What authority does the first referee have, and how do I handle a protest?

Authority (Volleyball Canada Rulebook 2026-27, rule 23.2):

• The first referee directs the match from start to finish with authority over the refereeing team and the teams' members. Their decisions are final, and they may overrule other members of the refereeing team who are mistaken, or even replace a member who is not performing properly.
• The first referee also controls the ball retrievers and quick moppers, decides any matter involving the game including those not provided for in the rules, and decides before and during the match whether the playing area, equipment and conditions meet playing requirements.
• No discussion of decisions is permitted. At the game captain's request, the first referee explains the rule application or interpretation behind a decision.
• If the captain disagrees with the explanation, they must immediately reserve the right to file and record a protest at the end of the match, and the first referee must authorize this.

Protests (Referee Guidelines, Protest Procedures):

• A captain may protest only an error in applying a rule or rule interpretation. The referee's decisions on ball-handling faults are not open to protest.
• Before a protest proceeds, the first referee should communicate the basis of the decision clearly, repeat signals where appropriate, consult the relevant officials, and confirm the criteria for a valid protest and that the captain still wants to protest.
• The only four criteria for accepting a protest are: the referee misinterprets a rule; a scoring error (rotation or match score); a technical aspect of the match conditions (temperature, light, etc.); or the referee did not correctly apply the rules or did not assume the correct consequences of a decision. The first referee identifies the applicable criterion on the score sheet.
• After the match the captain describes the incident on the score sheet, or on paper attached to it, before signing off: set number, score, ball possession, player positions at the time, and the reason. The protest then goes to the higher authority (for example the league executive or jury), which accepts or refuses it. Refusal means the result stands. Acceptance means replaying the event in whole or in part.
• Once a captain has formally protested, the first referee should not choose not to proceed, and should not state the likely outcome to the player.

Sources: Volleyball Canada Rulebook 2026-27, rule 23.2; 2026-27 Referee Guidelines and Instructions, Protest Procedures.