John Cook's Take on New Volleyball Rules
John Cook's Take on New Volleyball Rules
In late February, we discussed the details of the new rules approved by the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Rules Committee. Here's John Cook's take on them.
In late February, we discussed the details of the new rules approved by the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Rules Committee. Those rules have received a lot of feedback since — TikTok is full of NCAA athletes joking about the two liberos rule and what it will and won’t be — but it’s been mostly positive overall.
Nebraska coach John Cook is on the rules committee, so he was part of all the discussions and decisions surrounding the new rules. One of those rules is about double contact. Here’s how it reads:
The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved allowing women's volleyball players to contact the ball more than once with any part of the body in a single attempt on a team's second contact when the ball is played to a teammate.
However, if the ball is played over the net in this type of scenario, it would be ruled a fault, and the team would lose the point.
I had the opportunity to chat with Cook at Nebraska’s beach volleyball matches last week, and we talked a little about the rule changes. Right off the bat, he’s a fan of the update on double contact.
“The double hit is awesome,” Cook said. “It’s going to take out the weird calls and things that refs have to worry about. That part is great.”
We also talked for quite a while about how the double hit rule will make the game exciting and keep play from stopping. Plus, this will now match more of what we’re already seeing on the international level and in the men’s game.
The rule Cook isn’t quite as sure about is the two liberos rule. Here’s how the NCAA describes it:
The panel approved each team being allowed to designate two liberos for each set of the match. Only one libero would be allowed on the court at a time, and the libero would be allowed to serve in one position.
The rationale for the proposal is to allow more players the opportunity to compete and to increase action and improve play.
“How do you play with two liberos?” Cook said. “But what’s really behind it is more the Division III schools. They can now recruit kids to fill rosters and they try to have big rosters, like 25 kids. Now they can say, ‘I can recruit you as a libero, you as a libero and we’re just going to rotate you guys.’ They were really in support of that.
“I’m not sure, at our level in the Big Ten, how many will use it. We’re just trying to find one great libero, not two that rotate. I don’t see how that would make sense for us, but maybe we’ll see.”
Cook did point to the Stanford men’s team that has previously used two liberos. Cook sees teams potentially rotating the players based on skill set. If one player is a better hitter and another is a better digger, Cook sees a possibility for some to utilize it.
Another rule Cook briefly mentioned was the red card rule. Here’s how that one reads:
Allowing the referee to issue an administrative sanction (red card) to the home team in instances where spectators encroach the playing area and the host administration fails to resolve the problem.
Cook mentioned a number of environments where fans of opposing teams encroach in the area of the server — and he was referencing beyond matches Nebraska plays in — and that it can be difficult for referees to manage. This new rule gives them the tool needed in those scenarios. He doesn’t expect it to affect lively crowds — so you don’t need to worry about the Bob Devaney Sports Center (unless fans encroach) — but it will just ensure player safety in environments where fans don’t stay back from the playing area.
Overall, it’s always fun to catch up with Cook on things like this because he’s pretty even keeled about it all. A good approach when you’re on the rules committee, no?
Other news and notes:
>> Strong weekend for Nebraska baseball, taking all three games in Charleston, South Carolina, over the weekend. The Huskers have now won six out of their last seven games, with the last three now coming after initially trailing in the matchup.
“It happens maybe once or twice a year that you come back from a ninth inning deficit,” coach Will Bolt said Saturday following the game. “Now we’ve done it a couple times.”
Nebraska returns home in preparation of its first home series, which begins Friday, March 9 against the South Alabama Jaguars. First pitch is scheduled for 4:05 p.m.
>> It was a rough weekend for Nebraska softball, going 0-4 in Lincoln. The Big Red Invitational brought Wichita State and No. 14 Missouri to Lincoln, two teams that proved to be too much for Nebraska. The Huskers fell 7-1 and 17-4 (6 innings in the second game) to Wichita State, and 10-6 and 5-1 to the Tigers.
>> Last regular season game of the season for the women’s basketball team, and the Huskers faced a heartbreaker, falling 74-73 to Illinois on the road.
“I’m just really disappointed for our team,” coach Amy Williams said post-game to Husker Sports Network. “I thought they fought and scratched and clawed and put ourselves back in position to win a game, and then down the stretch, we didn’t finish the same way that we were.”
The loss means Nebraska is now the No. 5 seed in the Big Ten Tournament. The Huskers have a first-round bye and then will play the winner of Minnesota-Northwestern on Thursday at 2 p.m. CT.
>> Senior Day for the men’s basketball team on Sunday, and the Huskers took care of business. Nebraska took down Rutgers, 67-56.
The Huskers celebrated four seniors on Sunday: Josiah Allick, Jarron Coleman, Keisei Tominaga and CJ Wilcher.
Wilcher still has eligibility remaining, however, and could return next season if he wanted.
The Huskers, who are now 21-9 (11-8 B1G) have one final regular season game Sunday at Michigan. Tipoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT.
>> Nebraska’s beach volleyball team was in Louisiana over the weekend for the Tiger Challenge. The Huskers fell to North Alabama and No. 7 LSU on Saturday, while defeating Central Arkansas and Houston Christian on Sunday.
Next up is the Queen’s Cup in Hawaii.