HS game last night...Haven't had the chance to look up the rule or contact my state interpreter yet. Need feedback on the following:

Team A playing with a libero. All available subs have been in the game. Player #2 injures her ankle and cannot continue. She has not been subbed for in the game. I allow the libero to enter the game as a substitute for #2. I tell the coach that she can no longer be the libero for that game. I also request that she change to a jersey that matches her team. She has been wearing the dark jersey and her team has been wearing the white. She does not have her white jersey. The team has two players sitting on the bench that are injured and not playing, but are wearing their team jerseys with jeans. These two players are both listed on the roster with their jersey numbers. I have the former libero and one of the injured players switch jerseys for the remainder of the game.

Questions:

1. Was allowing the libero to be an exceptional sub correct or should it have been one of the other bench players who had already been in the game?

2. Does the libero have to change jerseys to match her teammates?

3. If so, was allowing her to switch with one of her injured teammates proper?

Thanks for the feedback.

Unrelated question: When the libero was in the game, team A would often pass the ball to her behind the attack line where she would jump and attack the ball. In my judgement, the ball was not above the height of the net when it was attacked by the libero, but because it was happening so far from the net, it was difficult to judge. Does anybody have any "tricks" to help judge the relationship between the ball and the net when the ball is attacked from behind the attack line?

As far as I can remember, you should have had one of the other players be the exceptional sub and not the libero.

I have no tricks for judging height of ball and net from the back row. I will say that I only call back row attack on libero if I am sure she made contact from above the height of the net.

Exceptional Substitution 10-3-6
 

In order of priority, here is the rule:

a.)by a player who has never been in the game or a player who has subbed in at that position;

b.)By any legal player on the bench regardless of previous position played.

These are paraphrased but the gist of it is your libero would have been OK if she was on the bench. If she was in the game, she would have to do a replacement and then come in as the execptional sub.

So . . . .

answer to 1. Since #2 was not subbed for previously " a.) " does not apply. As long as you get the Libro to the bench she was OK for the sub;

answer to 2. Absolutely must change jerseys to match the rest of the teammates;

answer to 3. Switching jerseys was not a problem as long as she does it in the locker room or restroom away from the public area.

Sounds like you did OK for not being sure of the rule.

For me, the libero has got to be CLEARLY AND OBVIOUSLY above the net for me to call an illegal attack on her. Also remember, the libero ball must be completely accross the net or legally blocked or attacked by the other team to constitute an " attacked ball " on the libero hit.
Use your best judgment and be consistent and you'll be fine.

Andy,

Both USAV (Rule 8.2a) and NCAA (Rule 11.5b) agree on the priority for exceptional substitutions.

"b. For an exceptional substitution, the injured player is replaced in the following priority:

1. By the starter or a substitute who has played in the position of the injured player or by any substitute player who has not already participated in the game;

2. By any substitute player on the bench regardless of previous position played; or

3. By the libero player, who must then wear the same uniform as her teammates. That jersey must have a unique number (not worn by any teammate), but not necessarily the same number with which the libero started the match. If a player who has been replaced by the libero is the only substitute player on the bench, that player should first replace the libero, and the libero becomes the exceptional substitute." (NCAA Rule 11.5b)

So, in your situation, Tony gave you the straight skinny. Ya done good, partner!

"#2 injures her ankle and cannot continue." "All available subs have been in the game" and "she has not been subbed for in the game." That means that #1 above is eliminated as a possibility.

The next priority is any sub who has already been in the game regardless of position played OR the libero.

So, for question #1: the libero can be the exceptional sub.

Question #2: yes, she must change jerseys to match her teammates (and I think that she learned to always bring along her alternate jersey!!!!)

Question #3: It was appropriate, but there should have been a penalty assessed if you had to change the roster. The only reason for the penalty is if the number she switched to was already listed on the roster for another player.

I hope that during prematch you had the injured players scratched so that you would not run into the situation of having injured players listed on the roster as eligible subs.

If there was another player on the bench that was not injured they should have been the sub. The libero is the last choice whether they are on the bench or in the game.

Vb scrub, agreed, but the second sentence of the second paragraph tells us that all available subs have already been in the game (with the exception of the two injured players who are not dressed to play).

Right, so one of the players on the bench that had already been in the game would have been the next priority for replacing the injured player. The libero is the last resort for an exceptional sub.

vbscrub, the priority is explained very clearly. If all available subs have been in the game, then any sub who has already been in the game regardless of position played OR the libero may be the exceptional sub. The libero does not have to be the last choice. They are an equal choice with any of the players who are on the bench and have been in the game at a different position. If they were relegated to being the absolute last choice, the word "or" would not have been placed at the end of option #2.

In the USAV rule book, rule 8.2 and 8.2a state that the libero is the last choice in substituting for an injured player. The libero is listed as the 4th priority and the "or" is between priority 3 and 4. In 8.2 the rule states "An exceptional sub means that any player who is not on the court, except the Libero or his/her replacement player, may substitute into the game for the injured player."

In NCAA rules its basically the same but if you look on to the libero section it states the libero "may be an exceptional sub for an injured player if no other possible substitutes exist." I do not know about H.S. because I am not home and do not have my rule book right now and am not as familiar with H.S. rules.

All of the clinics that I have been to have emphasised that the libero is the final priority as an exceptional sub.

Jan,

Re-read the NCAA exceptional sub priority scale. While the word OR is used, it's pretty clear that the priority is given to players fitting in category 1 or 2 first. In addition, Rule 12-3-2-a unambiguously states: "The libero may be used as an exceptional substitution for another injured player if no other possible substitutes exist..."

Therefore, the libero is the last line in the sub hierarchy.

Thanks, guys, I finally reread what I had been talking about and I admit my falibility! In other words, I was wrong and I acknowledge the goof!

McBear,

Don't sweat it. As often as you've helped set us straight, you're entitled to a mulligan every now and then. :)