August 2013 // www.referee.com

VOLLEYBALL

BASEBALL

A Fine MessSOFTBALL

Timely RemindersSOCCER

Holding

TOUGHESTCALLS

FOOTBALL &BASKETBALL

NFHSRULECHANGES

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A DeathIn Utah

Partners From Hell

RichiePhillips

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ALL SPORTS

Read My Lips

2013 Gold Whistle AwardBill LeMonnier

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CONTENTS

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Volume 38, No. 8Issue 442

AUGUST 2013

FEATURES

Judy StarkBenton, Ill.

Judy Stark has been involved in volleyball as a referee for the past 15 years. Stark, like many officials, will agree that the toughest calls in the sport include prolonged contact or a lift, and identifying illegal alignment. “Prolonged contact is probably one of the most difficult calls from my experience,” she said. “The systems that teams are using are becoming more complex and they are shifting players so much that watching for illegal alignment as the R2 or tracking the setters as the R1 makes it that much more difficult.”

ON THE COVER

SPORTS

14 FOOTBALLKeep a Lid on It: NFHS Changes Address Helmetless Players; 5 Minutes With Jim Corpora; Officiating Backward Passes and Fumbles

22 VOLLEYBALLGet a Grip: Grasp Three of the Sport’s Toughest Calls; NFHS Flip-Flops Signal Sequence; 5 Minutes With Anne Pufahl; Did You Hear What I Didn’t Say?

36 SOCCERHold It, Right There: Recognize and Handle Different Types of Holding; No Such Thing as a ‘Simple Nudge’; To Dive or Not to Dive?; Inches and Angles; Beat the Heat; What Did You Just Say!?!

50 BASEBALLWhen the S@#$ Hits …: Best Umpires Know How to Handle Messed-Up Situations; Play or Penalty?; Step-By-Step

56 SOFTBALLTiming’s Everything: Good and Not-So-Good Moments to Stop a Game; Three Person: Chasing With Runners on Corners

68 BASKETBALLKeep the Peace: New NFHS Rule Allows Coach to Assist in Breaking Up Fight; NCAA Men’s Shot Clock Needs Resetting; Center’s Patience Can Pay Off

74 ALL SPORTSSpeech Therapy: Right Response at Right Time Elevates the Game; Pick the Right Association

4 PUBLISHER’S MEMOWords Are More Than Just Ink on Paper

6 THE GAG RULE‘Backward From the Way It Should Be’; Enough with the Whining; Your Call @Facebook; Snap Shot

8 THE NEWSNew State Law Ends TASO-UIL Dispute; Dibler to Lead West Alliance; NFL Announces Staff Changes; W.Va. Passes Law to Protect Officials

34 GETTING IT RIGHTUmpires Assist With Tornado Relief; Golf for Greg Event Goes on in Willard’s Honor; Community Supports Softball Umpire in Need

42 PROFILESMason Earns First 55-Year Lacrosse Award; Coaches

Association Honors Weiss; 1,000th Game, 1,000 Miles From Home

78 FOR THE RECORD2013 WNBA roster; NCAA softball championships; Division II and III baseball championships

80 LAWTitle IX: Two or Three-Person Crews?; Be Proactive in Discussing Legal Issues; Be Clear to Coach That Equipment is Flawed

81 CLASSIFIEDSCamps/Clinics/Schools; Training Resources; Equipment/Apparel; Leadership Resources

82 LAST CALLThat’s a Wrap: “With time winding down in the first half, my worst nightmare began to unravel, literally.”

As part of the NFHS rules changes for 2013, the referee will reverse the order in which he or she gives signals when awarding a point. Now, the first referee is to indicate the result of a play-point or replay — followed by the nature of the fault. The change allows the scorer to immediately record the score and prepare for other responsibilities such as substitutions and recording timeouts. High school referee Karl Weingartner, Thousand Oaks, Calif.

VOLLEYBALL HIGHLIGHT THIS MONTH

FOR MORE CONTACT, GO TO PAGE 22 FOR MORE, GO TO PAGE 24

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12 RICHIE PHILLIPS DIESFor years, NBA referees and MLB umpires benefitted from the legal acumen and bulldog tenacity of Richie Phillips as head of their respective unions.

