What is the point of the libero in volleyball?

Question

I know they are defence specialists but I don't really understand why they have them. Is it like the offside rule in football that prevents goal hugging- does it improve the game?

Answer 1

I can't find a good answer anywhere around the internet, so I'll try to use my experience to guess at some sort of a reasonable answer.  

There were several issues plaguing volleyball 10-15 years ago, one of them being length of match.  Without knowing how long the game was, nobody would broadcast the matches, it would be hard to schedule things after matches -- it was a mess.  Rally scoring eliminated most of this mess. Another item which may add time on to the length of the match is substitutions for middle blockers.  Essentially every middle blocker was subbed in for a smaller defensive specialist.  Which means a stoppage in play longer than necessary, and that the length of the match would be prolonged.

Also, this meant that the number of substitutions per game would be used up potentially way before the match was over.  

So implementing a libero keeps the game sped up, and allows for a speedy defensive specialist to replace a middle blocker [or any other bulky hitter], any time during the match without interruption, or consequence of being charged a substitution.  

The position is intended to be what the 'stopper' is to soccer.  I know it's comparing apples and oranges, but the last line of defense (aside from the goalkeeper) is the stopper in soccer, (which can also be called Libero), similar to that role of the libero in volleyball.  Although libero means 'free' in Italian, there are several restrictions placed on him in volleyball.  

Other enthusiasts please contribute!  I'm confusing myself, and could be wrong.

Answer 2

Their the best passers and can sub in anytime to help.