Futnet

Introduction

In Futnet, matches are typically managed by two referees (First and Second Referee). However, in School Physical Education (SPE), a single referee - usually the teacher - who assumes the roles of both officials will suffice. We consider officiating Futnet to be relatively simple - especially when compared to volleyball - and therefore recommend starting with Futnet. The referee uses agreed-upon signals and interrupts the play with a whistle to signal faults/violations during the game, or to indicate permitted actions ("play on").

Considering the diversity of Futnet disciplines (singles, doubles, triples) and the variations in the number of bounces (1–3 bounces) and contacts, the following text will describe the referee's activities for doubles/triples in the most well-known version of Futnet for the general public: the game played with a maximum of three bounces and three contacts of the ball. For details, refer to the Official Futnet Rules (2025).

Interpretation and Signaling of Fundamental Rules

Every ruling by the referee should be executed in several steps:

1. The referee whistles to initiate the action.

2. The referee whistles to terminate the action.

3. The referee signals the type of fault or ruling (e.g., ball in-bounds, net touch, replay/new ball).

4. The referee indicates which team is awarded the point.

Service

The player performs the service most often by kicking the ball over the net. Before initiating the serve, the referee indicates the serving team's side with their arm (Fig. 1). The referee initiates play with the service by whistling and moving the outstretched arm to a bent position, sweeping from the serving player toward the receiving formation - this signals and authorizes the service (Fig. 2).

Figure 1. Serving Team Figure 2. Authorization to Serve

Game Actions and Fundamental Principles

A player may touch the ball with any part of the body except the hands (arm from the shoulder to the fingertips) - hand contact results in a point for the opponent (the referee signals contact with the player's hand by grasping their own wrist/hand).

In doubles or triples, players execute the action with one, two, or three contacts of the ball alternately, so that between individual contacts, the ball may bounce on the ground in the playing area a maximum of once. An intermediate bounce is not mandatory. Faulty game actions (point for the opponent) include: two consecutive bounces of the ball on the ground in the same action by one side (the referee points to the ground with two fingers of one hand), or ball landing out-of-bounds (signal: arm abduction with the forearm bent upwards, open palms facing backward, see Fig. 4), or a fourth contact/bounce by one side during a single action (the referee holds up four fingers above the head, Fig. 8).

The same player may touch the ball again only after another player has touched it or after the ball has rebounded off the opponent's playing area. If this is violated, it constitutes a faulty game action and a point for the opponent, which the referee signals by raising two fingers of one hand (see Fig. 9).

The ball must be played into the opponent's playing area only by direct contact from a player, not by bouncing off the ground. If a player touches a ball that has already rebounded off the opponent's playing area, the team gains the point (known as illegal interception). Reaching over the net is allowed during play (blocking or spiking). If the ball in play touches the net and the supporting posts, it is not considered an intermediate bounce; similarly, this applies to the service - play continues (the signaling referee performs arm abduction with palms turned downward). If the ball is tipped during blocking, the referee signals the tip/touch (Fig. 7).

Ball Status

The ball is in play from the moment the serving player legally contacts it during the service, up until the moment when it can theoretically no longer be returned into play by any player's contact, at which point it is considered out of play or, when the play is interrupted by the referee.

Dead Ball

If the ball remains stuck between the net and the supporting post, or if the ball remains caught in the net in any way, the referee orders a replay (Fig. 6).

Ball Landing in the Opponent's Playing Area

The ball is "in-bounds" if any part of the ball, at any moment during contact with the surface, touches the court, including its boundary lines (i.e., the line is part of the court). The referee indicates a ball landing in-bounds by pointing their hand and fingers toward the ground, signaled whenever the ball lands in close proximity to the line or on the line, or in an unclear situation (Fig. 3).

Net Touch Fault

If a player touches the net within the area defined by the supporting posts, it constitutes a fault (the referee grasps the net tape with their hand, Fig. 5). Players may touch the net outside the area defined by the posts.

Figure 3. Ball In-bounds Figure 4. Ball Out-of-bounds

Figure 6. Replay

Figure 5. Net Touch Fault

Figure 7. Touched Ball

Figure 8. Four Contacts Figure 9. Double Contact

Time-outs

A time-out is signaled with a whistle blast and the hands (creating the letter "T" with the palms, calling "Time", see Fig. 10).

Substitution

Player substitution is signaled with a whistle blast and by rotating the forearms around each other (Fig. 11), accompanied by the verbal call "Substitution."

Figure 10. Time-out Signal Figure 11. Substitution Signal

Skill Proficiency Levels

● Level 1 (PE Lesson, Beginner)

Every decision made by the referee, as a reaction to a rule violation during the match, is presented in three steps:

● The referee whistles to authorize the service.

● The referee whistles to terminate the action. They verbally communicate the type of rule violation (e.g., "Ball out-of-bounds," etc.).

● The referee points to the team that will initiate the following rally (i.e., the team awarded the point).

● Level 2 (Inter-School Tournament, Advanced)

● The referee whistles and signals to authorize the service.

● The referee whistles to terminate the action and executes the signal for the fault. They may verbally communicate the type of rule violation (e.g., "Ball out-of-bounds," etc.).

● The referee points to the team that will initiate the following rally (i.e., the team awarded the point).