How is a libero different from the other volleyball positions?

Each team will have six members on the court, out of which one member would be seen wearing a different colour uniform to the rest of the team. He is called the ‘libero’.

Kolkata Thunderbolt’s libero Hari Prasad in action. | Photo Credit: PVL

The Prime Volleyball League season 2 will be held across three cities- Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Kochi from February 4 to March 5.

There are total of eight teams participating in PVL 2023 namely- Calicut Heroes, Kochi Blue Spikers, Ahmedabad Defenders, Hyderabad Black Hawks, Chennai Blitz, Bengaluru Torpedoes, Kolkata Thunderbolt and Mumbai Meteors.

Each team will have six members on the court, out of which one member would be seen wearing a different colour uniform to the rest of the team. He is called the ‘libero’.

What is the responsibility of a libero?

Often given the responsibility to defend, the libero also takes on the role of an assister to attack-oriented plays and does not block or attack the ball that is above the net height.

The libero is allowed to play only in the back of the court and is an exception to the rotation rule in volleyball. Rotation is when the five players move from their spot when the serving team loses point in its service.

Why do the liberos wear a different uniform?

A libero wears a different colour to their teammates to help the referee identify them clearly and make it easier to implement rules for liberos.

Why are the liberos usually shorter than their teammates?

Since the liberos play only in the back row, they are usually shorter than their teammates who are blockers and defenders.