[chapmaja]

I had this situation Saturday.

A6 has already entered the set as a substitute for A13. A13 has then returned to the court. Later in the set, A6 enters the match for A1 (not as an exceptional substitution). I send her to the floor but as I am writing the substitution on my lineup card I realize the issue that she has entered in a different location in the rotation, making this an illegal substitution. I don't hand the court back to the R1 and verify I am correct with the scorekeeper. Upon verification I enforce the penalty of a delay sanction (yellow as this is the first delay of the set to Team A and require A1 to return to the floor as she was the legal player in that position.

In a discussion later in the event I was told this was incorrect and it should have been a side out. I don't think the official who told me that was correct as I see rule 10-3-c4 as the applicable rule and the penalty does not say anything about a loss or rally if there has not been a whistle for service yet.

To me this is exactly why officials get in trouble by whistling for service before the R2 gives the R1 back the court. If the R1 was like a previous partner at the event, I would have been forced to give the loss of rally as she would have been an illegal substitute in the set.

Ironically, the Team B coach said nothing, and the team A coach felt it should have been a loss or rally and was surprised that wasn't the penalty issued.