Multiple vs. Prolonged Contact

[MCBear]

Posted by: bbsbvb83

First, let's be clear about when a referee should never make a double-hit call. All three rule sets (NFHS, NCAA, USAV) state that during a team's first hit, successive contacts are permitted as long as there is only one attempt to play the ball. A ball rolling up a player's arms - as long as the ball does not come to rest - is considered multiple contacts in one act of playing the ball. In that case, referees should allow play to continue as long as it occurs on the team's first contact.

As you stated, the above was quoted by a PAVO National Referee. As such, it does not apply to NFHS. The NFHS interpretation is totally different from NCAA(PAVO) and USAV. NFHS is the only rules set that utilizes "prolonged contact".

In NFHS, a ball that rolls up a player's arms is always considered to be prolonged contact. NCAA and USAV consider such contact to be successive contacts and thus legal. Be careful about mixing apples and oranges.