This question comes up a lot from coaches trying to figure out the best defensive strategy for their team. Do you play the Libero in Left Back or Middle Back? What are the pros and cons of each scenario and how can you get the most out of your defense.
It’s a great question to ask, but there is also no simple answer. In this article, I am going to go over various libero strategies to help you have a better understanding of how you can maximize your volleyball defense.
What Is A Libero?
A libero (pronounced luh-BEAR-oh, LEE-ber-oh, or “bro”) is a type of defensive specialist that was added to the game of volleyball in 1999. They have their own set of rules and they even get to wear a different colored jersey. I am not going to go over all of the libero rules because there are so many, but here are some of the basics.
With most rulesets, each team can assign 0, 1, or 2 liberos per set, although only one libero can be on the court at a time.
The most notable rule is that the libero can only play in the back row. Once the libero goes to rotate into the front row, they must swap out with another non-libero player.
The libero can switch with any player but they can only serve in one rotation. A libero can essentially play 5 1/2 rotations. They have the come off the court for at least one rally before going back in.
Liberos do not sub in like a normal player in the Sub Zone. They replace another player between the Attack Line and the End Line and they do not have to wait for the R2 to whistle the switch. Liberos also do not count as a substitution.
Since liberos are a special type of Defensive Specialist, liberos cannot attack the ball when it is completely above the plane of the net. This also means that liberos cannot block. This is why most liberos do not jump when they attack the ball. No matter how short you are, sometimes it’s better safe than sorry.
What Makes A Good Libero?
The most important skill that a libero should have is being the shortest player on a team. I am totally joking, however, that does seem to be the trend. The height doesn’t matter when it comes to being a libero, although some may argue that being closer to the ground makes it easier to move to the ball.
Liberos are great at reading the game. They can track the ball on the other side of the net and anticipate where it will go next.
Liberos are quick. Volleyballs can be hit hard so it is important that a libero has quick feet as well as quick reaction time.
Liberos are…