The new NCAA volleyball rule change just might completely change the setting game forever. On Feb. 20, the NCAA decided to part ways with one of the most irritating calls, the double. A “double” is when a player hits the ball two times in a row. Most of the time, this happens when the setter is attempting a clean set but it hits one hand right before the other, causing it to have spin on the ball. 

Typically when the ball has spin after it is released from the hands, the referee assumes it must have been contacted at uneven times, and therefore calls a double- giving the opposing team a point. The double call is so tedious because it can easily happen to anyone, even the most experienced setters.

It is also a frustrating call because it is completely up to the referee’s judgement. Refs use their best discretion to identify doubles, but there is some grey area when deciding if it was clean set or a double contact. Not many refs will call doubles on small amounts of spin, but on sets with slightly more spin it is hard to tell if the set was really a double. Now that the call is gone, teams won’t have to rely on the referee’s judgement, which can be very inconsistent.

When looking from that perspective, many people are relieved that it takes away bad judgement from refs or less stress when setting in general. But there are so many setters out there that have put in countless hours of training to get their setting hands to the highest level possible. Setters train their entire career to have the right footwork, hand placement, and wrist movement all to have a clean set. The rule change has setters wondering why they put in so much work, and why so much money was spent on their training when it would all be for nothing. 

The art of setting will not be the same after the NCAA rule change next season. Setters deserve all the credit for their hard work and clean sets, and removing the double call will devalue the importance of the position.