
- OFFICIAL OF THE GAME VOLLEYBALL
Week: 16-18 of 18 Second Semester
A. Overview
As in most sporting competitions, volleyball employs referees in order to control the flow
of the game and enforce the rules. The volleyball official team includes the first referee, the second
referee, the scorer and two line judges. Without the referee team, the fast-paced game could
easily get out of hand if disputes regarding rules were to arise.
Scorers
The official scorer keeps track of the score throughout the volleyball game. Before the
game begins the scorer notes the starting lineup of each team and notifies the referees
Line Judges
At least two, and as many as four, line judges monitor each game. The line judges stand
at the corners of the court watching the lines to indicate whether a ball in play falls in or out of
the court.
If a server steps on the line during a serve, the line judge watching the given line
notifies the referees using a flag. When a player touches an out-of-play ball or if the ball hits an
antenna, the designated line judge also indicates the interference.
First Referee
The first referee stands on the referee stand and controls the play of the entire game.
Whatever issues arise during the game, the first referee determines the call and has the final
say. After making a call, no player or other referee can argue the call, although a formal protest
can be placed with the scorer.
Before the match begins, the first referee inspects the equipment and the players’
uniforms. The warm-ups and the coin toss also fall under the jurisdiction of the first referee.
Throughout the match, the first referee makes calls regarding faults and scoring
issues. Following the match, the first referee notes the score and signs the official score sheets.
Second Referee
The second referee works to assist the first referee throughout the game.
The second referee stands next to the post opposite the first referee. In addition to
assisting the first referee with determining faults throughout the game, the second referee is in
charge of all substitutions, timeouts and the actions of the scorer/table officials.