Libero-or-no?

Question
QUESTION: Hi Tom,
I just saw a team (AAU 14U) use a Libero, and at the same time freely (without notifying the ref or counting it as a substitution) exchange a player into the front row opposite the Libero.  This "free" front row player would then block and attack.  The coach said they used the maneuver in college.  How can I investigate the rules governing such a maneuver (googling "Libero" hasn't helped)?  At what levels of competition is it allowed?  Thanks.

ANSWER: Hey Dan!

Welcome to www.allexperts.com!  It's great to hear from you.

I have not heard that any rule book that allows a free front row substitution.  I, however, don't know what rule book the AAU is using.  Does anyone out there know?

The only free "sub" I know of is when the libero is going into the front row and she must come out of the game and be replaced by the girl who replaced her.  And this isn't really a sub....it's called a replacement to keep people from being confused.

OK, let me see if I understand exactly what you're saying.....let me just make up a scenario:  OK, let's say that the coach had a girl in the middle front on serve receive.  And let's say his team gets aced. Then, w/o making a substitution in the conventional way (twirling arms, girls meet b/t spiking line %26 center line), the coach just sends another girl into the middle front?  If that's what you're describing, I've never heard of such a thing.  It's not allowed in USA ball, National Federation, NCAA or in FIVB.  No, it is NOT used in college........at least in D1 or D3 NCAA college ball.  

Thank you again for the question.  I hope you have a great day!  Please visit me at www.coachhouser.com.  I think you'll love the smiling faces!

Coach Houser

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for your input, Coach.  The team performing the maneuver explained it to us a few times, and I still don't know how to explain it any better.  In retrospect, I think they may have been having the Libero play the whole game by substituting for two opposite players every three rotations, and we got confused because the referee wasn't requiring the Libero to sit for a rally, so it looked like non-Libero players were the ones doing the replacement, when the Libero was actually doing a double-replacement all at once.  Have you ever heard of that being legal?

Answer
Good afternoon!

If the libero was allowed to serve in AAU ball, then that does make a slight difference.  If the libero is allowed to serve, then instead on coming over to the sideline for one rally, she goes directly to the serving line while one front row player (the girl who the libero is serving for) comes to the sideline and another front row player (the girl who is going in for the libero) goes into the left front spot.  This has only been allowed the past 3 years in National Federation and NCAA ball, but is not allowed in USAV where the libero is not allowed to serve.  

So, if you saw the libero serve, one girl come out, and another girl go in, then YES that IS done in college ball.  On my stepd's team this past fall, the libero would serve for one of the MB's every match.

Maybe this is what you saw. If not, I have no clue what they're talking about!  :)

Hope you have a great Wednesday!  Only 10 more days of school left here in my county in Virginia....then it's only 12 more days before the first of our 9 site camps begin!  I can't wait!  

Tom