, is that you're a putz. Welcome to Ignoreville. Population, you.

Wow, Scrappy actually added somebody to his ignore list? :eek:

I'll chime in with a few comments here.....

Retro - Think back (a long time, I am guessing) to when you started officiating VB....If you are anything like the rest of us, it probably was overwhelming with all of the stuff you have to mentally keep track of. Hell, it took me a good three years before I was comfortable calling illegal contacts consistently. Like MCBear, it was another two years or so before the light bulb came on and I was recognizing back row players and being aware of the BRAs and BRBs. Scrappy doesn't have the attitude of he's just not going to call it because he doesn't like the rule, he's just not comfortable with that aspect of the game yet, like many new VB officials. He'll get there, with help and encouragement from people that have gone before him. Think about this - if he was a crappy official who didn't care, he probably wouldn't even be here on the board to begin with.

Scrappy - Hang in there. Keep working. It will become instinct for you at some point. Like you, I was a longtime basketball official that took up VB. Like I said above, it probably took me a good five seasons to get comfortable as a VB official. I'm still trying to improve, but I feel confident in my abilities. There has been some good advice in this thread - try some of it out, keep what works and toss the rest. It will get better.

The sad part is...
 

In his first post, Scrapper really did say he doesn't even try to look for illegal back-row attacks, he finds the whole thing unnecessary, and it just makes administration of the game unnecessarily complicated.

The sad part is that, on this officials forum, I was the only voice that spoke up and said that his disregard towards enforcing the 'rules of play' is wrong, and I provided reasoning... and no one yet vocally agreed with me. On the contrary, Back In The Saddle is turning the heat on me... for what? For insisting that an official do their job properly? Not one single forum member said anything even close to, Retrozetti (Michael) has a point, illegal back-row attacks need to be called.

Again, it's not that Scrapper said he is having trouble finding BR players, I can very easily work with that... instead, he said he "doesn't even try"... and I will always have a problem with that.

Before my match on Tuesday, I was actually just talking to my partner about the signaling aspect of this. He said that at a college camp he went to this summer, one of the observers told him not to signal the legal BRA's very often because it can alert the other team to who is in the back row.

So, assuming that I ever get the hang of seeing it in the first place, what do you folks consider to be proper signaling of legal BRA's? When should you do it and when not?

I know I said I was going to ignore you, and after this I really am, but this is just too priceless to pass up.

And this, Michael, is where perceptive people "take a hint". Instead of continuing to rant against me and grossly misrepresent my comments, ask yourself why no one has rushed in to agree with you. Quite likely, it is because you are not correct in the matter.

To paraphrase John McEnroe: You cannot be serious!!!! Are you absolutely blind? What is your reading level? Not only did someone say it, I said it!!! I said,

Back row attacks should be called. I would love to catch them all!!! Are you happy? Do you feel like now you win something? They should be called. I am simply confessing that I can't do it, and I'm afraid that if I try, I will miss obvious ball-handling violations.

Now, I really am putting you on the ignore list. Putz.

If it's close that you might need to clarify why you didn't call it illegal, you can go ahead and signal it. If it's not close to being illegal (freeball over, player is at the end line, etc.), there's no need to signal it.

Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to signal it EVERY time a back row player attacks the ball legally. It should be only for clarification.

That makes 100% sense. Thanks.

I agree with FMadera only call it when they are close to the attack line when they hit the ball, or close to being over the net if they happen to be in front of the attack line.

I will add one thing to that, I call it every time the Libero contacts the ball over her head (like an attack) sending it to the other side of the net. Since she can't contact the ball over the height of the net anywhere on the court I signal "safe" no matter where she is in reguards to the attack line, thus stating the obvious that I judge the ball was below the height of the net when she contacted it.

... not once have I lowered myself to name-calling nor throwing insults, not once.

