A prosthetic leg, a leg support, a plaster cast for a damaged wrist.
Is such a device allowed?
Ruling
It is important to distinguish between items which have the potential to hurt or injure others from supporting or fabric materials. So the hard plaster cast would not be allowed but a padded leg brace would be allowed.
The case of the forearm support it must not provide additional control of the ball. The rules allow a player to wear compression devices for injury protection, as prescribed by Rule 4.5.3.
Rules 4.5.1, 4.5.3
Is a player allowed to play wearing a ring which is likely to cause injury?
Ruling
Due to the risk of injury, a player must remove the ring, or have it taped.
Rule 4.5.1
What is the proper response by the 1st referee if a game captain constantly questions 1st referee decisions?
Ruling
Beyond the limits of Rule 5.1.2, he or she should warn the game captain with no penalty, as stated in Rule 21.1. If the behaviour continues, the game captain should be sanctioned for rude conduct with a red card (point and service to the opponents).
Rules 5.1.2, 20.1, 20.2, 21.2, 21.3.1, Diagram 9
The game captain asked the 1st referee for a line-up check.
Is this allowed?
Ruling
Yes. However, the right to make this request should not be abused and so evaluated by the referee as an intention to delay the game by a team. Only detailed information about his/her own team may be provided. For the opponent team the only information that will be provided will be whether or not the players are correctly positioned. No information will be given about which players are front or back row players.
Rule 5.1.2.2
Is the referee’s decision final? May he/she change his/her own decision if the team protests?
Ruling
Yes. The referee may change his/her own decision if he/she became aware of his/her mistake before the next service.
On the other hand, the teams are not allowed to protest against normal referee decisions.
Rules 5.1.2.1, 23.2.4
Are coaches permitted to talk to the 2nd referee during the match about decisions or protests?
Ruling
Only the game captain is authorized to speak to the referees to request explanations. The coach is not authorized to do so.
Rules 5.1.2, 5.2.3.4, 21.1, 21.2, 21.3
May the assistant coach or player press the buzzer for T/O?
Ruling
Yes – but the coach must still give the official hand signal, even if tablets are in use to make such requests.
Rules 5.2.1, 5.2.3.3, 5.3.1
Where may the coach move during the match?
Ruling
The coach, and only the coach, has the right to walk in the free zone during the match between the extension of the attack line and the warm-up area without disturbing the game and the work of the line judge/2nd referee.
Rule 5.2.3.4
If injured or disabled, can the coach be allowed to use crutches in the free zone to perform his/her duties during the match?
Ruling
To stand or walk with crutches is not forbidden for the coach.
Is it allowed for the coach or assistant coach to assist the players warming up with balls during the interval between sets in the free zone?
Ruling
No. These persons have the right to do it solely during the official warming up before the match. Only the players have the right to warm up in the free zone between sets. During the intervals the coaches may give instructions to the players. The referees should instruct the coach or assistant coach in a polite way to return to the team’s bench.
Rules 4.2.4, 5.3.1
Is it allowed that during the warming up any person from the team’s officials stay in the opponent free zone or court?
Ruling
In case of common official warming-up at the net the general principle is, that the warm-up can be practised solely in the team’s OWN playing area.
Coaches are allowed to stand near the net to help prevent injuries, or in the opponent free zone when supervising their team. But this should be solely a supervisory or injury prevention role.
In case of separate official warming up the entire playing area may be used by the team actually warming with the balls at the net. The other team can use the free zone behind its own court, without disturbing the team at the net.
Guidelines and Instructions
In the women’s World Cup, an extra assistant coach/ team official was observed serving the ball to specific players inside the court during the warm up. The Technical Delegate requested the referees to stop this activity?
Ruling
Correct action.
The rule stipulates, that only the five officials on the bench may take part in the official warm up. Generally, the official warm up means the warming up at the net, Extra persons who are not on the O2bis or other team officials (e.g. team manager) have no right to take part neither during the non official warming up, nor during the official warming up at the net. Only the physiotherapist if not amongst the 5 officials on the bench, may assist with the warm up, but only until the start of the official (net) warm up.
The referees should bring this sort of activity to the notice of the Game TD.
Rule 4.1.1
During the warm up on the court, it was observed that additional coaches were positioned around the court, outside the advertising panels, and actively warming up with the players who were inside the court (i.e. not simply retrieving balls). Is this permitted?
Ruling
This is not permitted. Only those registered within the scoresheet may enter the Field Of Play (FOP). And only those coaches may take part in the warm up. Clearly, the extra coaches were actively involved in the preparation of the team in this case. The Referees should inform the FIVB TD about this practice and it should be stopped.
Rule 4.2.2
Coaches were observed on the opponent’s side of the court serving or spiking balls towards members of their own team. Should this be permitted?
Ruling
No. This should not be permitted.
However, it is allowed for the officials appearing on the team list to be close to the posts in order to avoid that a ball dropping down from the net can create a dangerous situation for the players. But to stay on the opponent’s side and actively participate in the warming up is forbidden.
Guidelines and Instructions
During the Men’s World Cup, a team had 2 players, who wore jerseys with number 21 and 22 respectively. Is it allowed?
Ruling
For normal matches the rules allow to number the players up to 20.
However, in FIVB, World and Official Competitions for Seniors, which includes the World Cup, it is permitted to wear numbers greater than 20. The actual competition regulation should determine the upper limit of players’ numbers.
Rule 4.3.3.
In a match, the team had two Liberos. Each had on a uniform which was different from the other and different from the rest of the team. Is this permitted?
Ruling
Yes. There is no need for each Libero to have the same color or design of uniform. In fact, this may actually help the spectators and the TV commentators to understand the role of each player.
Rule 19.2
A team had several players wearing compression pads. Some of these pads were black, some white. Is it allowed to wear different colored compression pads?
Ruling
For FIVB, World and Official competitions for Seniors these devices must be of the same colour as the corresponding part of the uniform, but the black, white and neutral colours are accepted. However if teams are using compression pads, they must be uniform in colour /design for all the players.
During FIVB World and Official Competitions the referees must control this and inform of any violation to the FIVB Technical Delegate who is the person entitled to take the final decision on this matter. However, for competitions not listed above, the rule says nothing about the uniformity of the colour of the compression pads used by multiple players.
Rule 4.5.3. FIVB Event Regulations
Several team members during the general warm up wore garments over their official uniform or instead of their uniform. It was noticed that because no numbers were visible, this prevented proper confirmation that the players on court matched the ID cards presented. Should this be permitted?
Ruling
The principle is, that all players should be in uniform from the moment they enter the court to warm up. In some top events the current Protocol before the match is conducted by a specialist Sport Presentation team. In these cases, the regulation might be different. The referees should be well informed about this item.