28 2013 GOLD WHISTLE AWARD: BILL LEMONNIERNASO honors longtime college football referee and clinician for his work on and off the field.

44 IN THE LINE OF DUTYA single punch from a 17-year-old player led to the tragic death of Utah soccer referee Ricardo Portillo.

62 I’M WORKING WITH WHO?Officiating is never boring, especially when it comes to those we officiate with. Good officials can adjust to their partners.

For more on this subject, use theadvanced search option on MyReferee via

VOLLEYBALLRULES, MECHANICS, TECHNIQUES

www.referee.com

COORDINATOR: BRIAN HEMELGARN bhemelgarn@referee.com

www.referee.com

22 | REFEREE August 2013

GET A GRIPGrasp Three of the Sport’s Toughest Calls

By Kelly Callahan

It’s tough to get officials on the same page when determining the

three toughest calls in volleyball. There are many strong feelings and opinions involved.

Coincidentally, making such calls in a match often awakens strong feelings and opinions from players, coaches and fans. Well, maybe it’s not really a coincidence. The truth is, even among officials, we all see the game somewhat differently.

Some calls that you might think are clear and easy might be unclear and somewhat difficult or vice-versa.

Experience level and background can be factors in determining what we decide are the toughest calls. If we vary so much on deciding what is difficult as officials, how can we really expect that coaches are going to react favorably when we make that tough call in a match?

I recently conducted an informal survey of some officials to get their thoughts on the topic. I asked them

to list what they viewed as the three toughest calls and then to name the one call they thought every official must have on their list and defend their rationale. It was interesting to see how those thoughts varied based on years of experience, background and level of play and/or rule code.

After reviewing some strong opinions from my fellow officials,

Split-second calls at the net are among the toughest in the game, especially when trying to identify if a back-row player is attacking. Referees can do little things, like memorizing a player’s number or hair color, prior to the play to make that heat-of-the-moment task easier. High school referee Adina Mori-Holt, Los Angeles.

2013 NFHS Rule Changes • Flag Them Down

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I chose what I view as the three toughest calls for officials of various levels. Each of the following three calls appeared on multiple lists.

1. Illegal alignment. As an interpreter who trains new officials, I’m not sure there is anything tougher for an official than to immediately and consistently recognize illegal alignment. As serve-receive schemes and alignments have evolved over the years, it gets even tougher to recognize the slight adjustments made to hide the setter, position their outside hitter closer to the left side or whatever the other purposes might be behind their alignments. Officials are expected to decipher those schemes before every play — without exception!

When it really comes down to it, the basics of the illegal alignment rule are not that complicated. There are only seven potential overlaps by players — four side-to-side and three front-to-back: 1) left front to center front; 2) right front to center front; 3) left back to center back; 4) right back to center back; 5) left front to left back; 6) center front to center back; and 7) right front to right back.

To grasp the concept of illegal alignment, it is critical that an official understands those seven situations and how they are the only overlaps that can possibly be illegal. When we are in a training class using magnets with labels on them indicating positions and moving the magnets around, it’s a great feeling when officials finally recognize the potential overlaps. That rules foundation is absolutely necessary before trying to properly identify illegal alignments on the court.

Of course, that’s where the problems come into play. The players on the court unfortunately do not wear labels indicating their position (though with tomorrow’s technology, maybe they will wear labels some day that only referees can see!) and they sure don’t stay in that same spot to help you throughout the match, either.

After gaining some experience and testing different theories, many officials will learn a technique that works for them. It might be to

memorize the setter’s number and his or her opposite plus one more pair of opposites (automatically making the remaining two opposite). It might mean that an official works on using hair color or headband style to help indicate opposites. Different techniques work for different officials and there is no right or wrong way.

2. Overhand pass (setting action). It can be difficult to rule on the legality of an overhand pass in general, and what makes that ruling even more complicated is that the rules can change based on whether the action is performed on the team’s first contact or a subsequent contact. The toughest part is that the official has to take all of that information into account and make a proper ruling in about one second.