Changing the subject, if you have retracted your comment about "not even trying" to look for illegal back-row attacks, and instead want to learn to monitor back-row players, then I too wish you the best success. The more knowledged you are about the rules, the more "good" experience you gather, and with the right mentor and strong officials around you that you probe for suggestions and improvements, the better the official you become. Everyone always has room for improvement

You mentioned that you're ignoring me, but maybe the message will get to you... Your assigners can be your strongest guides... especially with the minimal experience you have thus far. Your assigner(s) will be able to properly place you in the best matches to help you grow while not putting you in over you head, and they can also put you with strong officials that can observe you with a fresh perspective and help you to improve in ways that are customized to your needs.

Finally, thank you Andy for mentioning this "Think about this - if he was a crappy official who didn't care, he probably wouldn't even be here on the board to begin with." Thank you, very true, and it runs parallel with something I wrote to BearFan a while back:

Perhaps you roll differently in Aurora, IL, but from my perspective I find the comments quoted above to be quite insulting. Comparing Scrapper to Tim Donaghy? Are you serious?

You seem surprised that nobody has stepped up to support your message. I think you're misreading the situation. Many have posted helpful encouragement and suggestions that are completely in agreement with your message. But nobody wants to be associated with your tone.

But since you seem to need actual "you were right" validation, let me be the first to say:

Retrozetti (Michael) has a point, illegal back-row attacks need to be called.

I must say one other statement you made speaks volumes to me:

I was part of that discussion. Some very serious volleyball guys did their best to convince the basketball guys that volleyball is harder. They were not well received by some. That really seems to have stuck in your craw. Are you sure you haven't automatically assumed that Scrapper is an "easy money" man simply because he's a basketball ref?

Ok, I used the wheel in my game tonight (I was R2 for the varsity). It was not horrible, but I had two problems.

1) I felt like I didn't really have enough time between points to use it effectively. I couldn't write down the subs, for example. And also, while it helped me identify the back row players, I had a much harder time remembering who was supposed to be "opposite" each other. So the result was that I had a grasp of the back row, but had no idea if the front row was aligned properly.

2) First words out of my partner's mouth after the match (when I asked if he had any things for me to work on), "Try to get out of the habit of using the wheel." :( It was not said in a condescending way. He said that it's too easy to become dependent on it, so it's better just to figure it out without using the wheel at all.

So now, once again, I don't know what do.

BTW, this partner was excellent to work with. Helpful when asked, but not overbearing or overly-critical. He called a couple position faults when I was unsure, but other than that he let me live and die with my own calls.

He also happens to be the boys' volleyball assignor in the Spring. I'm not sure if I helped or hurt my cause today.

Scrapper, Don't worry
 

If you get comfortable with the wheel use it. Your assigner is not going to mark you down and stick you only with MS games if you use it. the idea is to get the call right, not always how you get there.

AS to using the BRA sign, our officials are right, you do not always have to use the legal BRA sign, but you have leeway on when to use it:

Case book/Manual p. 70:

"7. LEGAL BACK-ROW ATTACK — Arm on attacker’s side of
net is extended parallel to the floor at chest level, palm
down. Then make one slight horizontal sweeping motion
when, in the judgment of the official, it is needed to
indicate a legal back row attacker."

If you are learning to see BRA's use the sign when in your judgment you need to acknowledge the BRA. For our veteran officials, it won't be as often as you. But until you have it down, IMO call it when you see it no matter what.
"Best practice" says you use when you need to, I agree. And you will use it less and less over time, until you can easily strive for best practice every time.

It took me a couple of matches to get comfortable using the wheel. And, as you witnessed, it becomes less effective if your partner has a quick tempo. Here's a few things I've done to adapt.

