No Libero?

[PaREF]

I took my 17's team to a tournament Sunday and while I was the R2 for our work team, had a team (both times we worked) put in a libero when they did not have one listed on the lineup sheet. What really threw me was that (again, both times) they did not use a libero in the first set and I didn't even notice one on the bench until they were on the court. Also, both times the coach had put a dash through the box for the libero on the lineup sheet, clearly indicating they did not have a libero!

Anyway, the really interesting ruling came from the R1 on the second time it occured. Team A began the match with the serve and scored two points. The next thing I know, a libero runs in for team B as team A was preparing for serve and the libero tracker said "coach, they don't have a libero on their lineup!".

Now, it was late in the day and my mind was still in coach-mode so it took me until after the serve for my mind to comprehend what happened. Rather than kill the play, I figured I would wait until the rally was over and straighten things out. Well, as luck would have it Team B won the rally. I hold up my hand to the R1 and start to walk over to her as the libero runs off the court and is replaced by #31, who she came in for.

As our conversation was going on, team B rotated, team A went in to serve-receive, and the scorer had given team B the point. I inform the R1 what happened and I said it should be an illegal alignment, team B loses the point, and team A continues to serve. She agrees but throws me for a loop. She says that since team B had already rotated, they stay in that rotation, lose the point, team A gets the serve, and they also rotate to their next server.

I said "No, it was an illegal alignment, team A gets the point, and we stay with the same server." She tells me, "No. If you had blown your whistle when you first noticed the libero it would have been an illegal alignment. But since you waited until after the play was over to inform me, team B loses the point but they still rotate. Team A earns a point and they rotate to the next server."

I was in no mood to argue the point and I'm sure she felt I was a lowly coach who was barely capable of calling a center line violation so I walked away. I went back to the scorers table, told my scorekeeper to cancel the point, award it to team A, and both teams would rotate. She looked at me like I had two heads as she said "What am I supposed to do about an exit score for team B's first server?" I said "Leave it blank and if anyone has any questions about it, they can ask her!"

[MCBear]

PaREF, don't you just love it when someone decides to make up their own rules? I have NEVER heard of anything like that before. The gal HAD to be a provisional and never have read the DCR.

You were correct in wanting to charge Team B with an IA, back-rotating Team B to their previous positions and giving the point to Team A with the original server still serving. However, you created the situation because you should have blown your whistle as soon as the serve was contacted and Team B had the illegal libero on the court. NEVER play a rally out with an illegal player on the court. The ball is dead immediately and you handle the situation right then and there. (But, as you said, it was the end of the day and you were still in "Coach" mode and undoubtedly, the R1 was in LA-LA Land.)

Well, the only thing that you can do with it is to take it as a learning situation and make sure that it is never repeated.

Good luck with the rest of your 17's season.

[PaREF]

Actually she had a Regional patch on her shirt! I thought she may have been a new Provisional, also.

I have to say that I sometimes struggle when I work as R2 at tournaments. The reason is that, when I am in my 'coaching uniform' I feel as though I don't command nearly the respect I would when I am in my white shirt (or the hated zebra stripes we still wear in Pa.). That includes not only from players, coaches, and fans but also the R1.

When we go to tournaments worked by officials who know me I feel much more at ease because I know they look at me as an equal, not as the coach whose team hasn't won a set in the tournament (yes, it has been a frustrating club season!). When I work with an R1 who doesn't know me I don't like to spout my qualifications during warmups. I did that when I first started our club but I always felt as though they really questioned my sincerity or ability. It always seems to work better for them if I just do my job and let them give me some props after the match is over.

However, inevitably there are always some officials who don't want to hear anything I have to say and rarely look my way during the match. I suppose I am guilty of that sometimes also when I work juniors tournaments. But it is usually obvious pretty quickly if the R2 is proficient in his/her duties.

[MCBear]

I am making an assumption that you are in the OVR. If so, contact Brian and give him the information concerning this particular official. I would consider that error that she made to be a major error and worthy of being reviewed by the OVR Officials' committee. I could see a Provisional making that type of error (and only once in a blue moon, at that), but a Regional should never be guilty of such gross incompetence. I am just hoping that the individual is not someone whom I know personally (except as being a "not-so-good" official whom I have worked with previously).

Good Luck!

[OmniSpiker]

The horrid things I hear.

I think that some people do not care to support their comrades. If you show disagreement among the ranks, it only sours the mood. I would never accept compounding mistakes to justify the outcome. Why if you can't prevent the first offense, then why point out an improper fix for something else.