Here is a play I have always wondered about. Ball is above the net about less than a foot from the antenna. A player on each side of the net go up and hit the ball at the same time (Both go up to block). Since they are both allowed to hit the ball, I allow it, however...being close to the antenna the ball, and the players arm hit the antenna. The ball then falls to a side and lands inbounds. What would you call?

What hits first, the ball or the arm?

The ball hits first...

I don't have my NFHS rulebook in front of me, but here goes. First, the play is dead the instant the ball touches the antenna. Any action after that is irrelevant. I would then award the ball and a point/side out to the team opposite the side where the ball fell. Why?

For one thing, I have to rule in favor of one team or the other. The penalized team will beg for a replay, but I would only grant a replay in that situation if I or my partner didn't see the play clearly.

My reasoning is that I am rewarding the more aggressive player. With the players being so close to the antenna, my feeling is the stronger player forced the ball on to the weaker player's side of the net and antenna, causing the ball to fall on the weaker player's side. It would be consistant with a player "wiping" a ball off an opponent's hands when the set is tight to the net.

I'll check my rulebook later to see if I can find anything to back me up.

PA - I have not responded, because I keep forgetting to look in the case book.

I think the FED is different from USA and NCAA, so I don't want to goof.

But,

I am sure there is a case on this. If memory serves, if there is a "joust", and the ball runs along the top of the net and contacts the antenna, it is a double fault, replay. If it falls OOB to one side or the other, you penalize the opposite side. Yes, this seems like you penalize the stronger player, but that is the interp.

Didn't look in the case book on this one, just winging it (I realize that is a scary thought).
The ball hits the antenna after both players have jousted or blocked it there. If the contact is simultaneous, they have both caused it to hit the antenna. Ball hitting the antenna is dead. Doesn't matter which side the ball falls - go back to last statement - ball is dead.
Now you have to go back and see if contact was simultaneous or if Player A pushed it off Player B to contact the antenna, if so - point to Player A (SD uses rally scoring this year). If contact is so close to being simultaneous - you would have to rule replay as each player caused the ball to hit the antenna.
Now I'm going back to my very first statement that I didn't look this one up, just using common sense (I know that there are some rules/casebook plays that defy common sense), but that is just my opinion on this one.

Actually, this was a FED test question this year. The FED interp is a replay if a "joust" occurs and the ball rolls along the net and contacts the antenna. If the ball falls to one side or another of the net after the "joust", it is considered last touched by the player on the opposite side.