Long-serving world volleyball chief Ruben Acosta will agree to step down as FIVB president in 2010 after 26 years at the helm.

Acosta, who has been in the hot-seat since 1984 and last month won another four-year term, told Reuters he would abide by FIVB rules, which prevent candidates older than 75 seeking office.

"These are the rules, I will be 75 in 2009 and my intention is that after that I will step down," said the Mexican, who has been credited with raising the profile of both volleyball and beach volleyball as television spectacles.

"In fact, I wanted to stop in 1998 but there was no-one else to take over, so I continued," said Acosta, in Japan for the FIVB World Championships for men and women.

"I'm happy to say now that we have a very strong executive with some very talented people. Any one of them would be a worthy successor."

Acosta's main contribution to indoor volleyball was changing the scoring rules, which revolutionised the way the game has since been played.

Previously, a team could only score points when they were serving. Acosta, after a long battle to convince the purists, eventually won enough support to change the rules so that points are scored no matter which team serves.

UNITED STATES PUSH

Acosta's reign also introduced the "libero" to volleyball, a player who can enter and leave the game at the coach's discretion and who is only able to dig and set.

Acosta said he hopes the rule changes will help the sport take off in the United States, which he hopes can one day host the world championships.

"I have already spent 20 years trying to find a partner in the United States to take the responsibility to create a group of sponsors to bring volleyball to the USA," he said.

"I can't think of a better place where a sport like volleyball can take off. I think it can surpass the success of football (soccer)."

He admitted that the points revision was aimed at cracking the American market.

"As a matter of fact, during the 1984 Olympic Games (in Los Angeles) many of our American friends came to suggest that we should go in this direction (and change the points format).

"That gave us a new idea but, still, it was only in 1998 that the new points system was finally adopted, right here in Japan."