E: Play of the Ball / SETTING
1. When is a set a set and
when is it a throw?
Excellent setters
can seemingly get away with a one-thousand-and-
one, one-thousand-and-two, ... during the set. While the indoor
rules
do not mention setting, basically, it's:
1. the ball cannot visibly
come to rest
2. no "deep dish" sets (ala chest-high = forehead and above).
3. ball rotation off the set does not necessarily indicate a
throw
4. and most importantly, the ref's judgement.
2. If the set comes off
my hands spinning is it a fault?
No, not necessarily.
"(It is not
a fault) When a poorly hit ball is caused to rotate
(such as [...]
a set ball that is caused to rotate due to improper
but simultaneous
contact)." And outdoors, says "Rotation of the ball
after the set
may indicate a held ball or multiple contacts
during the
set but in itself is not is not a fault."
Nevertheless,
extreme examples of spinning sets will rightly
be whistled
as a lift.
3. I've heard sets called
by different numbers. What are they?
There are many
setting systems with varying number schemes. Check
with your local
folks. The simplest system uses numbers to refer to
the height of the set above the net. The setter calls (holds up hand
behind back)
the play. They are:
1 - a short set (1m high) directly into the middle hitter's hand
3 - a medium high set to middle or outside hitters
5 - a high ball, to the outside
10
- a high set to a backrow hitter (closed fist)
Another commonly used system uses 2 numbers; one refering to the
location of
the set along the net (divided into zones), and the
other referring
to the height of the set above the net.
4. I've heard that overhead
sets aren't legal in beach play?
While two-hand
overhead sets are de rigeur on a hard court, they are
eschewed on
sand, where ref's prefer(demand) to see bump sets. A
squishier (read
bag-like) Topflite 18 naturally stays on your fingers
longer than
a pumped up SV5W resulting in what some folks would call a
throw. Maybe
it's because you'll rarely see a good indoor setter
playing 2's
on the beach.
5. Playing 2's I set my
partner and the wind blew the ball over the net
into our opponent's
court. They got the point. Why?
If the
ball is intentionally set into the opponent's court,
the player
must contact the ball with two hands above his/her
shoulders
and set it directly FORWARD or BACKWARD with relation
to his/her
body. If you attempt to set your partner and the wind
causes the ball to float over,
it is not a fault.
Check local rules on this. In some
areas of the country (i.e. a certain
beach in Chicago), 'all' set-overs
are illegal.
