All Athletic Directors, Volleyball Coaches and Volleyball Officials

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1 To: From: Subject: All Athletic Directors, Volleyball Coaches and Volleyball Officials Sally Marquez, Associate Director Dana Sanchez, Commissioner of Officials Volleyball Points of Emphasis and Rules Clarifications for the Season Date: August 29, 2011 As you may already know, the NMAA developed a statewide rules interpreters program for all fall sports in The purpose of the rules interpreters program is to assist our officials in the consistent application of rules throughout the state and to ensure that coaches and officials are on the same page relative to volleyball rules. In addition, the five individuals serving as rules interpreters will be the go-to contacts for rules interpretations for our coaches and officials. Their contact information is supplied at the end of this memo. The volleyball interpreters, in conjunction with the NMAA office, came up with a number of items for clarification and emphasis for the current season. They are as follows: CONCUSSION MANAGEMENT: Athletic Directors, coaches and officials in our state have all been provided with information about concussion either at clinics during the summer, NFHS rulebooks and other publications and/or online courses regarding concussions. The area of concussion management has become a point of emphasis for the NFHS and, with the passage of SB1 by the New Mexico Legislature, has become a hot button issue statewide. The following are mechanics for officiating a concussion in any and all sports, in concert with the NFHS Concussion Management Guidelines and additional information provided by the National Association of Sports Officials: 1) When a student-athlete displays possible signs and symptoms of a concussion as listed in the NFHS rulebook, stop the game and visit with the athlete in question. You may want to get one of your partners involved with you in this process. 2) Check the student-athlete s behavior against the list of signs and symptoms. If signs or symptoms are present, remove the student-athlete from the contest. 3) Avoid any discussion of cause (how the athlete was injured) with anyone, including coaches, players and fans. The causality is immaterial. 4) Do not tell the coaches that you are removing the player because he/she has a concussion. Stay somewhat vague in your discussion with the coach. You may tell the coach simply, I need you to take a look at Player X. If the coach does ask why, you can state that the player exhibited one of the signs and symptoms (i.e., dizziness, disorientation, headache, nausea, etc.). Do not mention that you think the player has a concussion because then you are crossing the line into a diagnosis!

2 5) Make note of the jersey number of the athlete, the time at which he/she was removed from the game and the time of re-entry into the game (if applicable). 6) Do not ask anyone to sign anything. The new NFHS guidelines and state law do not require signatures from coaches or appropriate health care professionals. 7) During the removal of an athlete from a contest, continue to supervise both teams, both benches and keep the athletes separated. 8) Do not render first aid to athletes and do not attempt to move them under any circumstance (if they are on the ground). 9) Remember that an athlete does not have to be unconscious to have sustained a concussion. 10) Most importantly, remember that the decision for a player to return to play falls on the appropriate health care professional and the head coach. The liability for returning an athlete to play is on the school personnel. Do not offer opinions about an athlete s ability to reenter the game and do not ask questions about the medical personnel. What happens on the sidelines after you remove a player who is displaying signs and symptoms of a concussion is out of your control. Just keep note of who you removed and when and if the player returned so that you have the necessary documentation should questions arise. Leave return to play decisions to the appropriate individuals on the sideline. CHANGE IN POST-SEASON ROSTER LIMITATION Please note that beginning this season, schools may suit up 14 players in post-season competition. NOISEMAKER POLICY CLARIFICATION Under NFHS rules, the use of artificial noisemakers is prohibited. However, New Mexico s exception states that the use of artificial noisemakers is allowed during pre-match, between points, timeouts, between games and post-game. Any noisemaker which imitates an official s whistle or other signaling device is strictly prohibited. As a point of clarification, noisemakers are allowed during dead ball situations. Once the referee puts his/her hand out to beckon the serve, the use of noisemakers must cease. GAME EQUIPMENT & PLAYER EQUIPMENT 1) Game Balls: Beginning with this season, schools may use white or colored panel volleyballs, which contain a maximum of three colors. If using a colored ball, one of the colors must be white and at least one third of the panels shall be solid white. Please note that the NMAA will utilize pink and white balls at the NMAA State Volleyball Championships. 2) Player Equipment and Accessories: a. A guard, cast or brace made of hard and unyielding leather, plaster, pliable (soft) plastic, metal or any other hard substances shall not be worn on the hand, finger, wrist or forearm, even though covered with soft padding (4-1- 1).

