FIVB's new guidelines regarding ball contacts have already led to the first serious discussions in the Women's Volleyball Nations League, and the expectations are that the topic will be even more relevant in the men's competition.
The International Federation announced that it will henceforth apply the rule against holding and pushing the ball much more strictly. Two-handed attacks where the player changes the direction of the ball by pushing or prolonged contact will not be tolerated. Only a brief and clean deflection of the ball remains permitted.
The Italian specialized websiteVolleyNews.itpointed out two illustrative examples from the first week of the Women's Nations League, which show how the new guidelines are already impacting refereeing decisions.
In the match between Canada and Japan, the coach of the Canadian team, Giovanni Guidetti, even received a red card after a strong reaction against a decision by the first referee. In the tie-break, a point by Canadian middle blocker Nyadok Thokbuom was overturned due to a two-handed attack, as according to the new interpretation of the rule, the contact was illegal.
Another controversial moment arose in the match between Germany and Japan. German coach Giulio Bregoli protested against a recognized point after a delicate tip by Yoshino Sato. According to him, the situation should have been penalized precisely because of the new requirements regarding holding and pushing the ball, but the refereeing team maintained its initial decision.
The change directly affects Bulgarian volleyball players as well. In recent years, two-handed attacks towards the block have become a frequently used technical maneuver at the highest level. Often, attackers, instead of finishing the rally with a classic spike, seek the hands of the block by pushing the ball to win the point.
A similar situation can be seen in the photo from the quarterfinal between Bulgaria and the USA at the Men's World Championship in Manila. Georgi Tatarov attacks against the American block with two hands, using a technique that falls precisely under the focus of the new FIVB guidelines.
Of course, the specific situation cannot automatically be determined as a fault, as everything depends on the duration of contact and the manner of execution. However, it is an illustrative example of the type of plays that will be watched much more carefully by referees in the future.

This means that the Bulgarian national players will also have to adapt to the new interpretation of the rule. A technique that until recently often brought points against a well-organized block can now lead to a fault call and loss of the rally.

photos: Nikolay Varadinov