The NCAA News - News and Features

February 23, 1998

Volleyball takes a look at different approaches

Experimentation addresses controlling duration of matches

BY SHAWNA HANSEN
STAFF WRITER

Change is in the air in the world of volleyball.

The International Volleyball Federation (IVBF) will test proposed rules for the sport this year.

The biggest change to hit the courts will be in how the game is played. The IVBF will test three systems internationally, according to Jim Coleman, general manager of national teams for USA Volleyball and a member of the IVBF Rules Game Commission.

One system to be tested is playing the game with the current rules but adding the bonus rally. The bonus rally allows for two points to be scored on back-row attack.

"Like the three-point shot in basketball, the bonus rally adds excitement to the game of volleyball," Coleman said.

A second system to be tested involves playing best-three-of-five games and using rally scoring to 25 in each game, requiring a team to win by two points. Game five would be played according to current rules.

Game Set System

The most dramatic change to be tested is the Game Set System.

The system features best-two-of-three sets in a match, and each set features best-two-of-three games. A normal game is 21 points and uses rally scoring, requiring a team to win by two points. The third, tiebreaker, game is seven points, also requiring a team to win by two.

If teams split the first two sets, then the third set is played much like game five currently is played -- 15 points, using rally scoring.

"The probable effect of this system will be for longer matches to be shorter and the shorter matches to be longer," Coleman said. "A typical match under this system would be from an hour and 20 minutes to an hour and 50 minutes."

"The Game Set System generally tends to add excitement to the match with so many potential endings to the sets and matches," he said.

"This system will also have shorter sets and a greater chance for upset."

A "half time" of 10 minutes would occur between the first and second sets. "Virtually every collegiate women's match takes a break after the second game," Coleman noted. "So the commission is looking into it becoming an official part of the rules."

Coleman said a "half time is a benefit commercially and is good for the fans."

Besides changes in game format, the international volleyball community has been testing the LIBERO Player System.

"Tested successfully for the past two years, this system allows for back-row players to freely go in and out of the game when the ball is out of play with no substitution process," Coleman said. "The players are not allowed to block, serve or spike."

A team may have two LIBERO players but only one can be on the court at any given time.

Coleman said the system's advantages are "more people being involved in the game and adding more sensationalism to the back-row defense." He said to look for the system to be incorporated into international rules in the next few years.

'Difficult sport to sell'

Why is change needed?

"Volleyball is a difficult sport to sell to the public and to television, because the duration of the match is so unpredictable," Coleman said.

He believes "that we should try some of these changes. If people don't like it, then don't change the rules and continue playing the same way and work on finding another system to change to."

How much experimentation will we see in America?

"The United States has very free thinkers; therefore, we currently have more sets of volleyball rules than the rest of the world combined," Coleman said. The USA Volleyball teams and men's collegiate teams play under USA Volleyball Rules, which are international rules.

Women's collegiate teams, most high schools and the YMCA play under National Girls and Women in Sport rules.

"Normally, the rules filter down from the international commission -- sometimes quickly and sometimes more slowly," Coleman said.

David C. DeNure, head men's volleyball coach at New Jersey Institute of Technology and a member of the NCAA Men's Volleyball Committee, said "generally speaking, the NCAA men's committee uses the rules adopted by USA Volleyball."

DeNure said the USA Volleyball Rules of the Game Commission will meet February 28 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

"Scoring changes and substitution rules changes will be discussed," said DeNure, who is a member of the commission.