When a player contacts the ball for the third or fourth time, what is the correct signal for the first referee to show after whistling a fault and awarding the ball?

When a player contacts the ball for the third or fourth time, what is the correct signal for the first referee to show after whistling a fault and awarding the ball?

• A. Double hit signal
• B. Three touches
• C. Four touches
• D. Center line fault

Answer: (A)

A player cannot hit the ball twice in a row. When one player makes the third or fourth contact, that’s an illegal double hit, and the ball must go to the other team. The first referee signals the double hit to communicate this fault and then awards the ball to the opponents. Signals about three or four touches refer to the team’s total contacts, not an illegal single-player contact, and a center line fault is a different violation altogether.

A player cannot hit the ball twice in a row. When one player makes the third or fourth contact, that’s an illegal double hit, and the ball must go to the other team. The first referee signals the double hit to communicate this fault and then awards the ball to the opponents. Signals about three or four touches refer to the team’s total contacts, not an illegal single-player contact, and a center line fault is a different violation altogether.