Olympic volleyball different shirt color, explained: What is the libero's job?

Newbies to the sport of volleyball at the Paris Olympics might find themselves puzzled by the players' uniforms .

Each indoor volleyball team consists of six players, with one player on each side donning a different jersey from their teammates. This player is a defensive specialist known as a libero, and there are two in each squad.

Their kit typically reflects their country's official colors but differs from the rest of their team so that the referee can easily identify them and enforce the rules of their position, which restricts them to the back row of the court.

READ MORE: Katie Ledecky falls victim to Australian at Olympics after nation infuriated Michael Phelps
READ MORE: Heated Olympics basketball on-court argument includes NBA star pushing away rival

They're not allowed to jump and spike a ball in the front row or block an attack at the net. The libero position was introduced to enhance defensive strategy by the International Volleyball Federation in the mid-1990s.

In another unique rule, liberos can't be substituted like the rest of their team, with at least one point needing to be played between a 'libber' exiting the court and their replacement entering. It wasn't until 2021, just before the delayed Tokyo Olympics, that liberos were permitted to captain their team.

For all the latest on news, politics, sports, and showbiz from the USA, go to The Mirror US .

The volleyball showdown, set to take place at the South Paris Arena with a capacity of 12,000, kicked off on Saturday (July 27) and wraps up on August 11. The top two countries from each group, along with the two best third-placed teams, will progress to the quarter-finals.

From there, the remaining nations will battle for gold. At the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, France and Team USA bagged gold in the men's and women's events respectively.

Volleyball has been part of the Olympic line-up since the 1964 Tokyo Games. The beach volleyball tournament will be held in a pop-up stadium on the Champs de Mars, with the Eiffel Tower providing a stunning backdrop.