Blocking

renato737 · **Blocking -** 10-08-2008, 02:47 AM

Okay, someone needs to explain this rule to me, if it's true and exists. And if so where can I read about it.

Can a block be a throw down?

Here's what happened:
Ball is hit and is about to cross the net. The other teams player blocked it with both hands and seemed to "catch" the ball momentarily and then "threw" it down to win the point. Is that legal? I use the word catch because to me the ball stopped for a sec in his hands, and then literally he threw it down. Others agreed it was a throw. When I agrued the throw, the ref and the player said "that can be done on a block".

OmniSpiker · 10-08-2008, 10:04 AM

Assuming indoor rules...

If it's a block, then it's a block
If it's a catch, then it's a catch

To a ref, there isn't a combination of the two, it's either one or the other. There could be numerous scenarios, but the few times I've ever called catch on a block is that the ball was clearly wedged and stuck between both hands/arms or between block and net.

I'm more likely to call a lift infraction on a tip or on the set then I would ever call on a block.

Keep in mind that such a scenario can exist where the ball can appear to stop on the hands and then appear to be thrown down by the block, when all what the blocker mere does is blocked the ball and reached over to penetrate the plane of the net. If the ball was hit a lot harder, then it would certainly rebound or deflect off the block rather than being cushioned by it. It's like the ball being hit into the net and having the net touch the blocker. The blocker is not at fault.

Another scenario is often when the blocker is late. Then the blocker forces the ball up, penetrates plane of net, then forces ball down. That's a lift infraction and is more of first contact than ever a block.

renato737 · **blockin -** 10-08-2008, 09:00 PM

yeah, well it seemed like the player threw it down and when I argued that it was a throw, he and the ref said that, that is okay on a block, which to me means they admit that it was a throw and that it was fine.

OmniSpiker · 10-09-2008, 10:20 AM

The hand is faster than the eye. There are such things that the hands can do that the eye cannot catch. A player can catch, throw, lift, carry, or push the ball. If a ref cannot or does not see that, then there would be no fault assessed to the player. There are times where the ref can assessed a ball handling error when a player has done nothing wrong.

***

There's a problem there. Just becuase a person is blocking, they are still not allowed to catch or throw the ball.

14.1.1 Blocking is the action of players close to the net to intercept the ball coming from the opponents by reaching higher than the top of the net. Only frontrow players are permitted to complete a block.

According to USAV 14.2: A block is a deflection of a ball coming from the
opponents.

Maybe it's a house rule to allow throwing off the block. Maybe it's a house rule to allow catching balls out of bounds. Maybe it's a house rule to allow blocking on the serve.

BHitterDPasser · 10-12-2008, 07:03 PM

I think I know the play you are talking about. It's a major redirect on the ball and it's like a two handed push? I've seen a lot of players do it and I've never seen it called.

NewEnglandRT · 10-28-2008, 12:06 AM

It's a tough call without actually seeing it. Factors like did the blocker break their wrists while playing the ball? Did it come to rest? If the ball stopped in their hands I'd have to say no foul. If the wrists and the ball was re-directed I could se a lift violation being called.

Those things come down to ref's discression... and are the types of things i flirt with yellow cards over arguing with the refs