3 b. Hard and unyielding items (guards, casts, braces, etc.) on the elbow, upper arm or shoulder must be padded with a closed-cell, slow-recovery foam padding no less than ½-inch thick. An elbow brace shall not extend more than halfway down the forearm (4-1-2). c. Knee and ankle braces, which are unaltered from the manufacturer s original design/production, do not require additional padding (4-1-3). d. Hair devices made of soft material or unadorned bobby pins and unadorned flat clips, no longer than 2 inches, may be worn. Hair adornment made of soft material and no more than 2 inches wide may be worn. SUBSTITUTIONS PRIOR TO THE START OF A GAME A coach can substitute as many players as he/she desires prior to the start of any set and prior to the start of the match. Assuming the lineup has been submitted, if the request is made prior to two minutes remaining in the timed pre-match warm-up, then the lineup may simply be changed. If the request is made within the last two minutes of the timed pre-match warm-up, then the substitution shall be recorded as a regular substitution in that set. If multiple substitutions are requested, they must be simultaneous and the substitutes must enter into the game in succession. In case of injury or illness to a starting player, a lineup change may be made and no entry shall be charged to the team. Substitution requests prior to the start of subsequent sets are allowed. Lineup changes made prior to one minute remaining in the three-minute interval between sets can simply be changed. Requests for changes within the last minute of the three-minute interval will be recorded as a regular substitution for that set. Again, injury and illness are the exceptions. (See NFHS Volleyball Rulebook, 10-1.) PRE-GAME PROTOCOL (FOR VARSITY MATCHES) The rules interpreters committee noted a variance in pre-match protocol from region to region and developed a procedure to be used by all officials statewide for varsity matches. It is as follows: 1) Set the clock at 20 minutes (the official will make the determination as to when to start it). 2) For the first five minutes of this 20-minute timeframe, the officials will conduct the pre-game conference and coin toss. 3) The receiving team will take the court with 15 minutes on the clock for six minutes. 4) The serving team will take the court with 9 minutes on the clock for six minutes. 5) Both teams will go onto the court to serve with 3 minutes on the clock until the clock goes to one minute. Teams use the last minute to gather balls, as a last opportunity to huddle with coaches and to report to their respective end lines. 6) When done serving, the teams will go to their benches for a last huddle with their coach if desired and then proceed directly to the end lines and the officials will get into their positions. Any National Anthem performance, team introductions or other pre-game ceremonies will take place at this point. Once the teams go through their pre-game handshake, starters will proceed to the court and non-starters will proceed directly to their bench. No other huddles, celebrations, discussion with coaches shall take place.

