Yellow Card/Red Card Myth or Fact in High School Volleyball?

[LR2014]

I'm asking a question concerning what appears to be a basic rule of conduct in high school volleyball. The following is taken out of a high school volleyball rule book:
[b]Referees and coaches share responsibility for resolving situations where a spectator disrupts play.
f)  Warnings, penalties and disqualifications are administered using yellow and red cards by the referee for misconduct of players and coaches.


Warning - a yellow card is administered for a first minor offense. No penalty is assessed.
Penalty - a red card is administered for a second minor offense by the same person or a single serious offense. A point/side-out is awarded to the opponent.
Disqualification - yellow and red cards are administered simultaneously for a third minor offense or a single flagrant offense. The offender is prohibited from further participation in the match. A point/side-out is awarded to the opponent [/b] 

While I have only been watching my girls play for the past four years, I have yet to see a single yellow card. I have seen some very bad behavior by coaches and players such as: throwing down and breaking a clip board, yelling at the referee, yelling at a student line judge, intimidating student line judges and cursing out loud. What warrants the mythical "yellow card"???

[JSnipes]

I've seen many yellow cards, but never on a coach. I've never seen a red card. I was talking with an official earlier this year about yellow cards and he said it just depends on the official. Some will use them faster than others, and some will probably never use them. There's not a set behavior to be carded. He said it's up to the official and how strict they are going to be.

An example, my first year I had a player receive a yellow card (we took care of that behavior the next day at practice). After she hit the ball in the net, she hit the ball under the net to the other side out of frustration instead of rolling the ball. She received a yellow card for this behavior (and I don't disagree with the fact that she received one). However, I see this behavior all the time and never see yellow cards. I believe a lot of it is up to the opinion of the official and what behavior they are and aren't going to allow.

[Tigerette]

Generally speaking, a yellow card is like a technical foul in basketball.  Coach "should" lose standing priviledge.  (refer to case book pg. 42, Conduct 12.2.1)  If the coach is up again or repeatedly commits offensive behavior, then red card is administered.  The loss of rally is then awarded to the opponent (pg.42, 12.2.6) All of this is at the ref's discretion.  I agree with JSnipes, some ref's are quicker to issue one then others.  For me, a coach will get a yellow card for constantly arguing, refusing to back into their coaching area, harassing line judges.....I have never issued a yellow card by the way. Cursing is automatic for me...basketball or volleyball.  I try to use preventative officiating....I try to talk to the coach before it gets out of hand.  I also try to talk to players re: attitude, behavior.  So ref's are intimidated of coaches.  So this mythical yellow card you question is in existence....just depends on the ref and situation.  ;)

[mactiger]

Saw a coach on the bench get a yellow card last weekend at the PNG JV tournament.

[highsky]

I have seen the yellow card twice.  First time in the playoffs several years ago, an excellent player for one team was taunting the other team after a dramatic kill.  She should have received a red for continuing the behavior, but officials will hesitate before they issue a red because it usually involves paperwork and/or a trip to Austin.  Saw the 2nd yellow on a coach complaining about disparity of calls between teams a couple of years ago.  In my opinion, the coach was in the right because the official in question was following unwritten club rules where some lifting is allowed, but it was a high school match and lifting is strictly verboten. 

Regarding the difference between club play and high school play, I get frustrated with officials because they can't seem to separate between the two.  Several of the larger schools in the area have access to club volleyball but the majority of the smaller schools (1A/2A) don't have club players.  The only volleyball they play is for their school and they are taught to pass, set and hit in a certain way and they don't understand when another team (that has club players) gets away with a lift because the official also officiates club volleyball.  I am not downing officials but it is a peeve of mine.

[JSnipes]

[quote name="highsky" post="1063266" timestamp="1316790918"]
I have seen the yellow card twice.  First time in the playoffs several years ago, an excellent player for one team was taunting the other team after a dramatic kill.  She should have received a red for continuing the behavior, but officials will hesitate before they issue a red because it usually involves paperwork and/or a trip to Austin.  Saw the 2nd yellow on a coach complaining about disparity of calls between teams a couple of years ago.  In my opinion, the coach was in the right because the official in question was following unwritten club rules where some lifting is allowed, but it was a high school match and lifting is strictly verboten. 

Regarding the difference between club play and high school play, I get frustrated with officials because they can't seem to separate between the two.  Several of the larger schools in the area have access to club volleyball but the majority of the smaller schools (1A/2A) don't have club players.  The only volleyball they play is for their school and they are taught to pass, set and hit in a certain way and they don't understand when another team (that has club players) gets away with a lift because the official also officiates club volleyball.  I am not downing officials but it is a peeve of mine.
[/quote]

The game of volleyball is drastically changing. The calls in club volleyball (especially lifts) greatly differ from that in the High School game. I try to talk to officials as much as I can to understand more of what is changing on calls and how they are viewing calls. The explination I always receive on lifts is it's a judgement call on whether or not it is prolonged contact. The only thing that makes that tough is people may not judge things the same way. Every official is going to be different and the coach and team just have to their best to adjust to the calls that are being made. As a coach, all I want from the officials is consistency. An officials job is already hard enough...the fact that club seems to be called different than school ball doesn't make things any easier. A great majority of the officials that we have had in our games have been consistent.