Digging Deeper – Nick Heckford: Whistles, World Stages, and What’s Next in the Rules

About this episode

In this episode, Luke Wiltshire interviews Nick Heckford about his journey in volleyball refereeing and his experiences at the Men’s World Championships.

Any feedback? Send me a message In this episode of Digging Deeper, I’m joined by Nick Heckford, a man whose passion for volleyball and refereeing has carried him on an incredible journey from local courts in Poole, Dorset, all the way to the biggest stages in the sport. At the time of recording, Nick was speaking to me from the Philippines at three o’clock in the morning, where he was working as a Challenge Referee at the Men’s World Championships — a true sign of his dedication to the game....

People in this episode

Host: Luke Wiltshire

Guest: Nick Heckford

Topics covered

• volleyball
• refereeing
• world championships
• sports journey
• rules of volleyball

Keywords

• volleyball
• referee
• Nick Heckford
• Men’s World Championships
• sports
• rules

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Poole, Dorset, Philippines

More episodes of That Volleyball Guy

• The Heritage Show: Janet Inman on Leadership, Inclusion and the Future of Volleyball · May 21, 2026 · 1h 3m
• Digging Deeper: Katarina Cepinova - The Journey to Becoming England’s First Female International Indoor Referee · March 20, 2026 · 1h 0m
• The Heritage Show: Ron Richards — Service, Development and a Life in Volleyball · March 5, 2026 · 57 min
• Digging Deeper - Peter Bakare: Who You Become Matters More Than What You Achieve · February 5, 2026 · 57 min
• Digging Deeper - Changing the Game: Jodi Hill on Disability, Visibility & Women in Sport · January 13, 2026 · 59 min
• Digging Deeper: Justin Phillips on Leadership, Legacy, and the Power of Disability Sport · December 3, 2025 · 58 min