What does the 2nd referee control?

From the FIVB Rules 2025-2028 (Rule 24). The 2nd referee stands outside the court near the post, on the opposite side of and facing the 1st referee. They assist the 1st referee but have their own range of jurisdiction, and may replace the 1st referee if they become unable to continue.

Controls and supervises:

• the work of the scorer(s)
• team members on the bench, reporting misconduct to the 1st referee
• players in the warm-up areas
• the regular game interruptions: authorises them, controls their duration and rejects improper requests
• the number of time-outs and substitutions each team has used, reporting the 2nd time-out and the 5th and 6th substitutions to the 1st referee and the coach
• floor condition (mainly the front zone) and that the balls still meet the regulations

Checks: at the start of each set, at the change of courts in the deciding set and whenever necessary, that the players' actual positions match the line-up sheets.

Decides, whistles and signals:

• penetration into the opponent's court and the space under the net
• positional faults of the receiving team
• faulty contact with the net, mainly on the blocker's side, and with the antenna on their side
• the completed block by back-row players or attempted block by the Libero, and attack hit faults by back-row players or the Libero
• contact of the ball with an outside object
• floor contact of the ball when the 1st referee cannot see it
• the ball crossing the net plane outside the crossing space or touching the antenna on their side, and the served ball or 2nd or 3rd hit passing over or outside the antenna on their side

In an injury they authorise an exceptional substitution or grant 3 minutes of recovery time. At the end of the match they check and sign the score sheet.