Officials must understand the rules behind the overhand pass — what is legal and what is not. It comes down to three things: Is it prolonged? Did it visibly come to rest? Are there multiple contacts? If it’s none of those things, it’s simply not illegal no matter how ugly it might look and no matter which contact it is. When it comes to prolonged contact, there is one question I am most often asked: “What exactly is prolonged contact?” Answer: If you can say the word prolonged while he or she is making contact, it’s probably too long. It can be a pretty good guide, especially for new officials.

3. Play at top of the net. Is the setter back-row and where was he or she at the moment of contact? Where is the blocker? Who touched it first? Is that a back-row block or a back-row attack? The split-second calls at the top of the net might be some of the toughest. That is where experience plays a major role. Those plays happen quickly, but with time, officials can learn to see them in “slow motion” as they evaluate each component rather than at the break-neck pace they often appear to new officials.

There are things you can do to help with those calls as you gain experience. We don’t have time to process where the setters are on those bang-bang plays or during a

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The volleyball section will be included in each issue of Referee — just like the other sports we cover. The section will include articles, photos, caseplays, quiz questions, PlayPics and MechaniGrams on the sport’s rules, mechanics and philosophy. NFHS, NCAA and USA Volleyball rules will be addressed throughout the section.

Brian Hemelgarn is Referee’s volleyball coordinator. A resident of La Salle, Mich., Hemelgarn has worked 15 years of high school volleyball in Michigan and Ohio, including

a state championship match, plus has served in multiple local association capacities. He has developed training materials for Ohio and worked with the NFHS on various NFHS committees in editing/developing the high school volleyball rulebook and casebook.Hemelgarn is an active collegiate official through PAVO and is involved in their training and ratings teams, plus he’s PAVO’s current director of examinations. Hemelgarn has refereed NCAA Division I women’s postseason matches from 2003-present, including national championships in 2005, 2007 and 2009-11. He also referees men’s collegiate volleyball, including the men’s national championship finals last April and also in 2005, 2007 and 2008. Brian is a highly regarded international referee and has worked the Pan Am Cup, World University Games and Men’s/Women’s World Championship qualifiers.

Hemelgarn will be working closely with Todd Korth, Referee associate editor and high school volleyball referee, to produce each section. Hemelgarn can be reached at bhemelgarn@referee.com and Korth at tkorth@referee.com.

Each month, the volleyball section will educate, challenge and inspire you to be better in every match you work. We welcome story ideas, caseplays and volleyball news to share. If you want to freelance write or photograph for the magazine, please let us know. And a quick “thank you” to Joan Powell, NCAA national coordinator, and Marcia Alterman, PAVO executive director, for their support and guidance during this volleyball launch. Welcome volleyball officials!

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24 | REFEREE August 2013

In each of the following, you are given a situation and at least two possible answers. You are to decide which answer or answers are correct for NFHS, NCAA or USAV rules, which might vary. Solutions: p. 81.

1. Which of the following is not a duty of the second referee?

a. Whistling net contact by a player.b. Whistling attack-hit faults by a

back-row player.c. Whistling center line/penetration

faults.d. Whistling a ball handling fault

when the first referee is screened from seeing the contact.

2. Team R’s libero, who replaced number 3, is on the court in the left-back position. Team R wins the rally and the team rotates. Team R’s coach wants number 12 to replace the libero and play in the left-front position. What is the correct procedure?

a. Replace the libero with number 12.

b. Replace the libero with number 3, then allow team R to substitute number 12 for number 3 on the same out-of-play ball.

c. Replace the libero with number 3. No substitution can be made for number 3 until at least one rally has been played.

d. Replace the libero with number 12 and record the substitution, number 12 for number 3.

3. A player reaches beyond the net to block a ball that is completely in the opponent’s playing space. In which situation is that a blocking fault?

a. When the block contact is simultaneous with the opponent’s attack-hit.

b. When a ball is falling near the net and, in the first referee’s opinion, no opponent is near enough to make a play on the ball.

c. After an attack-hit by the opponents.

d. After the third hit by the opponents.

4. During the follow-through after attacking the ball, a player contacts the mesh in the middle portion of the net. How is this net contact ruled by the referees?

a. No fault. Play continues.b. Contact with the net during an

action of playing the ball is considered a fault.

c. The net contact is not considered part of the playing action since the ball had already been contacted. Therefore, no fault has occurred.

d. Any contact with the net is considered a fault when the ball is in play.

