REFEREE NEWS

Referee Clinic
Badger Region officials clinic is scheduled for Sunday, November 20th. Please check back for time and location.

Officials Testing
(Instructions for taking the on-line test are also available by downloading the Online Test Instructions sheet ).

Reminder:  This year referees will be provided a password to take the online test.   You will not receive a password until you have participated in a clinic. 

All officials that plan to officiate for the Badger Region need to take test Form A.   The website indicates Provisional Officials can take Test C.  Please ignore this note. Once you are at the linked website for the test, select On-line test under Test A.  The site will take you directly to a form to fill out before you can take the test.

ID & Password
Jr. National & National Officials must register and use an ID and Password (first name,last name as one word and last 4 digits of your SS#).  Your test results will go automatically to Kathy Ferraraccio, AVP USAV National Referee Commission.   All other officials may sign in as "guest" for login ID and password.

Contact Information and Referee Rating
Once you are at the website, select On-line test under Test A.  The site will take you directly you to the test.  At the top of the test you will need to fill in your name, address, phone number, email address (ignore the information about PAVO - this is for collegiate officials).  You will also need to select Badger Region and your rating level.  If you do not know your rating level, please contact the Referee Chair at: jvoeck@attglobal.net.  If your level is In-Training (all new officials) or Junior Olympic (under 18), please select the "Not Yet Certified" category. 

USAV Region and Password
Select Badger Region.  You will need to enter the Badger Region password BGB754.   After all information has been entered, select "Select Information". This will take you to the test.

Taking the Referee Test
Answer all 50 test questions.  After completing the test, submit the test by selecting "Submit Answers".   The test will automatically be corrected and you will receive your results automatically via the email address you provide.  A copy of your answers will also be emailed to the Referee Chair. 

You will also receive an email indicating the answers you got wrong.  These answers must be corrected and include a rule reference.  The email will indicate to whom you need to send the corrections (all corrections will go to the Referee Chair (jvoeck@attglobal.net) and AVP USAV National Referee Commission for all Jr. National and National referees).  In order for you to be considered to have completed the test, you must submit the corrections. 

When you receive your password you can take the test which is available at  http://www.yankee.org/usavref/usavtest/  

If you plan on taking the scorekeeper test you will find it at http://www.yankee.org/scorers/USAVTEST/index.html . Take the Form C test.

BALL HANDLING CONCEPTS
An article has been written by Wally Hendricks, Vice President, Officials Division USA Volleyball regarding first ball contacts.  The key concept that should be taught or learned is "over control" versus "under control" of the first pass.  If the ball is "over controlled" it should be called a held ball.  For example if a player takes a ball very low with the hands in an ugly way but the ball goes straight forward or down, then it should not be called.   If, instead, the player is able to catch the ball (it might look pretty to beach players) and use his/her wrists to make a nice pass to the setter, it should be called a held ball.  For the full article click here. (Wally Hendricks Ball Handling.pdf    40 kb)

Referee Clinic Forms Available
If you are a clinician for any of the referee clinics scheduled, forms are available if you did not receive them.  The forms are available on the Referee Clinic page.

Ugly is Not a Violation
This is a great download! Click here to download the pdf.

Calling All Referees
We are always looking for more referees and scorekeepers.   For information on how to become a ref for the Badger Region, click on the Become A Ref button or contact the referee chair, Julie Voeck, by clicking here.

Email Referee Newsletter
Wally Hendricks, coordinator of Volleyball Missouri Valley Conference and member of USA National Rating team, has started an email newsletter focusing on refereeing techniques (no rules are discussed).  It is called New Techniques in Volleyball Officiating.    Subscription to this journal is free.  If you wish a copy, please send an email to: wally-h@uiuc.edu and indicate New Techniques Signup as the subject of the message.  Unless you indicate otherwise, this will also sign you up for the Officials' Forum, which is also free.

Previous issues of the journal are archived at   http://www.xnet.com/~schneid/techniques

Significant Rule Changes for the 2003-2004 Season
For 2003-2004 Official USA Volleyball rule changes please go to:   http://www.usavolleyball.org