Can the Libero enter the game without the 2nd referee’s permission after checking the line-up before the set?
Ruling
Yes, he can.
The starting player must be on the court at the time of the line-up check. As soon as the 2nd referee has checked the line-up, the Libero may replace the back row player.
Rules 19.3.2.4, 19.3.2.8, 24.3.1
A team has already applied all legal substitutions in a set then a player on court is expelled and the Libero is sitting on the bench.
How should the match continue?
Ruling
The Libero registered on the score sheet is never entitled to become a regular player in the match.
However, an exceptional substitution (not involving the Libero) can be applied, should the coach wish to take this option, but the expelled player would not be permitted to play later in the match in this circumstance.
Rules 6.4.3, 15.7,15.8
Can the Libero be allowed to enter the match by a regular substitution procedure in place of an injured player?
Ruling
No.
The Libero is not allowed to participate in any substitution, regular or exceptional.
Rules 15.5, 15.7, 17
The Libero was on the court for player #5 and was
expelled from the set. What is the correct process to continue the match?
Ruling
If the team has two Liberos, the coach may replace the sanctioned acting Libero immediately by the second Libero or by the #5.
If the team has only one Libero, the team may choose:
to send player #5 back to the court in place of the Libero and play without a Libero for the remainder of the set, or
the coach re-designates a new Libero from the players not on the court in the moment of re-designation and the new Libero may immediately and directly replace the expelled acting Libero (who is not allowed to play for the remainder of the match).
Rules 6.4.3, 19.1.1, 19.3.2, 19.3.2.8
Can a Libero replacement take place at the same time as a substitution?
Ruling
Yes – because the “replacement” is not a “substitution” and vice versa.
Rules 15.3.2, 19.3.2, 19.3.2.8
The Libero replacing the player in position 1 did it after the referee’s whistle for service but before the service hit.
What is the proper response by the 1st referee?
Ruling
If this was the first occurrence in the match, the 1st referee should allow the rally to continue uninterrupted. After the rally, he/she should advise the game captain that this is not a correct procedure.
Subsequent late replacements should trigger delay sanctions immediately, interrupting the rally. The Libero replacement remains valid, however.
If the replacement has been made after the service hit, the 1st referee should whistle this as a positional fault.
Rule 19.3.2.5
A team made an illegal Libero replacement, but it was noticed before the service hit was made.
How should this be handled?
Ruling
When noticed, the 2nd referee will use the whistle to call back the player. The illegal replacement will be cancelled and the team will be sanctioned for delay.
If noticed after the game continued, the consequences are the same as for an illegal substitution.
Rules 19.3.2.1, 19.3.2.9, 23.2.3
While running after a ball, the team's only Libero (replacing # 4) injured his leg muscle and could no longer play.
The coach then decided that he wanted player # 4 to become the re-designated Libero.
Is this possible?
Ruling
Not directly because the replacement player is excepted from a re-designation at the moment of the request for re-designation.
If the coach wants player No 4 to be the new Libero, # 4 at first has to return to court replacing the injured Libero, and be substituted legally.
Then he can enter the court as the new Libero only after one completed rally, because a second replacement cannot be made in the same interruption.
Rules 19.1.3., 19.3.2.2, 19.3.2.8, 19.4.2
Is it allowed to be a coach and the Libero at the same time?
Ruling
Yes.
The rules do not forbid the Libero from being the coach.
Rule 5.2.3.4
The team captain was injured while on court and had to be substituted. The coach requested that the Libero became the new game captain.
Is this permitted?
Ruling
This is permitted. According to the rules, Libero(s) may become team or game captain.
Rule 5
A mistake by two players led to the Libero/ replacement player leaving the court briefly (this event had not yet been recorded on the Libero control sheet) – but they corrected the mistake immediately themselves.
Is this counted as a replacement?
Ruling
No.
This does not count as a replacement, because there must be one completed rally between two Libero replacements. This was an obvious mistake but should not be counted as a fault.
Rules 19.3.2.1, 19.3.2.2
A team forgot to replace the Libero when he rotated to the front row in position 4.
What is the correct procedure, when the referees realize this obvious mistake?
Ruling
The Libero has no right to play in the front row, and he has to leave the court after rotating into position 4.
The 1st referee has to delay the signal for the next service for a reasonable time. If the replacement is still not applied, the team must be reminded about their obligation and make a Libero replacement and then they should be sanctioned for any delay caused.
Rules 19.3.1.1, 28.2.2.1, 28.2.2.2
The Libero was replaced and immediately sent back to the court (without any rally between the two replacements).
Is this permitted?
Ruling
No.
This is a typical case for illegal Libero replacement. At the moment of the 2nd replacement the 2nd referee should reject it, and the 1st referee should issue a delay sanction.
Where an assistant scorer acts, it is his/her duty to check the Libero replacements. In this case, at the moment he/ she should press the buzzer, signaling the fault committed.
Rules 19.3.2.9, 23.2.3
The Libero was replaced by a regular player. After the service, a reserve ball penetrated into the playing court, and the rally was stopped. Before the whistle for the replayed rally, the Libero attempted to replace the player in position #6. The 2nd referee called him back.
Is this a correct action by the 2nd referee?
Ruling
Yes, this is a correct action by the 2nd referee.
This is a case for illegal Libero replacement, because there was no completed rally between two Libero replacements. At the moment of the 2nd replacement the 2nd referee should reject it, and the 1st referee should issue a delay sanction.
