The Libero Operates Under Different Rules in Volleyball — and Wears a Different Color

One of the most beautiful things about the Olympics is the way it shines a light on sports that most Americans don't pay attention to otherwise. Among those sports that have received some attention is team volleyball.

If you've watched some volleyball, you likely know most of the rules from your days in gym class. There is one thing that has confused some viewers, though, and it involves finding out exactly why one player on each team is wearing a different color jersey. Here's what we know about what that jersey signifies.

The person wearing a different color jersey signifies that that player is a libero, which is a specific position on the court. Liberos are defensive specialists, and they can only play in the back row of the court. They can't spike the ball or serve it, and they can't move into a front-row position.

The different color jersey is mostly for the benefit of the referee so they can be easily identified and the rules for that position can be enforced.

The position was first introduced into volleyball in 1996 when the International Volleyball Federation, the game's governing body, introduced it. The libero has been a regular part of every volleyball team since, and it has been credited with lengthening volleys and making the game more exciting. So, while it's a relatively recent change, it's one that seems to have made the game better.

The libero is only a thing during team volleyball, and the rules covering the two variations of volleyball played at the Olympics are slightly different. Whereas team volleyball features six players at any one team, beach volleyball features just two. Team volleyball is also played inside on a bigger court, and beach volleyball is played outside on sand.

Team volleyball is played to the best of five sets, and beach volleyball is only played to the best of three.

In both sports, though, you can hit the ball three times on your side of the net, but there are no substitutions in beach volleyball. The actual ball is also different in each sport, as a beach volleyball is 30 percent less inflated, which means that the ball moves more slowly than it does in the team sport.

Regardless of which version you're talking about, though, volleyball has long been one of the most popular offerings at the Olympic Games, even though it gets very little attention outside of them. That may explain why some people need a refresher on the exact rules, even if they're following the general sweep of the competition.

The Olympics asking people to invest their national pride in sports that they usually don't think about is part of what makes them great. Even if you've never seen a volleyball match in your life, you'll be thrilled with every volley, and rooting for your home country to advance as far as possible.