TEST YOURSELFlong rally. We might not remember what we said at the start of the rally. So, cheat. I often use my hands to help me officiate net play. When a setter is in the back row, I place the hand closest to that side gently on the stand with two fingers extended. If a setter is in the front row, I have an open hand on the stand. Then, as the play develops near the net, I can feel my fingers and know if I have a potential back-row player fault.

The reality is that we get better

at making the tough calls when we discuss them with other officials, when we seek advice to learn new things that can help us out, and when we work to incorporate that knowledge and those techniques into our own officiating.

With that dedication, today’s three toughest calls might become some of tomorrow’s easiest. Kelly Callahan is a high school and college volleyball and basketball official from Wilmington, Del. *

NFHS Flip-Flops Signal SequenceBy Todd Korth

In an effort to improve the flow of play in high school volleyball, the

NFHS Volleyball Rules Committee has altered the signal sequence for officials, beginning this season. The committee approved the change to rule 5-2-1, along with other rule revisions, at its January meeting in Indianapolis. All changes were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors. Special thanks to Becky Oakes, director of sports and liaison to the Volleyball Rules Committee, for reviewing this article.

“I would say that there was an

overall trend — not only in rules changes, but editorial changes (as well) — that really focused in on mechanics and protocol of the officials,” said Oakes. “There were several protocols or mechanics that weren’t really addressed, and by not being addressed, there have been inconsistencies in how (the rules) were administered. That (inconsistency) led to other problems, complications or confusion during the match.”

Rule 5-2-1 now provides the fault-calling first referee to indicate the result of a play-point or replay — followed by the nature of the fault. The change allows the scorer

Under a rule change, the fault-calling referee will indicate the result of a play-point or replay, followed by the nature of the fault.

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to immediately record the score and prepare for other responsibilities such as substitutions and recording timeouts. The committee said play is more consistent since there is no delay in knowing which team will have the next serve.

“By changing the signal sequence, this will allow the scorer to perform his or her duties of recording the score, then moving on to substitutions, in a much more timely fashion,” said Oakes. “This improves the overall opportunity for accuracy and keeping up with play by the scorer.”

Among the other rule changes for the 2013-14 season, four deal with officials procedures and mechanics.

End-of-set, match altered (5-4-4b, e)Instead of reporting to the end

lines at the end of a set, teams now will be directed to their appropriate team benches. Teams will be released and follow any local or state protocols for the end of the match.

New protocol for deciding set (5-4-4b, e)The rule clarifies the protocol and whistle sequence for the second referee (R2) to follow when conducting the coin toss for the deciding set, and states that the second referee shall initial the scoresheet for the final verification of match results.

Prior to a deciding set, the first referee whistles, signals the end of the set and directs the teams to their benches. The second referee double whistles and raises coin in the air to signal the captains to go near the officials’ table for the deciding set coin toss with the home team calling the toss.

Upon completion of the deciding set coin toss, the second referee communicates the results of the toss to the first referee by extending an outstretched arm on the side of the team to serve first and giving the appropriate signal indicating if teams will remain on their own sides or change courts.

The first referee whistles and gives the appropriate signal indicating whether the teams will remain on their current sides or will change courts.

NCAA rules editor discusses toughest rules for referees.

REFEREE: In your role as NCAA secretary-rules editor, what have you found to be the most difficult rule for referees and/or coaches?

PUFAHL: During the past year, we had three main areas that resulted in most of our questions: net contact rules, the pursuit rule and libero replacements/re-designations, specifically when libero is injured.

A majority of those questions from both referees and coaches related to the net fault rules. More specifically, we state in the rules that “contact with the net is not a fault, unless it is made during the action of playing the ball.” Defining “the action of playing the ball” is our challenge. When does the playing action end? It can leave room for interpretation and inconsistent application of the rule. It is a point of emphasis for the referees this season as we try to define it more clearly.

We also had a number of questions about the pursuit rule. As a result, I believe the NCAA rules committee will research the rule in-depth to determine whether the pursuit rule puts players at a greater risk for injury, since they are often pursuing the ball into the opponent’s free zone or near the net posts and equipment. We will be gathering data from all the NCAA institutions’ sport medicine staffs to determine location and mechanisms of injuries.

