Volleyball Line Judge Initiative to launch later this month

The NCAA, RQ+ and the Professional Association of Volleyball Officials are pleased to launch the Volleyball Line Judge Initiative, a strategic effort developed in response to concerns raised by conference commissioners regarding the availability of registered and trained volleyball line judges.

Through this initiative, the NCAA national coordinator of officials, the NCAA secretary-rules editor and the Professional Association of Volleyball Officials will provide targeted training and educational resources for students who are also working as women's and men's volleyball line judges on campus during the season.

A crucial component of this initiative is the elimination of registration costs for student line judges meeting five key criteria, removing a significant financial barrier to ensure these student officials can receive necessary training.  

To participate, individuals:

1. Must register in the role of line judge.
2. Must be a full-time student at any college or university.
3. Must be younger than 23.
4. Must have an .edu email address from the school at which they are a full-time student.
5. Must upload a copy of their student ID card from the school at which they are a full-time student.

For the 2026 season, registration will take place on the PAVO webpage, and individuals will be prompted to verify the above criteria during the registration process.

Officials who meet the criteria above will not be charged PAVO or NCAA Volleyball Central Hub registration fees. Upon completion of registration, these student line judges will be added to the NCAA Volleyball Central Hub, where they will have access to line judge and referee training and will count toward their conference's percentage of registered officials.

"The role of a volleyball line judge is critical to the integrity of the game, yet their recruitment and training path varies from other officials," said Emily Parkins, RQ+ chief of business and outreach. "Recognizing the distinct logistical framework surrounding the line judge position, this initiative is designed specifically to support and engage college students right on their campuses, also ensuring financial obstacles don't keep them off the court. We are thrilled to partner with the NCAA and PAVO to elevate these essential officials and build a more accessible pipeline directly from the student body."

The PAVO and NCAA volleyball registration will open at 10 a.m. Eastern time June 17. Conference offices and coordinators should review these requirements now and engage the RQ+ support team as needed to ensure account readiness before completing assignments.

This groundbreaking initiative establishes volleyball as the sole NCAA sport to implement such a comprehensive, barrier-free program for student officials.

Training and cost are significant barriers for new officials," said Ben Brownlee, NCAA associate director of officiating. "The Line Judge Initiative helps remove those barriers for these young officials already showing an interest in officiating. Providing access to established training through PAVO and the NCAA national officiating program, the NCAA is excited about the opportunity to engage with new officials to develop competent officials on our member campuses to be part of the officiating pipeline."