Referees and video challenges
FIVB · 2025–2028Who controls decisions, manages interruptions and supervises video review.
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Rules 22–24 — The first and second refereesRules 25–26 — Challenge and reserve officialsRules 22–24 — The first and second referees
The first referee directs the match, authorizes service, rules on faults and sanctions, and may overrule another official’s mistaken decision. The game captain may request an explanation of rule application; if still disagreeing, the captain must immediately reserve the right to record a protest after the match. The second referee assists from the opposite net post, supervises the scorers and benches, manages interruptions and checks line-ups. Their own decisions include receiving-team positional faults, penetration, relevant net and antenna contacts, and specified attack and block faults. Only these two referees whistle. After a first-referee fault whistle, signals show the serving team, fault and, when necessary, player; the second referee indicates the fault and player before following the first referee’s serving-team signal.
Rules 25–26 — Challenge and reserve officials
When video challenge is used in FIVB, World and Official Competitions, a challenge referee is compulsory. That official supervises the review under the applicable challenge regulations, advises the first referee of the fault and signs the score sheet. This rulebook does not itself establish a universal number of team challenges or the complete review procedure: those belong to the separate challenge regulations. A reserve referee is also compulsory for those competitions. Duties include replacing an unavailable second referee, checking substitution equipment, helping keep the free zone clear, supervising substitutes and assisting with court support personnel.
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