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R2
Transitioning
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As the R2 in a volleyball match you have
two primary responsibilities during any particular rally; you
are to watch for violations
that may
occur at the net (net contact and center line violations) and assist
R1 in determining if ball handling violation have occurred. Keep in
mind that one is just as important as the other. When there is
little or no
chance of the ball being mishandled or R1 has the best view to determine
whether it is mishandled or not, you should be sure you don’t
miss any illegal action at the net. When there is little or no chance
of violations
occurring at the net, you should assist in determining the legality
of the ball handling. Be aware that if a net or center line violation
occurs,
it is your violation to whistle. If you see a ball handling violation
occur, you cannot whistle that violation. You should only assist in
the call by making a discrete signal to your R1, especially if R1 was
likely
not to have seen what you saw.
With these two concepts in mind let’s examine the exact mechanics
R2 should use during a rally. As the serve is about to happen, R2 needs
to be on the receiving side on the net, checking the receiving teams
rotation for alignment faults. However since it is highly unlikely that
there will be violations occurring at the net at the time of the serve,
as soon as the serve is contacted you need to transition to the other
side of the net, you should start with the foot closest to the net standing
directly on the center line. While this is not a good position to maintain
during most of the rally, it will allow you to transition in just one
big glide step to the blockers side. Prepare to transition by slightly
flexing your inside knee and as soon as you hear the ball contacted for
serve, push hard with your outside foot, take a long glide step with
your inside leg to the other side of the net. Now pull your trailing
foot up under you, slightly behind the one already planted, keeping your
feet shoulder width apart. You should now be in a position about 2’-3’ off
the center line with your body and shoulders tipped slightly toward the
net. At the same time you take the glide step to transition, shift your
attention to the person receiving the serve. As it is highly unlikely
that there is any action occurring at this time at the net, you can assist
R1 in determining whether or not the first two contacts are legal. There
are times when two players contact the ball on the initial serve receive
and R1 is screened from seeing it thus causing the potential for the
team to use four contacts in returning the ball across the net. R1 might
also be totally screened from seeing one of the actual contacts as it
occur and you can help there as well. As the ball comes toward the net
for the attack, as R2 you need to direct your attention to the net action
and monitor it until no additional action is likely to occur. There is
usually action to observe at the net until after the defensive team has
made their first ball contact. Watch the hitter and blockers take off,
land and start to clear away from the net. At this point you can turn
your attention to the team playing the ball and transition to the other
side of the net. Always turn your attention first then transition. Since
you are a few feet away from the center line now (different than on serve
receive) you will likely have to take more than a long glide step to
get to where you need to be. Try taking a big glide step with your inside
leg, cross over behind with the outside leg then place your front foot
on the court in a comfortable position slightly nearer the court than
your inside leg with your feet shoulder width apart. You should now be
about 2’-3’ off the net with your body tilted slightly
toward the net, an ideal position to observe the action that is about
to occur
at the net.
Remember, other than on serve receive you need to watch for
any net violations that might occur as the ball crosses
the net. If you see
the 1st contact
after an attack, you most likely left the net too quickly and you
are in jeopardy of missing a violation. If the team is returning
a free ball
high over the net and no blockers are attempting to block, you
can focus your attention on the initial pass and transition
much sooner.
Yes someone
might hit the net on this play but it is highly unlikely and since
almost no one is at the net is should be rather easy to determine
who the culprit
was.
Recap:
On serve receive start on the center line, transition with one
long glide step on serve contact and help R1 with the 1st and 2nd
contacts.
Then
get your attention to the net play.
At all other times during the rally you need to be off the net
into the back court 2’-3’, 5’-6’ away from the pole so
you can best observe net action. Watch the attacker and blockers go up,
land and transition to their next move. There is now very little chance
for a violation to occur at the net so first turn your head find the
action involving the ball then quickly transition to the blockers side
of the net. Since you don’t want to be screened by the pole
any longer than necessary, make your transition quick, once you
start.
You will thus be able to help R1 observe the 2nd and perhaps 3rd
contact before you have to again concentrate on possible net area
violations.
It is your responsibility to observe back row attackers to see
if their take-off point is indeed in the back row. In general during
a rally,
you want to transition to the blockers side of the net sometime
after the defensive team makes their 1st contact and before that
make their
3rd or final contact.
At the end of the rally, step laterally, away from the net post,
with shoulders parallel to the sideline. Both referees should "center" by
making eye contact with one another as they execute the appropriate
signals.
If you whistle a fault violation as R2, you need to immediately
step to the side of the net where the fault occurred and indicate
the
nature of the fault and if needed, who committed the fault. You
then mimic R1's
awarding of the point.
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