Be the Referee: Switching Sides
By
Sam Davis
MHSAA Director of Officials
September 6, 2022
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 – Switching Sides - Listen
In volleyball, a rules modification that came about during COVID has been instated as a permanent change - with overwhelming support from coaches and officials.
Previously, teams would switch sides after each set, sometimes creating a traffic jam as players and coaches move benches from side to side. Unless there is a clear competitive advantage, there is no switching now. Coaches like having a dedicated home bench and the improved pace of the match.
Things that would necessitate teams switching would be less serving room on one end of the court, a window on one side with the sun shining in, or an overhead obstruction on one end.
It’s up to the official to determine if an advantage exists and if teams will switch at the end of each set – or stay on the same side for the entirety of the match.
Previous Editions:
Aug. 30: Play Clock - Listen
Aug. 23: Intentional Grounding Change - Listen
Performance of the Week: Farmington Hills Mercy's Campbell Flynn
September 27, 2024
Campbell Flynn ♦ Farmington Hills Mercy
Senior ♦ Volleyball
The 6-foot-3 setter had 28 assists and five kills as top-ranked Farmington Hills Mercy swept rival and No. 4-ranked Bloomfield Hills Marian 25-15, 25-15, 25-21. Mercy is the reigning Division 1 champion – having ended Marian’s three-year hold on the title last fall – and Flynn is considered among the top seniors nationally and earlier this month was named one of 10 finalists for this season’s Miss Volleyball Award from the Michigan Interscholastic Volleyball Coaches Association.
Flynn entered this fall as a two-time Division 1 all-state first-team selection and made the third team as a freshman. She also has built up significant international experience as well over the last two years as a member of USA Volleyball’s U19 and U21 national teams. She will continue her career at Nebraska, which is ranked No. 2 this week and has finished NCAA Tournament runner-up two of the last three seasons including a year ago.
@mhsaasports 🏐POW: Campbell Flynn #volleyball #Mercy #setter #winner #part1 #highschoolsports #tiktalk #interview #performanceoftheweek #mistudentaid #fyp #MHSAA ♬ original sound - MHSAA
@mhsaasports 🏐POW: Campbell Flynn #tiktalk #questiontime #culvers #reeses #snow #emoji #bridgerton #part2 #performanceoftheweek #mistudentaid #fyp #MHSAA ♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys - Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey
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Previous 2024-25 honorees
Sept. 19: TJ Hansen, Freeland cross country - Report
Sept. 12: Jordan Peters, Grayling soccer - Report
Sept. 6: Gabe Litzner, Sault Ste. Marie cross country - Report
Aug. 30: Grace Slocum, Traverse City St. Francis golf - Report
(Photos courtesy of the Farmington Hills Mercy athletic department.)