Be the Referee: Back Row Setter
By
Paige Winne
MHSAA Marketing & Social Media Coordinator
November 12, 2024
Be The Referee is a series of short messages designed to help educate people on the rules of different sports, to help them better understand the art of officiating, and to recruit officials.
Below is this week's segment – Back Row Setter - Listen
We’re on the volleyball court for today’s “You Make the Call.”
Team A serves the ball over net. Team B’s number 9 passes, or bumps the ball up toward the net, where number 2 tips it over for a point.
But number 2 is a back row setter and moved to the front row on the serve.
Is this a legal play?
If you said it depends … you are correct.
A back row setter can move to the front row and play the ball over the net as long as the entire ball is NOT above the net.
If the ball is completely above the net, then the back row setter is not allowed to play it over the net from the front row.
Previous 2024-25 Editions
Nov. 5: Football OT - Listen
Oct. 29: Officials Registration - Listen
Oct. 22: Volleyball Serve - Listen
Oct. 15: "You Make the Call" - Soccer Offside - Listen
Oct. 8: Roughing the Passer - Listen
Oct. 1: Abnormal Course Condition - Listen
Sept. 25: Tennis Nets - Listen
Sept. 18: Libero - Listen
Sept. 10: Cross Country Uniforms - Listen
Sept. 3: Soccer Handling - Listen
Aug. 24: Football Holding - Listen
What's My Why: Official Mike VanLaan
May 20, 2026
Mike VanLaan, Alto
VanLaan is completing his eighth year as an MHSAA-registered official. He began with football in 2018-19 and added boys lacrosse the following year.
So in 2018 I decided to get started in officiating. I started with football because that was the sport that gave me the most opportunity when I was younger. I played a lot of football and just wanted to give back to the game.
I loved it so much that I decided I also wanted to add a spring sport. So a couple of years later I added boys lacrosse, and now I officiate high school football and high school boys lacrosse.
Things that drove me to add another sport – just fell in love with the camaraderie, working with other officials, good people. And then also, just realizing how important it is to stay active physically and mentally, and this allows me to do that.
“What’s My Why” is a weekly feature telling the stories of MHSAA-registered officials in their own words. If you’re an MHSAA official and would like to share your reason why, please submit a 15 to 45-second video, taken horizontally, to director of officials Sam Davis at [email protected].
Don't miss Officiate Michigan Day 2026, July 25 in Grand Rapids! Check out MHSAA.com/OMD to register and learn more.
What's My Why
May 20: Clint Abbott, Newaygo - Watch