Be the Referee: Tennis Spin

By Paige Winne
MHSAA Marketing & Social Media Coordinator

October 17, 2023

Be The Referee is a series of short messages designed to help educate people on the rules of different sports, to help them better understand the art of officiating, and to recruit officials.

Below is this week's segment – Tennis Spin - Listen

Today’s "You Make the Call" takes us to the tennis court.

We’re in the middle of a volley when I hit a shot with a ton of spin on it. It goes over the net, bounces and then spins back over the net towards me, without being hit by my opponent.

What’s the call?

My opponent never hit the ball, so I win the point. The same rule applies if it’s wind, not spin, blowing the ball back over the net.

My opponent could have returned my shot, even if they had to reach over the net to do so, as long as they didn’t touch the net while returning. If my opponent hits the net in the process of returning my shot, it’s also my point.

Previous Editions

Oct. 10: Blocked Kick - Listen
Oct. 3: Volleyball Double & Lift - Listen
Sept. 26: Registration Process - Listen
Sept. 20: Animal Interference - Listen
Sept. 13: Feet Rule on Soccer Throw-In - Listen
Sept. 6: Volleyball Jewelry - Listen
Aug. 30: Football Rules Similarities - Listen
Aug. 23: Football Rules Differences - Listen

Be the Referee: Volleyball Serve

By Paige Winne
MHSAA Marketing & Social Media Coordinator

October 22, 2024

Be The Referee is a series of short messages designed to help educate people on the rules of different sports, to help them better understand the art of officiating, and to recruit officials.

Below is this week's segment – Volleyball Serve - Listen

We’ve got a volleyball question for you today.

At the moment of the serve, which statement is NOT true:

  • All players, including the libero, shall be in the correct serving order.
  • All players, including the libero, are not required to be in the correct serving order.
  • No player, other than the server, may have any part of the body touching the floor outside of the boundary lines.
  • All players, except the server, shall be within the team’s playing court and boundary lines.

If you said – all players, including the libero, are not required to be in the correct serving order – you are correct.

At the moment of serve – all players must in the correct serving order and only the server can be outside of the playing court and boundary lines.

Previous 2024-25 Editions

Oct. 15: "You Make the Call" - Soccer Offside - Listen
Oct. 8: Roughing the Passer - Listen
Oct. 1: Abnormal Course Condition - Listen
Sept. 25: Tennis Nets - Listen
Sept. 18:
 Libero - Listen
Sept. 10:
 Cross Country Uniforms - Listen
Sept. 3: Soccer Handling - Listen
Aug. 24: Football Holding - Listen

(Photo by Gary Shook.)