Illegal hit?

[devdog69]

Is using a double-fist to hit the ball illegal always or does it make a difference that they both contacted the ball together and acted as one body part in what looked like a legal hit?

[Brian Watson]

Unless there is prolonged contact it would not be illegal.

It could be a double, if it was the 2nd or 3rd hit.

If it is the 1st hit, then it is OK as long as it was one attempt.

[devdog69]

ok, thanks. It looked good to me. It was kinda funny how it was brought up, i'll share some of the story. Visitors spike a ball off the top of the net and it is kept alive and being set by home when the line judge comes running on the court and screaming "net, net". I blow the whistle and she comes to the chair. I said "what have you got" she proceeds to tell me that the white team hit the net on the last spike. I said "ma'am that is not your call to make", so then she starts questioning my rules knowledge, by asking if it was legal to do this double-fisted hit. I, of course, didn't bother to give her an answer, instead replying "let me be very clear, this is in, this is out, that is your only concern". I probably should have removed her and I would have if anything else would have happened, but she was ok after that, though I don't remember actually looking at her on any other calls, think I subconsciously decided to call them myself.

[Brian Watson]

Fabulous.

[Coach&Blue]

I have a similiar question. Team A hits the ball hard across the net. Player on Team B recieve, but the ball hits off her arms, then comes off her arms and smacks into her face. The ball goes up and Team B hits the ball over the net for a point. Is this type of "double hit" allowed when it is first contact? Also, does it matter if it is a serve or a kill?

[Andy]

Originally posted by Coach&Blue
I have a similiar question. Team A hits the ball hard across the net. Player on Team B recieve, but the ball hits off her arms, then comes off her arms and smacks into her face. The ball goes up and Team B hits the ball over the net for a point. Is this type of "double hit" allowed when it is first contact? Also, does it matter if it is a serve or a kill?

FED changed this rule last year for HS VB to match the NCAA and USA rulesets. Multiple contacts on the first ball over the net are allowed as long as they are not intentional and as long as there is no "finger action" using a setting motion. The multiple contacts count as the team's first contact unless it is a block. If finger action is used in a setting motion, multiple contact is a violation.

[Brian Watson]

If it is a defensive move, then I would let it go.

What you look for is one attempt to hit the ball and overhead finger action.

[vball dad]

Where does it say you can not use the finger action and still get away with that double hit action? I understood the double hit was legal on any serve recieve or hard hit ball. Not sure how you could do the finger action on a hard hit ball, but you sure could do it on a serve receive.

[Brian Watson]

If you have the rule book, it is in the section that describes multiple contacts.

I don't have mine in front of me, but you will find the wording something like this "multiple contacts are allowed on the 1st team hit, as long as only one attempt to play the ball is made, and no overhead finger action is used."

[Homer]

The section Brian is referencing is 9-4-8(b)

"Multiple contacts are allowed only ... on any first team hit, whether or not the ball is touched by the block, provided there is no finger action."

9.4.8 Situation C in the Casebook further explains.