By OSCAR PILIPILI and AGENCIES

The sport of volleyball takes a new dimension next month after a Federation of International Volleyball (FIVB) Congress handed libero players new freedom.

The Congress held in Rome unanimously agreed on libero-for-libero replacement in all FIVB competitions as from January 1, next year, according to the FIVB website.

Currently, the acting libero can be exchanged for the reserve libero only once per match.

Kenya Prisons and national volleyball team libero Judy Tarus in a past match. [PHOTO: COURTESY]

READ MORE

 Is KVF embroiled in a serious leadership crisis?

 Malkia Strikers land Olympics scholarship again

 NYS and KDF win as first leg of Kenya Cup action ends at Nyayo

 KPA drown AP-Kenya as Eldowas stun Trailblazers

However, this has limited the use of a second libero, with teams preferring instead to use 11 regular players and only one libero or specialist defensive player.

The new freedom will allow teams to replace the libero with a second libero "or with a regular replacement player" as often as is deemed necessary by the coach. This gives an incentive to the team to use a second libero.

All replacements are to be done without formality through the libero replacement zone, which is roughly level with the team bench.

FREEDOM

A further freedom has been granted to allow the coach to keep their best team on court and to maintain the spectacle for the viewing public.

Should a team with a single libero declare the libero "unable to play", a regular player can be converted or "re-designated" as a new libero. Illness or injury now no longer features as a reason for re-designation. Being declared unable to play by the team is the only reason now needed for this process.

These new rules were presented to the Congress as a working document within Rule 19.

IMPLEMENTATION

The Rules of the Game Commission will publish a definitive wording on the FIVB website showing the whole of Rule 19 prior to implementation.

Under the existing rules, a libero is a designated member of the team, wearing a characteristic jersey, and can replace any player only in the back court (one of the three players currently in the back row) at any time while the ball is out of play.

This replacement can be done any number of times. The libero is not allowed to exchange for a front-court player.

When the libero is to come off, the player whom he replaced must be returned to the court and not anyone else.

Recently, the libero has been allowed to be the server. The libero is not allowed to make an attacking play when within three metres of the net, with an attacking play being defined as sending the ball over the net into the opponent’s court from above the height of the net (for example by spiking or tapping).