Coupla questions from a 2nd year...
 

Question 1:

When a ball is hit towards an unplayable area... say, over the scorers table. Do you whistle play dead upon entry into this area ("breaking the plane"), or wait until the ball makes contact with the area?

(I ask because I have received conflicting 'approaches' to this)

Question 2:

Why would I be told by a veteran official that it is not a violation to contact the net outside of the poles? I think someone told me that last year and then again yesterday. My rules book says that it is a foul to contact the net , the poles, or support wires, with no distinction for whether it is outside the poles. Did this rule change at some point?

1. Since a player can play a ball over nonplayable area if the player is in playable area, it's not a good idea to blow the ball dead until it contacts non-playable area. You'll get burned someday blowing the whistle too soon.

2. Do you mean outside the antennas? I'm not sure there is net outside the poles...

If you mean antennas, the net is the net all the way, not just antenna to antenna.

Felix is right. Let it hit.

referee99, as Felix and rev said, let the ball hit. That way there is no doubt that the ball was dead because it was in the non-playable area.

(2) Your veteran may have been thinking USAV rules where it is not a net foul to contact the cables outside the antenna or to contact the net if the player is not involved in playing the ball. In NFHS rules, however, a net is a net is a net. You cited the correct NFHS rule in your post. Always make sure that you know which rules code you are discussing.