* I've gone to matches on my non-game days to practice using it. That has helped me get faster at using it.
* I keep my pencil in my front pocket, always open (I use bullet pencils), where I can reach it very quickly.
* I circle the setter, kinda dark so I can see at a glance where she's supposed to be.
* In a blank area of the card I write the setter and her opposite's numbers, as a fraction. So I don't have to "find" them on the wheel when I need a quick memory jog.
* I note subs on my wheel while I'm reporting them to the table. I don't give the court back until I've recorded them (I try not to slow my partner's tempo, but I've got work to do too).
* I don't erase subs when the original player returns. So I'm never writing a sub down more than once. I may pick up the wrong number the first time I glance at the card, but when I realize I'm seeing the wrong player, I know exactly where to glance back to on the card to pick up the right one.
* I draw a triangle in the pie slice where the libero serves. That's helped me catch the libero serving in multiple positions before. Many scorekeepers don't know about this rule and therefore can't help you out.
* Everything written after the game begins is kinda chicken scratch because I'm hurrying, but as long as I can make it out...
* Sometimes I have to wait a point or two before I have time to note something on my wheel, but there's always a 2-3 second break soon you can use
* I ask my scorekeeper before the game to be prepared to tell me who the next server is for either team. So if I'm suddenly unsure my wheel is up to date, I can quickly verify.
* I'll be danged if I don't consistently forget to advance my wheel whenever there's a side out and a sub at the same time. Grrrr

It's not perfect. But I'm a LOT better with it than without it. With use, some things have begun to click. With repetition I've learned where to expect to find the setter in each position. Now, instead of holding up the card searching the floor, the wheel reminds me of her position and I know where to look. It's starting to become automatic to pick up the number of the most obvious overlap when I get the setter's position. With this automaticity, now I have time to glance back at the wheel to pick up the number of the less obvious overlap. After a while the players that lead and follow the setter are committed to memory. That allows me, using the card and what the card has helped me commit to memory, to very quickly verify four of the six players' locations before the serve.

Next emphasis for me, I think, is tracking front row/back row better. I already keep track of my setter, and usually her opposite (if I haven't consciously noted the opposite's location, I at least recognize her and know she's opposite). So it should be a fairly straightforward leap to knowing whether her leader and follower are also FR/BR. Having said that, you watch...it'll take 3 more years to get that part :D

If a rally goes more than 2-3 points, the wheel is starting to go in my pocket as I know that alignment and don't need the card.

I expect I will eventually be able to track and recognize enough on my own that the wheel will spend most of the time in my pocket. Eventually I'll "get lazy" and stop bothering to fill in the lineup, since I'm not really using it. Then I'll stop carrying it altogether. Maybe that'll be this season, maybe not.

I wouldn't worry too much about what your P said, at least not today. He's right in that we shouldn't become utterly dependent on it. But why not use it to speed the process of no longer needing it.

Just my $0.025

BITS,
I never got comfortable using the wheel... it just took too much time and was hard for me to keep up with subs on it... so I stuck to 3x5 cards. What helps me, even though it's still not something I can see in my sleep like offiside in soccer, is to follow the big hitters rather than setters. I've found that a really good big hitter up front will often try to be a really good big hitter from the back row in front of the attack line. I was actually able to see pretty clearly some close but legal BR attacks. As for Scrappy, unless he's got us all hoodwinked, he's a good official who takes officiating seriously and wants to get better in all sports.
Scrappy, it does get easier every game every year for me. I think it will you, too. Also, HS V demands that you see it much more than Jr. High so it becomes easier as you must be more focused. rr

Woo-hoo!!

Used the wheel again today as R2 and had a much easier time of it. I'm starting to get a little rhythm for how to use it and how to check it.

I even recognized a back row attack, though it was legal because the ball was clearly below the level of the net. (I even practice my "legal" signal, although I probably shouldn't give it as R2.)

Only problem was that it got really complicated in the 5th set when the teams switched sides of the court. Teams were on the wrong side of the wheel, and were rotating the wrong direction. . .

Overall, it was a tremendous help.

I hated it when I got it written backwards. I also had one that turned very easily and would get into the wrong position. That always made life very interesting! My 3x5 cards just don't do that.

See the wheel is not all bad! Not sure if I put it here but I have two wheels (one given to me by an official that had it 10 years and never used it). When I get to a match I clean the cards from the last match (lazy when its over I throw it in my bag and get home) so I take my big (1" X 1/2") eraser and I go over the whole card getting it clean, both cards. Then I write one team on the right side of card 1 and the left side of card 2, then fill in team 2 on the other sides of the cards. At the captains meeting I take the card that will be right for me that game (team 1 on left side) to meeting, write captains on the their correct side and mark who has first serve (more important than you think more later on that). then when they are warming up I will set the wheel, and write at the top 1st game. This tells me that this card is the one to use for game 1, 3 and 5 if they switch sides. The 2nd card will be correct for the 2,4 and 5 if they don't switch sides.

