Situation:
During the previous rally, the Libero is on the court. May the Libero serve to begin the next rally? (Note: It does not matter which team served the previous rally.)
Discussion:
Libero replacements do not take effect until the contact of service. Replacement movements on and off the court (even by the same player) are allowed as long as they do not delay the signal for service. The general rule requires that there must be a rally between two Libero replacements. (USAV 19.3.2.1, NCAA 12-2-1-b). The corresponding NFHS rule is 10-4-1-c “One Libero replacement may be exercised per dead ball.“ The NCAA rule (the Libero serving experiment model) has an exception “…at least one rally between replacements, unless the libero is replacing the player in position No. 1 and will serve the next rally.” (Notes, emphasis added, position No. 1 is Right Back=Server.)
For MHSAA competition, the Libero does not have to be off the court for one rally if the Libero replaces the server and serves the next rally. This situation would be described as a double replacement. (i.e. The Libero is replaced by the player they had replaced, immediately followed by the Libero replacing the server all during the same dead ball. The Libero would not leave the court as part of this replacement activity.)
The most common example would be (SITUATION #1): The Libero for team A has not served in the game. The receiving team A Libero (#16) has replaced #5 and is playing in the Left Back position (No. 5). Team A wins the rally. The Libero rotates to Left Front (No. 4) and must be replaced by #5. Team A #7 rotates to Right Back (Server=No. 1). Without leaving the court, the team A Libero replaces #7 and serves the next rally. The next effect would appear that #5 has replaced #7. Ruling: A legal double replacement occurred, the Libero served the next rally.
(SITUATION #2): The Libero for team A has not served in the game. The receiving team A Libero (#16) has replaced #5 and is playing in the Left Back position (No. 5). Team A wins the rally. The Libero rotates to Left Front (No. 4) and must be replaced by #5. Team A #7 rotates to Right Back (Server=No. 1). The team A Libero leaves the court after being replaced by #5 and goes to the bench. The Libero then returns to the court, replaces #7 and serves the next rally. Two replacements during the same dead ball have been exercised. Ruling: A legal double replacement occurred since the Libero served the next rally. Provided there was no delay in the signal for serve caused by the libero not going directly to the serving position Unnecessary Delay has not occurred. If the referee had to wait (delay) to signal for serve, Unnecessary Delay could be charged. It would be appropriate for officials to verbally warn about the delay and the proper way to make the replacement prior to actually sanctioning the team.
A less common situation would be (SITUATION #3): The Libero for team A has not served in the game. #4 serves for team A. The team A Libero (#16) has replaced #9 and is playing in the Center Back position (No. 6). Team A wins the rally. #9 replaces the Libero. The Libero (without leaving the court) replaces #4 and serves the next rally. Ruling: Legal double replacement. The Libero was replaced by the player they replaced, and the Libero replaced the server and served the next rally.
A similar situation (SITUATION #4): #4 serves for team A. The team A Libero (#16) has replaced #9 and is playing in the Center Back position (No. 6). Team A loses the rally. #9 replaces the Libero. The Libero (without leaving the court) replaces #4. Ruling: Illegal double replacement. The Libero was replaced by the player they replaced, and the Libero replaced the server. However, the Libero did not serve the next rally.
