blocking serve used to be legal, right? Is it still?

Question
Was it ever legal in high school volleyball to block the serve?  I thought I
remember blocking the serve while I played (1992-1996) as an outside and
middle hitter.

Answer
Good afternoon and welcome to www.allexperts.com!!

You're 100% right.  When I started coaching vball in 1985, it was legal; but even then, I believe it was only legal in matches played under the National Federation rule book.  I don't believe the NCAA allowed it or the USAV (then called the USVBA) allowed it.  The rule changed around 1997 or 1998.    

Teams that were tall would have blockers standing at the net, waiting for your serve like leopards waiting to pounce on suspecting prey.  You can imagine what was going through the servers' minds!  They could see the leopards.  "Gosh, they may block my serve!"

Ironic that I discovered over time that the attempts by the opponents to block serve did not work in their favor!  Yes, I'm serious!  Over a complete season, sure, the opponents would block us 5 times, but their efforts would always produce twice that many receiving errors.  

But, no I'm not saying the serving team was the beneficiary.  When the opponents had 1 or 2 or 3 six-foot girls standing at the net, our servers would be distracted and would miss more.  

After coaching in this situation for approximately 13 years, it was all a wash.  We missed more, got a few blocked, but our aces increased.  I always told the servers, "Ignore them," and I told the other 5, "Cover your server."  That's odd sounding after about 10 years of not saying it.  haha  

I keep talking like my team never tried it.  Well, unfortunately, I seemed to have an abundance of players 5'8" and shorter!  haha  I think my team blocked maybe 2 or 3 serves in that entire 13-year span.  Most years it wasn't part of our game at all, b/c I realized the errors that would occur.  The only times we did it was then my 5'8" MB was at the net, hiding in serve receive, and she alertly noticed that a short serve was coming right for the top of the net.  So she jumped, blocked it, the ball fell, her teammates jumped up in celebration, while the blocker was like, "Oh, my.  Did I do that?"

Finally, how has the rule changed?  Now all the rule books have the same wording.  They all say something like:  "If the receiving team sends a ball back to the serving team on the 1st hit, and the ball is above the top of the net when the ball is contacted by the receiving team, then an illegal attack has occurred."  So, 1-balling is legal. Always has been.  But, the ball must not be higher than the net when the serve is attacked/blocked.

I'm glad that you visited allexperts.  When you have moment, please visit www.coachhouser.com.  My staff and I are 14 days away from starting 9 site camps in 8 weeks!  I can't wait!  They're SO much fun!  It's going to be a BLAST!!

Chat soon!
Coach Houser