Rule19.3.2.1
The Libero of a team became injured during the match, and the 2nd referee authorized the medical doctor, with the coach in attendance, to be on the court for checking the seriousness of the injury. They decided to take the Libero out of the court and send the replaced player back on the court. After he was led off the court, the Libero claimed he had recovered and insisted on returning to the court to play. The referees allowed the Libero to go back on the court and to resume the match.
Was this correct?
Ruling
No, it should not have been allowed.
Even though it was the case of injury, the Libero could be replaced through a regular replacement. Also, the Libero still has the right to participate in the match until he/she is declared unable to continue (Rule 19.4.2).
Thus, this situation was a mistake because two consecutive replacements took place without any completed rally in between. This is a case for illegal Libero replacement.
Rules 19.3.2.1, 19.3.2.8
The Libero of team ‘A’ injured his/her arm during the match, and a new Libero was re-designated.
The original Libero sat on the bench for the remainder of the match.
Should this have been permitted?
Ruling
Yes. The player was mobile, not providing any obstruction or danger to himself/herself or team-mates.
This last point is crucial to the ruling. The player should be permitted to stay on the bench. Had the player to be treated, the team doctor should have been advised to place the player behind the bench or in a place of safety outside the FOP.
Diagram 1a and Definitions. Rule 19.3.2.8
When can two Libero replacements take place in the same interruption for the same team?
Ruling
Only in 2 cases can 2 Libero replacements take place in the same interruption.
1. when a penalty has been issued
2. when immediately after the Libero entered the court, a rally became incomplete due to the injury of the Acting Libero
Rules 6.1.3, 19.3.2.1
The Acting Libero complained of feeling sick.
Is it permitted to re-designate a new Libero?
Ruling
If the team has two Liberos, in case of injury or illness of the Acting Libero, he/she can be replaced by the second Libero.
In the case where a team has only one Libero or the second Libero has become unable to play, he/she can be replaced by the re- designation procedure.
Rules 19.3.2.2
The scorer recorded the number ‘15’ for the Libero, instead of “5”. The coach and the team captain signed the team list.
What should happen if discovered?
Ruling
This is an administrative mistake and will not have any consequences for the team. The scorer will correct the number in the ‘Remarks’ box.
Rule 19.1.2
In the 1st set of a match, the Libero of ‘A’ played in a shirt with the same color and design as the rest of the team. Before the start of the 2nd set, the coach of ‘B’ protested against this situation.
What is the correct decision?
Ruling
Because the wrong shirt had no influence on the game, the result of the 1st set will not be cancelled and no sanction is to be issued to team ‘A’. The FIVB Technical Delegate will decide if the Libero has to change his/her shirt, however.
Rule 19.2
Two players tried to block an opponent’s attack and jumped at the net. Between them the Libero also jumped, but didn’t reach at any time with any part of his body higher than the top of the net. Nevertheless, the 2nd referee whistled this as block attempt.
Was this decision correct?
Ruling
The decision was not correct. Because the Libero didn`t reach at any time with any part of his body higher than the top of the net, his jumping could not be considered as a block attempt.
Rules 14.1.1, 14.1.2, 14.1.3, 14.1.4, 14.6.6
The Libero came off court. The server was whistled for a delay in service (8 seconds).
Can the Libero now re-enter the court?
Ruling
Yes, he can.
This service (fault) is to be considered as a completed rally. Therefore, the Libero will be allowed to re-enter the court.
Rules 6.1.3, 19.3.2.1, 19.3.2
The coach declared the single Libero unable to play and wanted to re-designate a new Libero.
Who can be re-designated as the new Libero and when?
Ruling
Except for the regular replacement player, any player on the bench at the moment of the request for re-designation can be re-designated as the new Libero.
The original Libero cannot come back into the match at any time.
If the coach wants the regular replacement player to be the new Libero, he/she first must substitute him/her legally.
If the Acting Libero is declared unable to play, he/she must be replaced by the regular replacement player and the new Libero has the right to enter the court after one completed rally,
Rules 19.3.2.8, 19.4.2.1, 19.4.2.4
A team had 2 Liberos recorded, No. 11 and 16.
The latter wore a shirt with the same color and design as the normal players of the team. The team requested a substitution and the player No. 16 appeared in the substitution zone to substitute a player on court. The scorer immediately signaled that this request was not a legal one.
How should the game continue?
Ruling
The Libero has no right to take part either by legal, or exceptional substitution. Therefore, the substitution request should be considered as an illegal one.
Because this was discovered before the game resumed, the request should be denied and a delay sanction should be issued for the faulty team.
The Libero has to change his/her shirt, however. The referees should control carefully the teams and the players’ uniform comparing the players and shirt numbers before the match in due time, in order to avoid such a situation.
Rule 15.5.1, 15.7, 16.1.3, 19.2
A team had 2 Liberos recorded. After the 2nd set the coach declared both Liberos unable to play and re-designated one new Libero to replace them.
Is it allowed?
Ruling
Yes, it is allowed.
It is not forbidden to declare both Liberos unable to play at the same time. None of original Liberos may re-enter the match after the re-designation, but they have the right to sit on the bench or to be in the warming-up area.
Rule 19.4.2.1, 19.4.2.2
Receiving a fake attack by the setter of team B the ball was played with the fingers of one hand over the head by the Libero of team A standing in the front zone. This ball was spiked by a teammate completely over the height of the net in the moment of the hit.
What is the consideration of the judgement, if this action was legal or illegal?
Ruling
Based on the approach of the rule, if the Libero’s action is done with opened fingers like a classical, intentional set, it is considered as a fault.
However, if the Libero protects the body/face instead of setting, it should be a legal play.
Rule 13.3.6.,19.3.1.4.