With the libero rules, we’re going to take a look at some of our replacement/re-designation rules and interpretations, specifically with situations in which the libero becomes injured on the court. We had a few situations that occurred last year, and we discovered that our current rules verbiage doesn’t address them well.

REFEREE: What do you expect to be your biggest challenge this season, from a rules standpoint?

PUFAHL: Our new uniform rules!

We’ve been trying to get the word out since 2011, but there will inevitably be institutions that aren’t in compliance yet. It’s great that NFHS and USAV have adopted the same rule, but the NCAA is the first to implement it, so we’ll be experiencing some growing pains this year. Along with memos to the referees, our cadre of NCAA-PAVO national clinicians will be emphasizing to referees during our clinics how to handle teams they encounter that aren’t in compliance. I will then follow up with the school directly.

REFEREE: How does your experience as a coach help you in the rules-writing process with the NCAA?

PUFAHL: I understand the coach’s perspective. I know what it’s like to have the emotions that coaches experience during a match. I share the coach’s passion and I understand the players’ commitment and hard work. I love it when I’m coaching and I question the referee, and the referee tells me I don’t know the rules! Seriously, I think my experience as a coach, referee and conference coordinator helps me understand and accept the various perspectives the NCAA rules committee considers when discussing rules and rules changes.

REFEREE: You also attend rules committee meetings with other governing bodies (NFHS and USA Volleyball). Do the three rules committees work together?

PUFAHL: Yes, indeed! I’m very impressed with those groups, especially NFHS. Becky Oakes is a brilliant volleyball mind, and the NFHS Volleyball Rules Committee is serious and diligent with their work. They seek input from the NCAA and USAV in order to find common ground. There’s a lot of discussion.

REFEREE: What advice do you have for referees?

PUFAHL: Strive for perfection. Learn with every match, from every partner, from each situation. Give every match your best.

5 MINUTES WITH ANNE PUFAHL

Hometown: MilwaukeeExperience: NCAA women’s volleyball secretary-rules editor; NCAA Division I referee, including women’s national championship (1999); coordinator of officials for the Big 12 and Sun Belt conferences and the Summit League.Occupation: Director of intramural sports at Marquette University; head coach of the women’s club volleyball team.

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Simultaneous ContactPlay: A5 and B9 legally and

simultaneously contact a ball above the height of the net. The ball then lands out of bounds on team B’s side of the net. The first referee whistles and indicates that team B wins the rally. Ruling: The referee’s decision is correct. When opponents have simultaneous contact with the ball above the net (a “joust”), and the ball then lands out of bounds, the player on the opposite side of the net from which the ball falls is considered to have touched it last (NFHS 9-4-6-d; NCAA 14.3.2.2; USAV 9.1.2.2).

Multiple Substitution Requests

Play: Team A is granted a substitution. After the substitution is completed, team B’s coach requests and is granted a timeout. At the conclusion of the timeout, team A requests another substitution. Ruling: In NFHS and USAV, the second substitution request by team A is denied. Only one substitution request per team is permitted during the same dead ball. Two or more players may be substituted at that time. In addition, team A is assessed an improper request under USAV rules for the second substitution request during the same dead ball. Under NCAA rules, both substitution requests will be granted (NFHS 10-1-3; NCAA 11.3.3.2.6, USAV 15.3.2, 15.11.1.3).

Mishap on ServePlay: The first referee whistles

to authorize service. After the ball is contacted for serve, the second referee whistles and signals an illegal alignment on the receiving team. The served ball contacts the net but does not cross it. The second referee then reviews the lineup and realizes that the receiving team was not out of position. Ruling: The point is awarded to the receiving team and it will serve next. Although an error was made by the second referee, the second referee’s whistle did not interrupt the play because the served ball did not cross the net (NFHS 9-8-1-a; NCAA 16.1.2; USAV 8.2).

CASEPLAYSThe match becomes official when

the scoresheet is initialed by the R2.

Technology use (9-2-1, 11-3-2)Many electronic tools are now available and legal for high school coaches. A team may use electronic devices during the match, but the location and use of the device(s) shall not be in a restricted area as determined by host management.

