When the libero position was introduced into collegiate women's volleyball for the 2002 season, the intent was to inject a defensive specialist into the game and allow for a back-row player with unlimited replacement opportunities.

With the libero now firmly entrenched in the collegiate game, the NCAA Women's Volleyball Rules Committee is once again looking at shaking things up and adding a new twist to the position.

An experimental rule was used this spring allowing the libero position to serve. The committee recently surveyed 980 head volleyball coaches in Divisions I, II and III about potentially changing the rule. Though surveys aren't due until November 1, preliminary results based on surveys returned early already show mixed reaction -- 15 coaches support allowing the libero to serve; 10 coaches do not.

"As a committee, we wanted to explore what impact this would have, whether it would be something that would benefit the position, benefit the teams, or whether it was not necessarily a direction we want to go," said Debbie Hendricks, chair of the Women's Volleyball Rules Committee and coach at Metropolitan State College of Denver. "I don't know what direction we'll end up going with it."

Hendricks said there are pros and cons to allowing the libero to serve, and the committee plans to review the survey results at its January meeting

Marcia Alterman, the committee's secretary-rules editor, said the sense of the committee was that, in many cases, the libero is often the best, or at least one of the best, overall athletes on the team, and precluding that player from serving might be a disservice in terms of fan appeal.

"There was also some discussion regarding overall player development," Alterman said. "Also, by allowing the libero to serve, it offers one more rotation when that excellent defensive player is on the floor rather than the player she replaces."

For example, Alterman said, if the libero intends to replace Player A on the floor, but the libero is restricted from serving, then Player A must remain on the floor and play defense as long as she is in the serving position. Allowing the libero to serve, Alterman said, would permit Player A to be replaced as soon as she rotates to the back row.

More flexibility for coaches

The libero position, which had been in use before 2002 in international and club play, was designed to add excitement to the game and potentially raise the level of play. The libero was first introduced in international play as a way to keep a good defender on the floor, as only six substitutions were allowed (as opposed to 12 in NCAA play). In international and club play, the libero does not serve.

The libero, who wears a uniform that contrasts with her teammates' uniforms, is allowed to replace any player in the back without counting as a substitution. There is no limit to the number of libero replacements a team is allowed.

Alterman said it's difficult to fully know the impact of the experimental rule because often spring tournaments are run "loosely," and little attention may be paid to rules regarding substitutions. Also, the events often don't have referees and scorekeepers.

She is concerned that when tested under actual playing conditions, the libero serving is another detail that scorekeepers and referees may struggle to track.

Despite potential pitfalls, Alterman said her sense is that coaches would generally support the position.

"If it allows them the freedom to replace a mediocre server/defender with a very skilled server/defender, they would see that as a positive, even though that is not the pure concept that the FIVB (Federation Internationale De Volleyball) intended when they created this concept," she said.

Nicole Evans, head volleyball coach at Lynn University, said her team allowed the libero to serve this spring with positive results.

"We loved it," she said. "I think it gives them a little bit more excitement. It gives our libero a little bit more to do."

Also, Evans said, she liked the flexibility of allowing the libero to serve for the middles, who may not be strong servers.

"It really allows you to basically substitute a server, without really having to substitute," she said.

Chris Herron, head volleyball coach at Washburn University of Topeka, agreed with Evans' opinion on the serving libero.

"I personally loved it," he said. "I liked it for the simple fact that it allowed our libero, who played for one of our middles anyway, to serve and play defense in that one rotation where she previously wasn't. Both our middles can't play a lick of defense, so any time we can have her on the floor instead of one of them, that's going to be beneficial to us."