New Volleyball Rules

On February 20th, 2024, the NCAA Women’s Volleyball season will come with a new rule allowing setters to double on the second contact. According to the NCAA, this rule was brought into the game to make it more consistent with fewer fouling errors. Bulldog’s head coach Darrin McBroom sits on the Division I Head Coaches Committee of the American Volleyball Coaches Association. “New People…[to] volleyball don’t understand it. There’s no context, They’re watching this great game going on, and then all of a sudden this whistle gets blown and the referees hold up two fingers.” Head Coach McBroom stated in an interview with timesdelphic.com. 

This new rule has been very controversial among many individuals and teams, as it changes many things, not just the game itself, such as practices for the team and the setters. Many teams agree that coaches will still look for setters who can set well so that the hitters have the best opportunity to hit as they can. According to usatoday.com middle blockers and hitters can benefit greatly because often when a middle blocker/hitter has to step in and set they are called for double contact. 

The new rule passed by the NCAA has many opinions some saying that the rule is unnecessary and some saying that it’s awesome because you don’t have to train on setting as much or look for the #1 setter. In an interview with Npr.org Emily Ehman, a volleyball analyst for the Big Ten Network and ESPN stated, “So if you’re setting the ball to a teammate, and maybe it comes off a little bit ugly, has a little bit of spin on it, that’s OK as long as the ball stays on your side of the net.” 

A player from Drake women’s volleyball team senior libero Jada Wills stated, “My first year playing libero, my junior year, I doubled once, and then I never set again because I never wanted to do it again.”  however another point made by other members of the Drake Women’s volleyball team said that all of the setters at this level and age don’t tend to make those kinds of mistakes often. It’s more at the younger groups and levels. 

This Specific new rule has not yet hit high school or other leagues than college and professional volleyball teams and will be enacted throughout the new 2024 volleyball seasons.