The first referee may restrict the use of the device(s) if determined to interfere with the contest. State associations may also have policies in place to further address the use of electronic devices.

Electronic devices shall not be used for any review of a referee’s decision. Tablets or phones can be on the bench to use stat-tracking programs, virtual courts with simulated plays and take

video from the bench to give instant feedback to a player, perhaps during the interval between sets.

Tucked towel (4-1-4)It is no longer an automatic violation for a towel to be tucked in a player’s uniform waistband. The rules committee feels that there are many safety concerns and a towel, when tucked into the uniform, is not one of them.

Special timeout (11-4-2)A special timeout may be called by the referee when a team has an injured player, no timeouts remaining and no legal or exceptional substitutes available.Todd Korth is a Referee associate editor and multisport official, including high school volleyball. *

Did You Hear What I Didn’t Say?By Marsha Goodwin

As most volleyball officials would agree, non-verbal

communication encompasses approximately 80-90 percent of our communication with coaches, players, partners and fans. There are so many facets to officiating and the use of the verbal language plays a minor role in communicating our myriad decisions.

Non-verbal communication is the transmitting of information relevant to the sport without using spoken words. Our professional character is closely scrutinized from the time we appear at the assignment site until we depart, and our decisions and how we relay them during the course of the match are frequently judged on our non-verbal communication skills.

Consider our methods of communication pre-match, during the match and post-match. We are not infallible, but we are often expected to call the perfect match even when the play is not perfect. Officials must

project the image of a well-trained, confident and reticent professional. Referees must become masters of the unspoken signals in the rulebook.

When we arrive at a site, our appearance is critical to our presentation. It is imperative that we arrive dressed professionally, neatly and conservatively. It is also important that when we enter the court in uniform, we look the part of a professional with the slacks and shirt clean and pressed, hair worn in a non-distracting manner, limited makeup/jewelry for women, and facial hair neatly trimmed for men. Officials should also limit strong fragrances found in perfume, cologne, aftershave or lotions.

Posture is vital in transmitting confidence and knowledge. Making eye contact with those directly involved with the match shows respect. When we do communicate verbally with coaches or players, we should always strive to face them, look them in the eye and speak with a quiet authority and transmit a self-

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assurance that we are knowledgeable and comfortable in our roles.

Paying attention to detail is important during our assignments. Our interaction with our working partners and support crew of officials such as line judges, scorekeeper, libero tracker and timers, as well as media and host management personnel is closely scrutinized by others.

Referees should present a cohesive front while executing their duties. Whistle tone needs to be crisp, sharp and loud. A weak, late or barely audible whistle tone indicates a lack of decisiveness or knowledge. Additionally, we do not want to blow the whistle so quickly that we must award multiple replays.

Our focus must remain sharp, especially during warmups and non-action times such as timeouts, between sets and during the intermission. We must anticipate substitutions, replacements and

timeout requests from coaches. At times, we are expected to “read the minds” of coaches and players, and how we present ourselves can assist us in alleviating unforeseen problems. Staying engaged in the match is vital to being perceived as qualified.

Always support your working partner, even if there are items that need to be discussed post-match. When working with less-experienced officials, our body language often communicates our support or disdain for the assigned working partner. There is nothing wrong with an occasional quick thumbs up or smile.

We must be approachable as officials without being manipulated or allowing coaches or players to cause distractions or delays. We must enforce all of the rules, including those concerning conduct.

Proximity can also be an issue when discussing items with those associated with the match. Where we stand, how we stand and what we do

with our arms transmit a welcoming or a “do not approach” signal, like standing with arms folded across the chest. Failure to make eye contact can indicate lying or a lack of interest in the conversation.

Use of a “stop sign” hand up to ward off problems can be offensive to coaches and players, and the same goes with pointing fingers at players or coaches. Thus, the use of an open hand or indicating a player’s numbers to communicate a fault is a better method.

Communication with coaches, players and your partner is a big part of every match. How we are perceived as officials is definitely judged, more often than not, by not only what we say, but how we officiate and communicate non-verbally.Marsha Goodwin, Cleveland, Tenn., is the state supervisor of officials with the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association. She is a longtime high school and collegiate volleyball referee. *

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