OLYMPIC GAMES | VOLLEYBALL
Why does one player in a volleyball team wear a different color jersey?
Much like goalkeepers in soccer, one player in an indoor volleyball team must stand out from the rest.
In team sports, the norm is for players on the same team to wear the same color jersey, often to make it easier for them to pass the ball to one another. There are a few exceptions, though, such as goalkeepers in soccer or hockey, and, as we are seeing at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, indoor volleyball.
In the first two of those sports, it’s relatively obvious why. Goalkeepers are the only players in soccer who can legally touch the ball with their hands, while those in hockey the the only ones that can use any part of their body to keep the puck out of the net. Volleyball is, perhaps, slightly less obvious.
What is a ‘libero’ in volleyball?
In volleyball, each team is made up of six players, one of which may be a ‘libero’. A libero is essentially a defensive specialist and the strongest defensive player on the team. As such, they can only play in the back row on the court and are generally used to keep the ball alive as the opposition team attempts to score a point.
There are several rules a libero - and only a libero - has to follow, which is why they wear a different color jersey to their teammates, making them easy for the match officials to identify.
What rules to liberos have to follow in volleyball?
They aren’t allowed to move to the front row of the court, can’t serve or spike (jump at the net and smash the ball down into the ground to score a point).
Liberos were only introduced to international volleyball in 1998. Teams don’t have to use a libero but they can only have one on the court at any one time, and a maximum of two on their roster for any game. Liberos can substitute any player on the back row, although they must replace a fellow libero if there is already one on the court.