With the start of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, there are several sports and events that often leave fans scratching their heads when it comes to understanding the rules and how they play out.
The Olympics, a truly one-of-a-kind event, captivates millions of viewers worldwide, not just due to a passion for specific sports but also out of curiosity to discover new and unfamiliar disciplines. Take volleyball, for instance—a team sport where a unique aesthetic quality stands out, creating an intriguing puzzle for countless fans who revel in this high-energy game.
So, what do we know about volleyball? It’s six players on each side, a net, a ball, and the goal of getting the ball over the net. However, there’s a distinctive feature of the sport that often goes unnoticed but is crucial to its play.
One player on the volleyball team wears a different color jersey for a specific reason. But what’s the real reason behind this choice? Is it because the player is the captain who needs to stand out, or is there another, more practical explanation?
Zoila Barros #18 of Cuba goes up to serve in the Gold Medal Match Women’s Indoor Volleyball during the XV Pan American Games on July 19, 2007 at in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Brazil lost to Cuba 2-3 in the Final.
The color difference, a distinctive feature
The reason one player on the volleyball team wears a different-colored jersey is due to their role as the libero. So, what exactly is a libero? In volleyball, the libero is a specialized player with a unique and crucial role on the team. The primary role is to focus on defense and ball reception. However, they are not allowed to participate in attacks at the net.
see also
How long is a rugby game at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games?
The main functions of the libero
Defensive functions: The libero is fundamentally a defensive player. Their primary goal is to block the opponent’s attacks and ensure the ball doesn’t hit the floor on their side of the court.
Cannot attack at the net: Unlike other players, a libero is not allowed to attack from the net. They are prohibited from jumping and hitting the ball over the net.
Constant communication: Liberos often take on a leadership role in team communication due to their position near the backline. They alert teammates about the direction of serves and attacks from the opponents and provide guidance on how to respond effectively.
Unlimited substitutions: A key rule for liberos is their ability to enter and exit the game an unlimited number of times, swapping with any back-row player without needing prior notification to the referee.
Debby Stam-Pilon #16, Lonneke Sloetjes #10 and Yvon Belien #3 of Netherlands celebrate a point during the Women’s Bronze Medal Match between Netherlands and the United States on Day 15 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Maracanazinho on August 20, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The contenders for these Olympic Games
Parity in volleyball, both men’s and women’s, makes for a highly competitive field at the Paris 2024 Olympics. In the men’s division, the reigning champions and hosts, France, are undoubtedly the top contenders for gold. However, they will face stiff competition from teams like the USA, Italy, Brazil, and Japan, all of whom are eager to claim the podium.
In the women’s division, the United States enters the Paris 2024 Olympics as the top favorite to defend their gold medal. However, they will face strong challenges from teams like Italy and Brazil, who are determined to dethrone the Tokyo 2020 champions.
Matías Persuh
Matias Persuh is a sports journalist and writer who graduated with a bachelor's degree in Sports Journalism in 2008. Since then, he has covered numerous events, including local soccer games, and has interviewed players and coaches. Matias has also participated as a columnist in various radio shows. Fluent in English, Spanish, and Slovenian, he displays great enthusiasm when analyzing NBA and NFL games. In addition, he regularly follows major competitions such as the Premier League, Serie A, and La Liga. Joining Bolavip US in July 2024 marked a significant step forward in his career, allowing him to continue developing his skills and delivering the most resonant news and reports to the audience.
That person is a defensive specialist known as a "libero." They're only allowed to play in the back row of the volleyball court and can't serve, spike the ball over the net or move into a front-row position. The different color jersey helps referees easily spot them to enforce the unique rules of that position.
The libero has always worn a different-colored jersey to make the player easier for the referee and other players to spot, since they're under unique restrictions. Sitting volleyball, a Paralympics event, also has liberos.
The libero is made to wear a different colored shirt so that the referees can spot them easily and enforce the rules of that position. “The Libero's jersey or jacket must clearly contrast in color to the color of the jersey worn by other members of the team,” state USA Volleyball's rules.
The top two teams of each pool qualify for Paris 2024. The remaining five places per gender are filled by selecting the top five not yet qualified teams in the FIVB WR as of the end of the Preliminary Phase of Volleyball Nations League 2024.
Athletes participating in Special Olympics Volleyball benefit from the camaraderie that comes from competing in a team sport, as well as the training that enables them to successfully serve and return a volleyball.
A libero is a defensive specialist position in volleyball and has one of the highest responsibilities on the court. The role of a libero is to be the main receiver of serves and be the 2nd line of defense against attackers. They are the backbone of the team and give their team the opportunity to run a proper offense.
They are back-row specialists and don't play in the front row. It is permissible for a libero to replace the player in the serving position. In other words, liberos can serve or not serve depending on abilities, strategy, etc.
In volleyball, why aren't liberos allowed to spike or block? Liberos are back-row-only players and are restricted as any back-row player so no blocking is allowed. Additionally, they cannot spike the ball above the height of the net.
Per the NCAA rules book for women's and men's volleyball, the libero is strictly a back-row player and can only be replaced by the same player it replaces. Also, a coach can only designate one libero per set. For most teams, the libero is not a starter.
It is difficult to be a setter and run an offense, to be a middle and jump every play, or to be an outside and also be a well-rounded player. However, my opinion is that being a libero is by far the most mentally taxing position in the game and is, therefore, the most challenging volleyball position.
For the 2024 Paris Olympics, Iroanya's spending is the norm. International spectators can expect to pay at least $5,000 to attend—including hotel, airfare, and event ticket costs—, experts say, though pricing largely ranges depending on the accommodation choices of attendees.
Meanwhile, some other sports that were featured at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Games past, including baseball, softball and karate, will not make an appearance in Paris this year. Here's what to know about the sports coming and going from the Paris 2024 Summer Games.
The men's competition is an under-23 tournament, meaning all players must be born on or after January 1, 2001, to be eligible to compete in Paris. There are no age restrictions in the women's tournament.
Volleyball is divided into two Olympic disciplines: volleyball and beach volleyball. Volleyball had its Olympic debut in 1964 in the Tokyo Games, while Beach Volleyball made its premiere in 1996 in Atlanta.
Size 4 balls that are between 18 and 20 centimeters in diameter are used for training, while size 5 balls, the official volleyballs used for matches, measure between 20 and 22 centimeters.
Volleyball made its Olympic debut at the Tokyo 1964 Games. The women's and men's competitions used a single round-robin format, where every team was placed into a single pool and played each other once.
In volleyball, Rule 5 was revised to allow the libero to be either the team or game captain. The Commission reasoned that, although the libero frequently enters and leaves the court, same as a team captain in many cases, there is no reason to not allow the libero to be captain.
Introduction: My name is Jeremiah Abshire, I am a outstanding, kind, clever, hilarious, curious, hilarious, outstanding person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
