Using Students as Line Judges

[varefump]

In Virginia, they have this stupid policy that students (high school and below) cannot serve as line judges in regular season scholastic matches.

I'm trying to get the policy changed and would like to know if there are any other states with a similar policy.

Right now, we're calling 99.5% of our matches without line judges at all because Virginia has received a waiver from the NFHS to make LJs optional.

It's really tough calling high-level boys' volleyball with only two officials on the court.

Please LMK if your state either doesn't use kids as LJs or has LJs optional.

Thanks.

[pavbref]

In Pennsylvania, we allow students to line judge, but some leagues prohibit it. The philosophy behind the bans is that it puts undue pressure on the student because of calls --i.e. next day in school, getting blamed for team loss. Another is that no other sport uses students as part of the officiating team. In one league, students were banned with the line judges being assigned referees if available, else no line judge. The state has ruled that a line judge is mandated.

My chapter is working with schools to try to get adult line judges. We proposed to the schools that they give the line judges a season sports pass as payment to fight the additional cost argument (season pass cost is minimal). Another league has mandated adult line judges.

Another problem we have with student line judges is lack of attention. The coaches view the position as a penalty for violating a team rule or for poor play instead of an important need for good officiating. They don't realize that the point missed because of an inattentive or missing line judge can mean .the difference in winning a close match.

I will follow this thread intently, as I feel that the community needs to get a good solution to grow the game

[bbsbvb83]

For high school girls volleyball in Illinois, line judges are not required until the beginning of the postseason, and schools in my area very rarely provide them before that point. Although line judges used in the postseason are not required to be licensed officials, they must be at least 18 years old and may not be a member of a school's varsity volleyball team. During the postseason, many athletic directors do choose to hire licensed volleyball officials to serve as line judges. Unfortunately, it has been my experience that many licensed officials, sometimes solid referees, make poor line judges. I attribute this to the simple fact that line judging is something we very rarely do. Most current or former club volleyball players, on the other hand, have performed line judging duties many times. A few of the larger schools in my area will have these individuals line judge, who usually do a good job.

On the rare occasion when I am requested and available to officiate a high school boys match, my first question to the assigning A.D. is always "do you have line judges?" If the answer is no, I refuse the assignment.

[SCalScoreKeeper]

In our association we have one school requesting officials as lines judges for all their home matches.I got 6 of those assignments out of my total of 16 matches.
I can understand why that school is doing it-they are a volleyball powerhouse and I imagine the coach was tired of looking at kids in "la la" land when calling lines.But a preponderance of our membership does use kids to call lines during the regular season.Here that school is paying an additional $70 per match and $560 for the year to get lines judges (2 at $35 each-the playoff rate for lines judges) for their 8 regular season home dates.These are for varsity matches only.

[oldsetter]

In Tennessee, line judges are required. The R1 and R2 are assigned through an assignor. The school is responsible for line judges, score keep, score board operator and tracker. My association will supply line judges (certified officials) if requested for regular season and are required for sub-state and state tournament.

Adult line judges are preferred, but I have had varsity players call JV matches. Over all, the kids do a better job than the adults. (they play club) many of the adults have several kids play and have many years experience line judging and are very good.....And some are 1st time don't know which end of the flag to hold. You just work with them. I have ref'd for 13 years and have only had one line judge that had to be replaced.

And yes, some of the worst line judges are officials.

There is no cost to the school to provide an adult line judge. Usually, the varsity parents call for the JV match and the JV parents call for the varsity match. I have recruited some to become officials.

In 13 years, I have ref'd over 1000 matches, but not one without a line judge. You can always over rule a line judge, even a good one.

[SCalScoreKeeper]

oldsetter
I agree that the kids who do pay attention do a good job but 9 times out of 10 the kids are in "la la" land and that goes for the ones working at the table too.Why do you think officials make bad line judges?

[oldsetter]

1st: I ref USAV and work with kids way more than adults. I would say less than 20% don't pay attention - which I will give further instruction to and ask that they help me. I also ask them to make a call on every down ball and make eye contact with them.

2nd: I ref'd 4 high school matches tonight. 7 line judges were adults, 2 were good, 2 were fence posts, 3 were ok and one was a young girl. She was better than 5 of the adults.

3rd: Refs (high school) as line judges. mostly they are newer officials (little experience), mostly little or no experience as a line judge (it is a skill and experience is important) and they are all over the map because they don't know where to look or what signal to make. At least in my state, refs who only call lines post season or during training or a special request have less experience than adults who call all home games and may have several seasons experience but who have less experience than players (that play USAV) who call lines January to June.

Bottom line, in any age group there are good and bad line judges. I do have to overrule more adults than kids. Usually, they err in favor of the opposing team. Go figure.

[Andy]

My answer is based on HS play only as that is the only level I work VB at.

Here in AZ, the host school is required to provide LJs. The norm is that two V players will LJ the freshman match, two Freshman players will LJ the JV match, and two JV players will LJ the V match.

I would say is about a 50/50 chance that we will get good ones in a particular match. We have girls talking to their friends in the stands, standing there with their arms folded, looking bored, etc. One of the other things we have run into in the last few years is assigned LJs leaving after the first set and having new LJs for the second and/or third set.

We have approached the schools with a proposal to assign 4 officials for a 3 match evening (Fr, JV, V) 2 experienced and two lower level officials. I experienced and one lower level work the Fr match, and the other two LJ, switch for the JV match, then the two experienced officials work the V match and the two lower level LJ. Obviously, the school administrators have rejected this due to the additional cost, but many of our experienced officials have griped about it because it would mean less money for them.