Now on setting the wheel. My card has numbers in the small pie pieces near the center, these are the server numbers, so the team with first serve gets set with number 1 in the RB spot. Other team is set with number 1 in RF. Now we are ready to to get the game started. During the game it is possible to forget to rotate the wheel, or to over rotate or move the wheel during a long rally(lots of peoples fear in using these cards). Well one thing I have figured out, simply when you think about it, is that if the team with first serve is serving, they should be 1 spot ahead of the other team. Meaning if 1st serve team is serving and their 3rd position (numbers in pie) is serving, then team 2 should have their 2nd position (number in pie) in the RB spot, so that the next time they get the serve their 3rd position player will be serving. Along this line, if the team without first serve is serving then the positon numbers in RB should be the same. So if positon number 4 is serving for the team that did NOT serve first then the other team should also have position 4 in the RB spot. This helps check yourself to ensure you are with the proper rotation. Also if you know setter is front left look down is she on your card?

Knowing where they are is easy if you have the card setup right. if you are R2 and the fold in the card is the net, the on the left court LF is away from you toward the net, LB is away from you away from the net, etc on the right side LF is right next to you toward the net. Don't over think it, just look at the card and think of it being an overhead drawing of where the players are suppose to be.

PS....I would NOT attempt to call a game with the players backwards, team A to my right but on the left of the card...been there done that it sucks!! I have gotten down from the ladder (I am going to use the wheel on the ladder till then quit paying me to officiate because of it) and gotten my other card before when I had grabbed the wrong one.....my mind only stretches so far!!!

Ok, keeping in mind, I don't use the wheel, never will, etc...

How about just writing in the lineups for each time (assuming you're using NCAA rules where teams switch) twice...one regular, and once upside down. Then rotate the wheel 180 degrees after the switch and...you should have your teams back where they belong, or at least, pretty close?

I think the red sixth might be off, but it's a start, at least...

I switched from card to wheel a couple seasons ago and had a problem. First Varsity Tri I used marker and marked the wheel. It was very hot and humid. Part way into the second set - coach asked for lineup check. I looked at wheel and saw .......... nothing. Everything was gone. :o

Since then I've stuck to cards. Tried doing both once but still had the problem on hot days. Don't know if it was just heat and humidity or sweaty hand (no ink on hand) or what but I won't ever go back again. I like the card and pencil!

I use pencil on my wheel. Then it erases real nice with one of those old fasioned big erasers.

Again I understand it is what you get used to and what works for you, this works and works well for me....I am the only official I have ever seen using the wheel, but I'm ok with that!! To each their own but for me this thing works and helps me see who should be where real quick.

I'm not a vet either, but this is exactly what I do. I admit that I'm lacking in identifying BRA and BRB. For some reason, I seem to be able to better identify back row players as R1 than as R2. I don't know if it's the vantage point from the stand or not having to worry about subs and timeouts, but it just seems so much clearer as R1. Heck, maybe it's because I don't have a card! I have found that using the signal for legal BRA helps me out also, though I try to use it only as clarification as Felix suggests.

Part of the problem I think I am still not completely comfortable with BRA and BRB is that I work about 20-25 matches and maybe 4-5 tournaments over a two month period. About half of those are MS matches, which are no help when it comes to seeing attacks or blocks by ANY player. Then I get a few varsity matches where one player from each team may be able to jump high enough to attack the ball above the height of the net. I'm not kidding.

As far as a wheel, I've tried it a few times but I just feel more comfortable with a card. I almost tried a wheel tonight but I chickened out at the last minute. I bought one of those dry-erase wheels before the season but have yet to try it out. I wish that I could have that light bulb turn on for me so that I could actually track everyone without a card or wheel, but I just don't see it happening. I can remember the starting lineups for both teams in the 1975 World Series (neither of which were my beloved Astros), but no matter how hard I try as soon as we get 2 points in to the match I feel fortunate to be able to track setters and opposites for both teams.