Ball Blocked Back Into Attacker: Block or First Hit? « Officials Training & Education Blog

Ball Blocked Back Into Attacker: Block or First Hit?

15 Apr 2012 at 19:17

illinoisvbguy

Interpretations-Rules & Techniques, On the Court, Questions to VRT

A player attacks a ball into a block that rebounds back into the attacker. If the attacker is near the net (within arms length) and is still above the net when the ball contacts him, is that contact a block (since it is a ball coming from the opposition, albeit from the opponent’s block) or the team’s first hit?

3 Comments

by Devil's Advocate

11 Jun 2012 at 12:54

Let’s not read more into the rule than there is.

1) We see blocks of blocks all the time, if you think about it. The back row blocker that was jousting with a blocker at the net is a prime example.

2) The blocker’s hands do not have to be reaching above the net. ANY body part can be above the net. In the men’s game, it’s not uncommon at all to see a head above the net. Even with hands pulled down, you can still have a block in this scenario.

3) “Reaching” doesn’t have to mean “sticking arms up and trying to touch as high as possible. You can reach the summit of a mountain top without sticking your arms up.
by AntonioK

17 Apr 2012 at 19:14

That’d be the teams first hit.

The DCR defines a block as someone who is “reaching higher than the top of the net, regardless of the height of the ball contact.”

Since the attacker in most situations isn’t “reaching” higher than the top of the net, a block (or blocking attempt), doesn’t accurately describe their actions.

Besides, usually most attackers are on their way down after attacking the ball, so for the rebounded ball to contact them and be ruled as a block is digging your own grave as the referee!

My two cents!
by Nasser Balinda

15 Apr 2012 at 19:44

The definition of a block is an act of reaching beyond the net to intercept a ball coming from the opponents court.In some situations it can be classified as a block but not always.It depends on the action witnessed.In the game.If the part of the body that intercepts the ball is above the net then it can be counted as a block touch.If the body part is below the net then it cannot be a block.Similarly,if hands of a blocker do not reach higher than the net then its not a block.its counted as a team hit.