Proper administration of improper Libero replacement

[Scrapper1]

NCAA rules, please.

In yesterday's match, I was R1. Receiving team wins rally. Since Libero was in the left back position, she correctly leaves the court and the proper player replaces her by entering in the left front position.

However, the Libero then re-enters the game into the center back position. My R2 (a 1st year official, who has a lot of playing and coaching experience) does not notice, and apparently the Libero Tracker doesn't say anything.

I delayed my beckon, hoping that the table would figure it out, but they didn't. So my question is, how should I have handled this situation? Do I call my R2 to the stand? Do I simply blow the whistle, and show a TDW? (Then call the captain over to explain?) Do I beckon for serve and call a rotation fault?

For transparency, I called the R2 to the stand and asked him to confirm the illegal replacement. When we confirmed it, I issued a TDW and did not allow the Libero to remain on the court. (We brought the original center back player back into the game.)

Thoughts? Suggestions? How should I actually have handled it. Thanks.

(If it's different in FED, I'd be interested to know that, too; since we've gone to NFHS rules for HS in MA.)

[Tony.oe4]

First, you did the correct thing in addressing the improper libero replacement before the serve. I believe in both rule sets, the penalty is Delay and get everyone in the correct positions. If you would not have noticed until after the serve, then it would have been an illegal alignment.

[bob jenkins]

I agree -- and (at least in NFHS; or at least here) if R2 doesn't notice, R1 can, and should, get it.

[chapmaja]

I had a varsity school today (last night) that was simply a mess with their libero replacements. (I'm R2)

First issue: The serving team attempted a very late libero replacement, I saw the libero exit the floor, then immediately heard the whistle for serve, so I focused on the receiving team. We play the point out, and the serving team wins the point. At this point I look and we have 5 players on the floor, not 6. I hear the serving coach then ask for a lineup check, at which point I realize there are only 5 players on the floor. After discussing the situation with the R1, we realize that the serving team only had 5 players on the floor during the point. Illegal alignment loss of rally point to receiving team (At this point I realized there was an error by the scorekeeper as to who the correct server was as well), which we also had to figure out.

Second issue: About 4 points later (before set point), Libero is on the floor for #24. #24 and the libero execute a proper libero exchange, at the same time there is a substitution #8 enters for #11 (right back position). The Libero then does a replacement with #11 (during the same dead ball). I catch this and issue a YUD.

Third issue: early in the next set, #24 and the libero execute a proper libero replacement (#24 in, libero out). At the same time #8 enters for #11. This time the team does not try the immediate libero replacement, but waits until the next point (Yeah, maybe they have it). I look over to see #8 coming into the substitution zone just after a legal replacement between the libero and #11 took place. Since I blew the whistle for the substitution, now I have to do something. I give the team another YUD (different set).

4th and 5th issues: My R1 seemed a little quick to whistle for serves. On at least two occassions, he blows the whistle for service while the same team is executing a libero replacement ( a little late, but something he should have observed before the whistle and beckon). Once was when they were serving, and the other was as the receiving team. I started to signal an out of alignment on the one, but he shook me off before I could whistle. The second time was on the serving side and I didn't even try to call it.

After the match he said he was a little quick on whistling for the serve, which was why he didn't want illegal alignment called.

i did have to explain to the score table why they had 7 people on the floor when the whistle blew for serve though (the 7th was running off).

It was one of those nights.

[Scrapper1]

Originally Posted by chapmaja

Second issue: About 4 points later (before set point), Libero is on the floor for #24. #24 and the libero execute a proper libero exchange, at the same time there is a substitution #8 enters for #11 (right back position). The Libero then does a replacement with #11 (during the same dead ball). I catch this and issue a YUD.

Was Libero going to serve in this scenario? If so, isn't that a legal replacement? If they were the receiving team, then obviously you got it right. Just asking.

[chapmaja]

Originally Posted by Scrapper1

Was Libero going to serve in this scenario? If so, isn't that a legal replacement? If they were the receiving team, then obviously you got it right. Just asking.

Now that I think about it, the replacement wasn't with 11, it was with 21, who was the third player they were trying to do replacements with, so she went into the CB, not RB position. 11 was going back to serve.


It was so messed up dealing with their libero issues, I'm still trying to figure out what they were doing.

[chapmaja]

Originally Posted by chapmaja

Now that I think about it, the replacement wasn't with 11, it was with 21, who was the third player they were trying to do replacements with, so she went into the CB, not RB position. 11 was going back to serve.


It was so messed up dealing with their libero issues, I'm still trying to figure out what they were doing.

So I show up to an all day tourney today and low and behold, who is the first team on my court. The same team that couldn't get the libero replacements right 4 days prior. As it turned out, there was much more to the story. The libero that had so many problems was not the normal libero for the team. The normal libero was suspended for the match and wasn't with the team. the ibero that was having trouble was normally a bench player who saw action sparingly.

As a result, today the libero replacements for this team were spot on. Of all the officials involved in the event today, all the matches they played (5 total), not once did the team have any trouble with the replacements.

The head coach even came up to me during the day and said that after watching the video of the match, we did handle all of the situations correctly.

What she did not explain, and what I will never understand, is why she takes her setter out for a libero replacement, when the setter enters the left back position. She sits out while she is the left back, but is the setter for all other positions on the court. It makes no sense to me, but it makes things more confusing if they aren't getting the position correct.

[DTQ_Blue]

Does the libero go to RB (replace the opposite) when the next rotation occurs and the setter goes front row? If so, they would be using the libero to pass on the serve-recieve from the opposite's slot. The opposite's slot does not usually pass in the S-R from the back row, but there may be a reason the coach wants to leave the MH on the court in the back row rather than replace her with the libero. Can the MH kill from the back row? .