4 END-OF-MATCH PROTOCOL At the end of the match, the first referee shall blow the whistle, give the end-of-set signal directing players to their respective end lines. After the first referee visually confirms the score with the second referee, he/she blows the whistle and releases the players. At this time, players can meet at the net for an end-of-match handshake, as it is consistent with the tenets of Pursuing Victory With Honor. Officials should stay aware during this time and watch teams while they shake hands. If a match is particularly contentious, the referee should send teams to benches with no handshake. Communication with your partner is crucial if the decision is made to not have the handshake. BREAST CANCER AWARENESS EVENTS Over the past several years, many NMAA member schools have hosted breast cancer awareness events and we commend those schools that have participated in this worthy cause. For these breast cancer awareness matches, our office allows players to utilize pink jerseys, for teams to use pink volleyballs and for officials to wear pink shirts in order to advocate for breast cancer awareness. Officials Please allow schools to play with ANY pink ball for these matches and note that we do permit players to wear numbered T-shirts for the purposes of these breast cancer awareness matches. LOCATION OF CHEERLEADERS AT CONTESTS Cheerleaders are to be stationed on the endlines on their team s side of the court. It is up to the officials discretion as to if they are encroaching on the game. Officials may ask home site management to assist in moving cheerleaders if, in the judgment of the officials, the location of the cheerleaders is a potential safety issue. COMMUNICATION BETWEEN COACHES AND OFFICIALS Our office encourages positive communication between coaches and officials. Procedurally, if a coach has a question about a rules interpretation or decision, he/she should ask the second referee first. The second referee can then involve the first referee if necessary. Coaches may not cross the court and approach the first referee unless the first referee tells the second referee to allow the coach to approach. Although the NFHS rulebook does state a different procedure, for consistency purposes, the statewide rules interpreters agreed that the aforementioned process be adhered to. SCOREKEEPERS & LIBERO TRACKERS Below are some points of emphasis as determined by the NMAA office and the Volleyball Rules Interpreters concerning scorekeepers and libero trackers: 1) Two Scorekeepers Required - By rule, schools must have two scorekeepers for all varsity matches. This is a point of emphasis from the NMAA office. For additional information about this policy, please contact Sally Marquez at (505) or via at sally@nmact.org. 2) Libero Trackers As a reminder, it is the responsibility of the host team to provide a libero tracker, even if the host school does not use a libero. Tracking the libero is a

5 fairly quick and easy process. Officials will be available to help teach trackers at matches. Host Schools are responsible for providing and training scorekeepers, timers, libero trackers, and line judges. Officials will aid and reinforce the host schools efforts at matches. LIBERO UNIFORMS: As per Rule 4.2.2, the libero shall wear a uniform top that is immediately recognized from all angles as being in clear contrast to and distinct from the other team members of the team. As was discussed in the Coaches Clinic in Las Cruces, if an official deems a libero uniform as not being immediately recognized from all angles then the libero must change to a libero jersey that is easily recognizable or switch to a regular team jersey to play as a regular team member. INFORMATION FOR OFFICIALS: 1) Officials Uniforms (Shorts) By state adoption, officials may wear shorts while officiating NMAA sanctioned matches. If shorts are worn, both the Referee 1 and Referee 2 must wear them, so we advise that officials contact their partners prior to matches to ensure you are wearing the same uniform. If officials choose to wear shorts, they must wear unadorned white shoes with white socks. Shorts WILL NOT be allowed for post-season competition, beginning with the district tournaments. 2) Officials Uniforms (Shirts/sweaters) By state adoption, officials may wear a longsleeved white polo or a long-sleeved white sweater. The sweater must be a pullover (not a sweatshirt and not a cardigan) and must not have buttons or zippers. When wearing the sweater, the short or long-sleeved polo must be worn under the sweater with the collar pulled out over the collar of the sweater. The PVWH patch can be worn on the shirt or the sweater. 3) Officials Uniforms (Lanyards & Whistles) Questions have been posed to our office about the color of lanyards for volleyball officials. Pursuant to the NFHS Case Book and Officials Manual, the lanyard for officials can be black or white. Whistles may be any color, although the NFHS states that black is preferred. The volleyball rules interpreters for the season are: Central Region: Nora Carter Home: (505) coach8jn@aol.com Northeast Region: Todd Handy Home: (505) Cell: (505) todd_gilliss@yahoo.com

6 Northwest Region: Cathy Chavez Home: (505) Work: (505) Cell: (505) or Southeast Region: Edith Ann Bradley Home: (575) Cell: (575) Southwest Region: John Villescas Cell: (575) If you have rules questions, you are asked to call or the individual in your region of the state for clarification and interpretation. Thank you for your attention to this information. If you have questions or if you need additional information on the rules interpreters program, please feel free to contact us. Have a great season!