Rulings

[FMadera]

Originally Posted by bbsbvb83

Here is a closely related question from the IHSA (Illinois) test. NFHS Rules.

Team A's #10 serves the ball. At the moment of serve, the R2 whistles an illegal alignment on Team B. The served ball does not cross the net. It is then discovered that Team B players were legally aligned. What is the official's ruling?

A. Replay
B. Point for Team A
C. Net serve by Team A and Team B is awarded a point/loss of rally.
D. None of the above.

Here is my issue with this question:

If the R2 whistled at the exact moment of the serve (server's hand was still contacting the ball when the whistle sounded), an argument could be made that the whistle interfered with the server's action. Thus, a replay (A) should be awarded.

However, if the server had already completed her contact with the ball when the whistle sounded, I would rule a net serve (C).

Fortunately, this was not one of the 25 questions I had to answer on my individual test. Have any Illinois officials on this forum had to answer this question? One test question has already been thrown out because it was worded so poorly. I am wondering what answer the state is accepting as correct for this question.

The correct answer is still a net serve. I had this question on my exam and got it correct.

For you to rule replay, you'd have to find a way to act as if the whistle was the reason the serve didn't clear the net. Also, the question doesn't say "exact moment," it just says moment. Don't read too much into it.

It's an incorrect/inadvertent whistle that had no affect on the result of the play. For it to have, the referee would have had to start the whistle before the contact of serve, the sound travel to the server, who then would have to interpret that the whistle means stop, etc. Don't look for trouble or more than what's there.