Re: Screening

[Todd <tdh@vbref.org>]

Rob Peglar writes:
> I feel obligated to clear up some mis-information on screening for
> indoor 6-person.
> 
> On 24 Jul 1998 02:19:22 -0500, Todd <tdh@vbref.org> wrote:
> 
> [outdoors, snipped]
> 
> >INDOORS
> >-------
> >It's a lot harder to screen indoors. 
> 
> Baloney.  It's a piece of cake to try to set screens indoors.
> You've got 6 players (5 plus the server) to accomplish the task.
> 
> > The receiving team has relatively few rights.
> 
> Not so.  See below.

Rob, 

With all due respect--before you dismiss everything that was said
about indoor screening as misinformation, note that the above two
comments are comparative assessments of the indoor vs. the outdoor
screening rules.  No one ever said it was impossible to screen
indoors, nor did anyone say that indoor receiving teams have no rights
with respect to screening.  

Notice, two key parts; "harder" and "relatively."


[snip]

> >Third, according to current USAV practices/teachings, the receiver
> >needs only to be able to see the __contact__ of the service
> 
> Incorrect!

Okay...the word "only" is misleading.  Glad I didn't misspell
anything!  ;-) 

The intent here was to clear the widely-held misconception that the
receiving team is entitled to see the server's body, when in fact, the
receiving team needs only to be able to see the service contact and
the resulting path of the ball.


> >, which is often well above the server's head/body.
> 
> USAV (1998) Rule 17.7, Screening
> 
> "The players of the serving team must not screen the opponents from
> seeing the contact of the ball or the path of the ball."
> 
> Clear, concise, unambiguous.  Notice, two key parts;  contact and path.


Indeed, a fine point to add about the path of the ball.  However, as
another poster pointed out, a receiver being able to see the _contact_
of the serve is usually a more restrictive requirement than seeing the
_path_ of the ball.  In fact, I can't think of any situations where
you could see the contact of the serve, and then have it disappear
behind a screen in mid-air.  

> >As a result, screening is seldom called.
> 
> Screening is seldom called because the fault seldom occurs.  Esp. at
> high levels, receivers are quite adept at seeing the contact and
> seeing the path.  After all, it's their job to do that and execute
> an accurate pass.

Exactly.  And here's where indoor and outdoor rules diverge.

Indoors, it's basically the receiving team's job to see the service
contact.  True, there are restrictions (which you cite in 17.7.1) on
what an individuals and collectives can do to obscure the service
contact indoors.  However, I find the outdoor screening philosophy to
be even more receiver-friendly.  Outdoors, the restrictions on the
serving team are far more general and the receivers are more
empowered:

B16.7.1 The server's teammates must not prevent the opponents, through
        screening, from seeing the server or the path of the ball.  On
        an opponent's request, a player must move sideways or bend
        over or down.

Indoor receivers don't have this trump card of being able to request
the serving teammates to move.  That is why I maintain that it's
easier for an individual to commit a screening fault outdoors than
indoors.




-
                  Todd H.   tdh@vbref.org
USAV Regional Referee, Great Lakes Region, Palatine, IL
Todd's Volleyball Referee Page http://www.io.com/~tdh/vball/
"So you're a Ref and an engineer? Oh that explains it...."











> 
> >Indoor Individual Screen---
> >With all that being said, an individual player on the serving team
> >won't be called for a screen unless they're being quite a poophead.
> >Poophead-like tendencies are more precisely defined as waving arms,
> >jumping or moving side to side as a receiver changes their position.
> >Even then, screening would only be called if the serve travels over
> >the player's (poop)head.
> 
> USAV (1998) Rule 17.7.1.
> 
> "A player of the serving team makes an individual screen if the
> player waves arms, jumps or moves sideways when the service is being
> executed and the ball is served over the player."
> 
> Again, well defined, clear, unambigious.  Why is there so much
> confusion over this rule?
> 
> Also, here is 17.7.1, Commentary.
> 
> "A sanction may be issued for distracting or moving sideways to
> prevent an opponent from seeing the serve even if the ball is not
> served over that player."
> 
> If given, the appropriate sanction is individual red card, sideout.
> 
> 
> It's that simple.  The receivers must be able to see the serve. They
> have an absolute right to see the serve.  That is the one overriding
> philosophy.  Fortunately, good receivers almost always get
> themselves in a position to see the serve, and a fault rarely needs
> to be called.
> 
> Rob
> USA National Referee
> Rob Peglar
> StorageTek, Network Systems Group           7600 Boone Ave N.
> robp@network.com                            Mpls. MN 55428
> 612-391-1028 (v) 612-424-1661(f)