[Article originally published by WOWT-TV in Omaha, Nebraska. Click here to view on the WOWT website.]
By Marlo Lundak
OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - It’s a known and established fact that Nebraska is a volleyball state; and for those eagle-eyed viewers who watch the sport religiously, you may have noticed that there are fewer referees on the court during the Omaha Supernovas game compared to a Husker volleyball game.
That reason? Technology.
Pro Volleyball Federation referee and Director of Officials, Devonie McLarty, has seen the game with and without the technology. She’s been a referee for years and at all levels, including officiating games for a team that’s close to our hearts.
“I’ve done NCAA tournament matches in Nebraska, I was a referee for the NCAA semi-final match between them and Pitt in 2023, so I definitely know Nebraska, I know the fans,” McLarty adds.
McLarty also reffed the first Omaha Supernovas game, too, which was the first game in the history of the Pro Volleyball Federation.
She explains the biggest difference between officiating college and pro games is the technology involved. In the pros, there are two fewer referees on the court.
Instead, there are 22 cameras.
“It’s tracking the ball, it’s seeing where there’s a change in trajectory, it’s looking at flight path, and taking a whole bunch of data points into consideration,” she says.
The cameras catch everything.
“This technology is picking up the entire trajectory and movement of the ball and pinpoint where exactly it hit the floor and then that’s electronically decided by the officials, as opposed to needing two more people on the corner calling lines to assist the referees with a game that’s already moving so darn fast.”
The same technology is used in professional tennis matches, and it allows for instant replays called ball tracking; it shows not only the refs, but the viewers, where on the court the ball landed.
The technology is quick, too. Calls on the court come back to the refs in less than half a second.
The cameras are so accurate that line call challenges aren’t allowed in the PVF. The majority of challenges are block touch challenges at the net, even though the cameras cover that, too.
“I don’t need to worry about whether I made that call correctly or not, I know it’s correct because my tablet is telling me it’s in,” McLarty adds.
The speed at which the technology works means that the game flows quicker, McLarty says that’s better for two reasons: long challenge calls are avoided, meaning players don’t get cold and out of their groove during the game, and it helps keep fans engaged.
“Each team put in over $180,000, each team, to have this system because we knew we wanted to keep our fans engaged, and engaged fans don’t like to sit through challenge reviews,” says PVF CEO Jen Spicher. “I think we had 15 challenges in the first three matches and the longest challenge was 34 seconds.”
Spicher says the technology was a no-brainer for the league.
“There were 3,400 line calls in the Volleyball Nations League last year between the men’s and women, nationally, around the world, and [the technology] got zero wrong,” she adds. “In the high school and college game, over 50% of the line judges calls are overturned, and at this level, this pro level, the speed of the game is so fast, the naked eye just can’t catch it.”
Both McLarty and Spicher say the believe the technology could make it to the collegiate level in the coming years, too.
“I think we’ll start seeing it more, I think the fact that the Pro Volleyball Federation is bringing it to the USA, it’s going to create an expectation,” McLarty says.
“I heard a rumor that the BIG10 is trying to procure it, I don’t know that they’ll have it for the ‘25 season, but I did hear that they are trying to get it for the BIG10, so I think it’s soon, and I think it needs to be,” Spicher adds. “Because these athletes are more powerful, agile, quicker, and it’s harder and harder for those line judges to get it right.”
One of the biggest obstacles to college teams like the Huskers getting the technology is its big pricetag.