Who am I?
Hey, George here, I’m Fireball’s new journalism intern! you’ll be hearing a lot from me in the coming months, so I thought I’d introduce myself. I’ve been playing beach volleyball for about five years, and I’ve represented England in international events such as the Under 22 European Championships last year. Ive also represented England in both junior and senior NEVZA events over the last few years (North European volleyball). I am currently at the University of Nottingham completing my undergraduate degree in English and Philosophy. I’m Looking forward to speaking more with you all, both here on the Fireblog, and at our events this year!
What has the FIVB said?
This season, FIVB (Fédération Internationale de Volleyball) trialled the use of experimental hand setting rules in events such as the Gstaad and Montreal Elite, as well as both the Brazil and Baden Challengers before considering if the rulebook should be permanently changed.
The FIVB’s official statement
“Double contact will be allowed during the setting action, provided the ball remains on the same side of the court, with faults only called for two clear consecutive touches. For balls played into the opponent’s court, as well as catches and lifts, the current interpretation will still apply.”
Whilst the rules on setting have been changed in indoor volleyball, they remain unchanged on the sandy side of the sport. I spoke with my indoor teammates last week, and our setters felt that the rule change took away from the hard work that they’d put in. I didn’t see eye to eye with them. Personally, as a player who is less experienced with the indoor side of volleyball, I’m now a lot more confident to set with my hands. I felt that if the rule changes were applied to beach volleyball as well, it would help players feel more confident.
What’s actually changed?
Nothing! After the trial period, FIVB chose not to implement the changes into beach volleyball, leaving some, (including me) a little disappointed. I thought the trial period would make a larger impact on a national level and could have made for an interesting season in the coming summer. When I first saw the rules being proposed, I wasn’t sure about it. I believed that the new rules would lower the quality of the game and make matches less enjoyable. After seeing the new rules in action at the trial events, my mind was completely changed. I saw teams trying to use the trial period as an opportunity to try something new and pushing the limits of what they could do.
My Observations from the Trial
When I was watching some teams, the trial period seemingly had no impact on their style of play, like the Swedish jump setters Åhman and Hellvig, and the newly branded Icemen, Hölting Nilsson and Andersson. Jump setting has been the central tenet of these two teams’ strategy for the whole season, inside and outside of the trial period, so I don’t think the rules impacted some players on a professional level as much as I initially worried. I saw a few people online arguing that relaxing the rules would punish the defending team by not rewarding them with a point for their opponent’s errors. In response, I feel that even if the set doesn’t come out cleanly, the defender would still be rewarded as the poor quality of the set would still give them an advantage within the rally.
Moving Forwards
Whilst the rules may change at a future date, for now they remain unchanged. Here at Fireball, you can be confident our coaching will track any FIVB changes. We get a lot of you asking if players should be hand setting, as well as questions about the ways the rules can be interpreted. All our coaches will be happy to talk through things with anyone who might be confused about what the rules say at our camps and clinics.
Contact us !
Let us know what you think! Do you agree with these rule changes? Send an email to Firepod@fireballbeachvolleyball.com to let us know your thoughts, and give us an opportunity to discuss them on our podcast.
Written by George Ruddick
