Dispute over volleyabll linesman and ump's call .. who should the ref listen to?

Question

Can someone who's certified / experienced in volleyball refing please reconfirm the following statement for me please?

When the linesman makes the in or out call and the ump's call contradicts the lineman's, the ref should still go with the linesman's call because he or she have better perspective, doesnt matter if the ball landed on the ump's side or not right? The ump's job is to support the linesman's call / watch the net and the middle line. If the linesman do not make a call then the ump gets to make the linecall unless the ref sees otherwise.

this happened to me twice today when an inexperienced ref kept looking to her ump for those really close line calls and coincidentally all of the umps' calls contradicted mine (even though I looked straight down the line!!!) and she kept telling me that the ump was closer to the ball (BUT HE WAS NOT LOOKING STRAIGHT DOWN THE LINE!!)

Answer 1

i am not certified but i have been a linesman/ line judge for a couple amateur tournaments my university has had. i have never been in your predicament but i believe you are correct. the judgement is not really made by who is closest (unless there is a player in the way obscuring your vision) but by the linesman who has a better vantage point.

Answer 2

The inexperienced ref should probably not have been the high official in the first place.  Depending on what kind of game you were doing (high school, college, city league etc.) this should be taken to an athletic director/the state/or a board member to make it aware that improper procedures are being followed.  The only time the down official will make a call is if the linesman cannot see, and even then they will most likely call for a reserve.  I've never seen this happen (i've been playing and coaching volleyball my whole life) but I can tell you that it is not the right call.  If you could get your hands on a state officiating book, you could look up the exact duties and expected calls from a down official and back up your complaint.  (Mine is packed up in a box somewhere or I could help you out more)  There might be some .pdf's out there of rule books that might help as well.  Either way, you were not in the wrong and this is something you need to bring to someone's attention.

Answer 3

well usually the ref will go with the linesman because they have the best view of the play and thats how it should be. its not the down refs job to call lines and the ref is always supossed to check with the linesman for close calls.

but the ref always has the right to over ride the call.

Answer 4

The R1 can override the call of the line judge.  Per SECTION II THE REFEREES, THEIR RESPONSIBILITIESAND OFFICIAL

23.2 AUTHORITY 23.2.1 The first referee directs the match from the start until the end. He/she has authority over all members of the refereeing corps and the members of the teams. During the match the first referee’s decisions are fi nal. He/she is authorized to overrule the decisions of other members of the refereeing corps, if it is noticed that they are mistaken. The first referee may even replace a member of the refereeing corps who is not performing his/her functions properly.

Answer 5

In general, you are correct.  The LJ is primarily responsible for the line calls and the R2 is primarily responsible for the calls inside the 3 meter line.  

It really depends on the specifics.  If the LJ has a habit of not making calls and then suddenly makes calls, those calls are suspect.  (I had a LJ make their first call at match point.  I overruled it.  I do not know why she waited until match point in the 3rd set to make her first call, but I saw it and it was wrong.)

If the R2 is experienced, they know when they can look away from the centerline and can get a good look at the ball.  

If I am the R1, I will generally use the call from the LJ before the call of the R2 on line calls.  I will not say that I always take the LJ calls over the R2 because it depends on the circumstances.  It depends on what I see and how much I trust the other members of the crew.  You can often tell early what your work crew is like.  If the LJ is making every call and with authority, you are more likely to take their calls.  If the LJ is wishy-washy on the calls and you see them staring into space when you are asking them for a call, you are likely to ignore them.  The same for the R2.  

Without knowing the specifics, you are correct.  The R1 "should" take the line calls of the LJ over the line calls of the R2.