Additional Libero Situations:
SITUATION #5: Team A begins the game with six players and a libero. One player
receives the second red card and must leave the playing area. The libero may
(a) continue to rotate in as the libero; (b) become the sixth player and finish
the game; (c) forfeit the remainder of the game because of a shortage of
players. RULING: (a) Correct procedure, (b) and (c) incorrect procedure. COMMENT:
The libero position is not affected by the player who is disqualified. The
libero may not rotate into the position of the disqualified player, and the
team will receive a loss of rally each time the open position rotates through
the right back position. (9-3-2g)
SITUATION #6: Team A shanks a ball that lands on or near the line. The line judge
misses the call and neither official sees where the ball landed. The official
signals a replay. During the dead ball, before the beckon to serve, the libero
enters the game replacing a back-row player. The official (a) allows the
replacement or (b) denies the replacement's entry into the game. RULING: (a)
Correct procedure, (b) incorrect procedure. COMMENT: The libero may enter the
game prior to call for serve for a replay. (6-3-2c)
SITUATION #7: From in front of the attack line, Team A's libero uses an overhand
pass to set another player. An attack is completed from contact while the ball
is completely above the height of the net by (a) a front-row player; or (b) a
back-row player. RULING: Both are illegal. COMMENT: The libero is a defensive
specialist whose teammates are not allowed to complete an attack above the
height of the net when the libero uses an overhand pass and is in front of the
attack line. (6-3-2j)
SITUATION #8: If a libero player leaves the ground and completes an attack, even if
the ball is not entirely above the top of the net, it is an illegal back-row
attack. RULING: Incorrect procedure. COMMENT: If the libero completes an
attack, it is legal if, upon contact, the ball is not completely above the top
of the net even if the libero's feet leave the floor during the attack. (6-3-2)
SITUATION #9: After the signal to serve, Team A drops the ball in an attempt to get a
re-serve. As soon as the whistle sounds and the official signals re-serve, the
libero replaces a back-row player. The official should (a) allow the
replacement or (b) deny the replacement's entry. RULING: (a) Incorrect
procedure and (b) correct procedure. COMMENT: The libero may not replace a
back-row player during a re-serve. (6-3-2c, 8-1-5)
SITUATION #10: Team S's team uniform top is black. The libero jersey is: (a) navy,
(b) royal blue, (c) light green, (d) hunter green, (e) dark maroon, (f) white,
(g) yellow. RULING: (a), (b), (d) and (e) Illegal. COMMENT: The libero uniform
color does not sufficiently contrast that of the team uniform. The libero
cannot play with that uniform. (c), (f) and (g) legal. (Tran-sitioning to
Libero Player/Rule Book)
SITUATION #11: Team R's libero collides with another player and gets a significant
amount of blood on his/her uniform. The referee (a) allows the libero to play
in the bloody uniform; (b) requires the libero to be replaced so that he/she
can get a new uniform; (c) allows the libero a reasonable amount of time to
change jerseys as part of an injury time-out; (d) allows the libero to play in
he/she regular team jersey; (e) allows the libero to switch jerseys with
another libero on the bench; (f) allows the libero to switch to a uniform that
has another player's number. RULING: (a), (b) and (d) Improper procedure. (c)
and (e) Proper procedure. (f) Proper procedure providing the libero cannot use
the same number uniform of another player who has played or will play in the
match. COMMENT: Blood issues should be administered as injury time-outs with a
player being given a reasonable amount of time to change uniforms before a
substitution (or, in the case of the libero, a replacement) is required. (11-4,
Transitioning to Libero Player/Rule Book)
SITUATION #12: Team R's No. 8 replaces the libero. After the contact of the serve,
the referee spots a ball from another court on the floor and whistles for a
replay. The libero then replaces No. 3. RULING: Legal. COMMENT: Even though no
points were scored, the ball was served and a rally has taken place.
Replacements are allowed. (6-3c)
SITUATION #13: Team R's libero replaces
No. 8 without waiting at the sideline for the umpire to authorize entry. The
umpire requires the two players to wait at the sideline until the libero
tracker records the libero replacement. RULING: Incorrect procedure. COMMENT:
The libero replacement is done without the intervention of the officials. The
players do not need to wait for authorization to perform the exchange. (5-4-3,
Transitioning to Libero Player/Rule Book)
SITUATION #14: Team R's libero, after replacing No. 12, is injured. No. 7 is on the bench after having No. 10 substitute for him. Nos. 12 and 7 are the only players on the bench. The coach wants No. 12 to be designated as the new libero. RULING: Incorrect procedure. COMMENT: Before anything else happens, officials must deal with the injury situation. That means that No. 12 must replace the injured libero. The next player to be designated as the libero must be on the bench. Therefore, No. 7 could then be designated as the libero or No. 7 could substitute for No. 10, who could then be designated at the libero. These are the only two players who could be the libero in this game. (6-3-2, 11-3-6)