Shocker VB at Tulane

[Critter's Pa]

Hmm. The only side of the court I have seen us start on is the locker room side. Certainly, since the mods to Koch. Why would you do anything else? But I have had a nap recently, so who knows?

I, too, have only seen us start on the locker room side of the court. The NCAA rules state at the initial coin flip the team can decide whether to serve or receive first or decide which side of the court they start on. The winner gets one choice (serve/receive or court side), the loser gets to choose the other. Same thing happens in the coin toss before a 5th set. (Rule 9.2 I believe)

So, in according to the rules, a visiting team could choose to start on the WSU locker room side of the court.

Why doesn't in happen? Could be because of the scoreboard or perhaps the extra room that the tunnel beside the band offers. (Didn't the Tulsa libero make a play on the ball in that area?) I don't think that there is really much of a difference between sides in CKA, but I'm sure there are side advantages on courts at other schools. At other schools, it could be where the scoreboard is on a wall or hanging from the roof (like CKA). It could be a disadvantage of sunlight coming in from a window during a certain time of the match. It could be location of the crowd or scorer's table or extra room (like the tunnel beside the band in CKA). It could be location of lights or duct work in places with low ceilings like North Texas. It could be wanting to start on the (lucky) side of the court where your team seems to win more sets or it could be to play mind games with the home (or visiting) team.

Maybe visiting teams don't choose the "WSU side" of the court out of courtesy or maybe it's something else.

Two teams playing on a neutral court get a chance to choose which side they start. I wonder which side the teams playing in the AAC tournament will choose.

So, we are good or bad at calling coin flips?

[flyingMoose]

I, too, have only seen us start on the locker room side of the court. The NCAA rules state at the initial coin flip the team can decide whether to serve or receive first or decide which side of the court they start on. The winner gets one choice (serve/receive or court side), the loser gets to choose the other. Same thing happens in the coin toss before a 5th set. (Rule 9.2 I believe)

So, in according to the rules, a visiting team could choose to start on the WSU locker room side of the court.


Two teams playing on a neutral court get a chance to choose which side they start. I wonder which side the teams playing in the AAC tournament will choose.

This is more than everyone wants to know :), but ... All of the verbiage below is directly from the 2024-2025 Rules Book.

One hour before the start of the match, the home team identifies its team area for the first set. (9.2.1)

In a tournament situation, ... the tournament director determines a method for designating the home team for each match of the tournament. (9.2.1) [The home team, the higher seed, is at the "home" end as specified by the TD? But will the AAC defer to the "customary" when WSU is playing?]

Before the start of a match, the referees conduct a coin toss near the scorer’s table with a representative(s) of each team. The visiting team representative calls the toss. The winner of the toss chooses either to serve or to receive the serve for the first set. (9.1.3)

At the end of the set before a deciding set, a representative from each team must immediately report for the deciding set coin toss; the players are released to their respective benches. The second referee conducts a new coin toss. The home team calls the coin toss for the deciding set. The winner of the toss chooses (a) serve/receive or (b) team area. The loser of the toss takes the remaining choice. (9.2.4ff)


Like I said, more than ... :)

[flyingMoose]

RPI Futures from Volleytalk

33 Rice (35)
56 South Florida (66)
59 Shockers (62)
etc

[flyingMoose]

Bracketology Guy

South Florida and Rice are In with USF as the AQ.

[Critter's Pa]

This is more than everyone wants to know :)...

One hour before the start of the match, the home team identifies its team area for the first set. (9.2.1)

That make sense, thanks for setting me straight. I totally missed that. My google-ing skills must have failed me.

In a tournament situation, ... the tournament director determines a method for designating the home team for each match of the tournament. (9.2.1) [The home team, the higher seed, is at the "home" end as specified by the TD? But will the AAC defer to the "customary" when WSU is playing?]

Not sure how the AAC tourney is going to play out. WSU started on the "home team" side of the court in all their NIVC games at CKA. It could be because we were the higher seed or maybe we were considered the home team. I don't know. I've already got my tournament tickets. I'll try to make note if teams seem to choose one side or the other as they advance in the tournament. I say "seem" because I won't know who won the coin toss and if the team got the opportunity to choose which side they are starting on.

Before the start of a match, the referees conduct a coin toss near the scorer’s table with a representative(s) of each team. The visiting team representative calls the toss. The winner of the toss chooses either to serve or to receive the serve for the first set. (9.1.3)

I don't know if it's more advantageous to serve or receive first. I could see arguments for either way.
What I do know, is that we usually receive serve. We have only served first 6 times this year- Little Rock, LBSU, Northern Colorado, Memphis, UAB and Rice. 20 Times we have received serve.

How about 5th sets? For the season, the Shockers served first in 5 out of 9 fifth sets. Out of the 4 con-con matches, only once did we serve first, that was vs Kennesaw State. Indiana, Cal Poly and Omaha served first in the 5th set. Indiana would be the only neutral court 5th set, but I don't know if we got to call the flip or not. Of the 5 conference matches, WSU served first in 4 of them. 2 of the 5 setters were on the road- at ECU, ECU served first, at Rice, the Shockers served first in the 5th set.

Of the 7 away conference matches so far, WSU has gotten to call 9 coin flips (including the 2 five setters). WSU has served first 3 times- starting at Memphis and UAB and the 5th set at Rice. Is that us being good or bad at calling coin flips?

Of the 35 coin flips (26 matches + 9 5th sets), we have served first 11 times. Is that lucky or unlucky? It's not even close to 50-50.

Like I said, more than ... :)

Next I'm going to ask you to explain all the rules on substitutions and exchanges.

[flyingMoose]

How about 5th sets?

At the end of the set before a deciding set [a backward way of saying the fifth set - but if they ever go to best-of-seven, they don't have to rewrite the rule :)], a representative from each team must immediately report for the deciding set coin toss; the players are released to their respective benches. The second referee conducts a new coin toss. The home team calls the coin toss for the deciding set. The winner of the toss chooses (a) serve/receive or (b) team area. The loser of the toss takes the remaining choice. (9.2.4ff)

9.2.4ff is a mistake. That verbiage is from 9.2.4.4, 9.2.4.4.1, and 9.2.4.4.2.