One of the key positions in modern volleyball is libero. It’s easy to figure out who such a libero is in volleyball. This is a special athlete that performs exclusively protective functions.
From the history
Libero is the latest role that has appeared in modern volleyball. For the first time, players in this position appeared on the court in 1998, immediately after amendments to the rules by the World Volleyball Federation. These were truly revolutionary changes. It was they who confirmed the existence of a player performing only protective functions.
According to experts, one of the main reasons for this was the desire to give volleyball players with low growth to find their place on the site.
Libero Features
After all, who is a libero in volleyball? His main tasks are to accept the serve, as well as the opponent’s attacking blows, to play on the selection of rebounds from the block and discharges. And for this, small stature is ideal.
There are a number of limitations to the Libero game. They are forbidden to participate in attacks and blocks.
Men were the pioneers. The volleyball team of Bulgaria and the Dutch team were among the first to test the game with libero.
However, this innovation, like a number of others, did not take root immediately. For example, it was also zealously at first that they did not accept an increase in the score in the game to 25 points, permission to touch the net when serving and play with their feet.
With the advent of libero, specialization began to play an important role in modern volleyball. More clearly began to stand out the players in the line - the central, the gamers, blocking and, of course, the libero.
Famous libero
The Russian volleyball team brought up many strong liberos, which were repeatedly recognized as the best in many major international tournaments.
At the beginning of the XXI century, Eugene Mitkov stood guard over volleyball defensive lines. After him, perhaps the most famous Russian libero, Alexei Verbov, came to the national team. Honored Master of Sports of Russia, he was twice recognized as the best libero of the World League, became the best in his role at the World Championships, Europe, the Olympic Games in Beijing and many other competitions.
Together with Verbov, another libero is today part of the Russian national volleyball team - Artem Ermakov. This is a player of Moscow “Dynamo”, a master of sports of international class. He was born in Nizhnevartovsk, so he began playing for the Samotlor club. He played for the Novy Urengoy “Torch”, Ufa “Oilman”, Kazan “Zenith”, Odintsovo “Iskra”, team “Belogorye”. He also has a number of achievements - the European champion and the winner of the World League. Repeated champion of Russia and winner of the Cup of the country.
Another notable libero is the Brazilian Sergio Dutra Santos. He is already a two-time Olympic champion and two-time world champion, currently playing for the national team and the CECI team from São Paulo.
What qualities should a libero have?
A libero player in volleyball must possess a number of important qualities. The most important thing is a confident game when receiving a serve. In modern volleyball, the ball flies at a speed of about 200 kilometers per hour. In men's competitions at a high level and even faster. Therefore, it is so important to immediately clearly accept the ball on the back line and begin to develop your own attack.
Having accepted the ball, he must pass to the binder, who is already deciding who will conduct the decisive attack and how.
Volleyball players acting as liberos should have an explosive reaction, take powerful innings and attack shots, quickly move along the back line, and confidently take the ball with both hands in the fall at the very site.
Libero must read the game well. Therefore, as a rule, an experienced volleyball player plays in this position, as a young man can cope with such a task infrequently. In modern volleyball, the success of defense depends on the correct location on the court of each player, and in the first place the libero, which is the first to accept a flying projectile.
In addition to an excellent defense game, he should be able to play pass well. After all, it is not enough to take the ball, you still need to give it to the binder, who will start the attack.
It is also important for him to be able to start the attack himself. This is necessary in the case when the binder does not have time for the ball or he himself has taken the serve. There is another important point. The Libero is an informal leader of the team, in many ways, like the captain, he is responsible for the mood and positive atmosphere on the playground.
Game tactics
Game actions with the appearance
of the Libero on the
volleyball court have changed a lot. Given the standard arrangement, the binder starts the batch from the first zone. This is done so that he has the opportunity to pass to any of the three attackers on the first line.
At the same time, the volleyball defender changes until a central blocker is served at the back edge. After serving, the libero moves to the 5th zone. This is necessary in order for the volleyball team to be able to block the most common attack directions. At the same time, liberos change with pre-gamers zones.
Special purpose
A thorough answer to the question of who libero is in volleyball is given by the official rules. The player of this role has a special purpose.
Any team is allowed to designate the libero of any two players. At major international competitions held under the auspices of the International Volleyball Federation, two of the two players in the main application must be volleyball defenders.
In the official minutes of the match they are recorded in separate columns, the number of the player who performs protective functions is also indicated there.
Despite the fact that such a player often performs the role of an informal leader, according to the rules, he does not have the opportunity to be the captain of his teams or to perform any captain functions on the site.
Libero Outfit
In order to immediately find out during a match who the libero is in volleyball, it is easy to distinguish it in a special form, which differs not only from the shape of rivals, but also from the colors of its own team.
Such players wear a uniform that should clearly contrast in color with the colors of the main players on the team. At the same time, it is allowed that it be a different model, but it must be numbered in the same way as with partners.
At major international competitions, a prerequisite is that the libero have their own number.
Libero on the court
On the court, the volleyball defender has the right to perform certain functions. A player focused on defense is allowed to go out instead of any partner on the back line. In this case, the athlete himself can appear on the site only as a player in the back line. He is strictly prohibited from attacking from anywhere in the field. There is only one exception: if at the instant when the ball receives the libero, it is below the top edge of the net, then after hitting a volleyball defender, the projectile can legally hit half the opponent, and the point will be counted.
The Libero is not allowed to serve, block the attacking kick of the opponent's volleyball player or attempt to block.
The Libero enters the playing field freely - this is not considered a standard replacement. He can go to the site as many times as he wants. The only condition is that between the substitution a completed ball must take place. In the event of an injury, instead of the libero, only that player may appear in the game, instead of whom he had previously entered the court.
Such appearances on the site are called substitutions, so as not to confuse them with substitutions, the number of which is limited. It can occur only when the ball is out of play and there has not yet been a whistle authorizing the serve. At the start of the game, the libero enters the game after the second referee has checked the starting lineup and approved it.
If a player has violated the rules for entering the court, then for the first time the judge is limited to verbal remarks without interrupting the game. The following similar episodes should end with a stop of the meeting and fines for violators.
In cases where the libero is injured, any player can be appointed as his coach.