How does a coach protest a decision at a Volleyball Australia championship?

Under the 2026 VA Indoor Handbook, only the head coach can lodge a formal protest, and must do so to the 2nd referee while the ball is out of play. At the Schools Cup it goes to the Adult Supervisor of the duty team instead, and a Referee Supervisor is called over. The result is final: there is no appeals process and matches are not replayed.

What can be protested: an improper decision by the referee who did not apply the regulations or did not assume the consequences of the decision, and an improper decision by the scorer on the rotational order or the score.

What cannot be protested: judgement calls, and a referee's decision to sanction a player's action or any misconduct. These are rejected.

Procedure:

1. The coach tells the 2nd referee, who immediately tells the 1st referee. Play stops.
2. The 1st referee sends the teams to their benches (they may not leave the playing area, but can use balls in the free zone).
3. The 1st referee steps down and consults a Referee Supervisor. If the supervisor cannot resolve it, the Referee Coach decides, and the Referee Coach/Referee Delegate decision is final.
4. The protest is rejected, or accepted and the referee's decision is upheld or overturned.
5. If upheld, play resumes after applying the referee's decision. If overturned, play resumes from the point before the decision. If rejected, play resumes after applying the referee's decision.

Penalty for a rejected protest: the first rejected protest is a Penalty (red card), a personal sanction on the head coach. A second rejected protest by the same coach in the same match is a disqualification (red and yellow cards separately).