FIND A HAPPY BALL-HANDLING MEDIUM
Where do I draw the line with ball‑handling? When do I want to make my “presence” known in the match by making that first ball‑handling call? Am I being consistent from the start of the match until the last point? Am I “loose” to the point that anything goes, or am I so “tight” that the setters are afraid to touch the ball?
Whether you’re a veteran referee or new to the scene, you’ve probably asked yourself those questions recently. That’s just the way some matches are. You have an expectation of how you would like to call the match, but when play begins, things go in a different direction.
So where do you draw the line with ball‑handling? Most of us have heard the mantra, “If you call it on the first point of the match, call it on the last point.” From the standpoint of consistency, that is a good place to start. But the question remains, when will you “enter” the match by making that first ball‑handling call?
