Volleyball Special: What’s the role of libero in a volleyball team?
While watching an indoor volleyball match, one of the most noticeable players is the one in back row, dressed up in distinctive outfits. The player, who remains active throughout the game and has freedom to move in the court without being affected by the
rules of rotation, is called a libero. The volleyball libero is a specialist defensive position, which was first introduced in the indoor volleyball in 1999. The sole purpose of this position was to foster more digs and rallies, adding more thrill to the game.
The addition of the new position also brought forth some special rules.
A libero wears different colour shirt than the rest of the team, so that the player is easily differentiated on the court. Liberos mostly trade places with the middle blockers and can play at any player’s position in the back-row. Since the libero can play
at different positions, it puts more responsibility on him. Passing, digging and diving are the essential qualities that a good libero must possess.
Standing near the finish line, liberos have the daunting task of coping with the strength of shooting spikes from opposite side. Liberos have to tackle the powerful serves and control the movement of ball. In a way, they bring stability in the game with
their reception and passing of ball. They try to get their hands on every ball and set it for other players to attack. Nevertheless, the Liberos do not act as attackers but instead, they play an instrumental role in saving crucial points for team. Good ball-handling
skills can really help a libero to shine out in the court.
Each team chooses its libero before the start of the match and tournament. Once a libero is decided upon by the team, he cannot change until the match or tournament ends. In case, the libero gets injured, a replacement can be called for; however, the designated
player must resume his position after the injury for remainder of the match.
There are also some restrictions on the liberos as well. They are cannot serve the ball, are not allowed to attack from the front court and attempt to block over the net.
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