Re: Libero setting from front zone "extension"

Holger Wahlen <hwahlen@xxxxxxxxx> writes:

Todd Haverkos <tdh@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
One point of pedantry though: Your example of "behind the score
table" is of course an exaggeration. As that's a non-playable area,
we'd whistle the play dead upon the libero contacting the ball in
that non-playable area ("ball out").

Even if this happens on the team's own side of the court?

Correct. The area behind the scoretable -- even the area between the
scoretable and the team benches -- as well as the area behind the team
benches are all non-playable areas.

That area is no part of the free zone, okay, but aren't players
allowed to retrieve the ball from there too?

They can go into the area behind the score table without penalty, but
not contact a ball there without it being ruled "out" as it is a
non-playable area.

A few quotes from
http://usavolleyball.org/media/rulesofficials/07DCR/indoor/2007IndoorDCR.pdf
relevant to our discussion

1.4.1 Front zone
On each court the front zone is limited by the axis of the
center line and the rear edge of the attack line.
The front zone is considered to extend beyond the
sidelines to the end of the free zone.


8.4 Ball out
The ball is "out" when
...
8.4.2 it touches an object outside the court, the ceiling
or a person out of play;


9. PLAYING THE BALL
Each team must play within its own playing area and space
(except Rule 10.1.2). The ball may, however, be retrieved
from beyond the free zone.

USAV 9:
....
Non-playing areas are defined as the: (1) walls, bleachers
or other spectator seating areas; (2) team benches and any
area behind the team benches; (3) area between the table and the team
benches; (4) any other area outlined in
the pre-match conference by the first refereescorer


Now what's interesting here is that (unless I've overlooked it in my
brief research here trying to give you a specific citation) the DCR
may be (*gasp*) incomplete. Why the scoretable isn't on that list
leaves me puzzled a bit.

However, that wouldn't stop me from whistling that play dead and
likely no one in the gym thinking it should be any different. If you
were there as playing captain and protested, I'd cheerfully accept the
protest and and forward it to our rules interpreters to resolve with a
written final-word ruling (and perhaps a rulebook fix).

I'm always willing to learn something new, but unless Steve Thorpe or
Marcia Alterman put it in writing otherwise, common sense mitigates
rather against calling the area between the table and the bench non
playble, but allowing ball contact behind the score table.

Until that's resolved in black and white, I'd cite rule 23.2.3. :-)

Best Regards,
--
Todd Haverkos tdh@xxxxxxxxx
USA Volleyball National Referee
http://www.vbref.org/
.

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