If you think about it, often the ball hitting the antenna would actually bounce it back inward which would create an unfair advantage. If it does, it’s immediately considered out. The ball can’t make contact with the antenna at all. If the ball hits the antenna – Is it out? Would you like to find our recommended equipment for volleyball officials? Check out our Officials Equipment page. We probably all need to have a little more patience and understanding because making that call is harder than it may look. In today’s world of instant replays and slow-motion videos, we have a high expectation that referees and line judges get it right every time. You have to train your eye to focus on that spot even after the ball continues on. The difficult part is watching for where the ball actually changes its path due to the bounce. The referees and line judges have a challenging responsibility to be accurate with their calls.

Of course, that’s a very simple explanation, but putting it into practice can be difficult in real-time. It has to be completely outside of the line for it to be called out.

It can be frustrating and leave you feeling like the right call wasn’t made.Ī very common question when watching volleyball is, “How can you tell if the ball was in or out?” In volleyball, if any part of the ball touches any part of the playing court, including the line, the ball is in. Have you ever been watching a game and seen a sideline call that you totally disagree with? Maybe you disagree with the referee or maybe the people watching the game around you.

Referee flag signals in volleyball