Section 8: Safety Considerations
8.1 Player Safety — Court and Equipment Standards
The FIVB Official Volleyball Rules 2025–2028 and FIVB Medical Regulations outline player safety requirements for official competitions. The playing surface must be flat, horizontal, and free from any object that could cause injury. Indoor courts must be of wood or synthetic material (Rule 1.2). Outdoor courts must be free of rough or irregular surfaces. The free zone (minimum 3 m on all sides in FIVB competition) is maintained to prevent players from colliding with spectators, obstacles, or walls during play.
Net posts must be padded at the base to protect players who may run or fall into them. Posts must be affixed without guy wires or other obstacles in the free zone. Any equipment near the court must be safely stored or padded.
8.2 Player Health and Medical Protocols
In FIVB World and Official Competitions, a certified medical professional or trainer must be present at all matches. Each team is entitled to one medical timeout per set (distinct from regular timeouts) of up to 3 minutes in the event of injury, at the first referee's discretion (Rule 18.4, FIVB Medical Regulations Article 5). If a player is injured during a rally and the injury cannot be evaluated within a dead-ball interval, the referee may allow a brief interruption. If the injured player cannot continue, a legal substitution must be made; if substitution is not possible, the team may be granted an exceptional substitution (Rule 15.7).
Players suffering from bleeding must leave the court immediately and may not return until the bleeding is controlled and wounds are covered. Bloodied clothing must be replaced before re-entry. This requirement applies for all FIVB competitions per FIVB Medical Regulations.
8.3 Warm-Up and Injury Prevention
Teams are allocated official warm-up time before each match and each set. In FIVB World and Official Competitions, teams receive shared warm-up time at the net (typically 6 minutes with the net, 3 minutes off the net) as specified in match regulations. Teams are encouraged to conduct pre-match and pre-set warm-up routines as directed by their coaching staff. Warm-up areas are provided at the corners of the court (approximately 3 m × 3 m each) per Rule 1.5.
8.4 Conduct and Anti-Aggression
Physical aggression — defined as actual physical contact with an opponent, official, or spectator in an aggressive manner — results in immediate disqualification of the offending player or coach (Rule 21.1, Misconduct Sanctions). The FIVB Code of Conduct, supplementary to the game rules, requires all participants to respect opponents, officials, and spectators. Verbal harassment and threatening gestures are subject to progressive misconduct sanctions. Referees are empowered to suspend play and take sanctioning action when safety or dignity of any participant is threatened.
8.5 Lighting, Temperature, and Environmental Conditions
For indoor FIVB World and Official Competitions, the court illumination must be 1,000–1,500 lux measured at the playing surface. Temperature must be maintained between 16°C (61°F) and 25°C (77°F). Outdoor competitions may be suspended or delayed by the referee if conditions become unsafe due to weather, lightning, extreme heat, or other environmental hazards. The referee has authority to suspend play if the playing surface becomes wet or otherwise dangerous (Rule 23.1, Referee Powers and Duties).
8.6 Anti-Doping
All FIVB competitions are subject to the FIVB Anti-Doping Rules, which are harmonized with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code and the World Anti-Doping Code. Players are subject to in-competition and out-of-competition testing. Violations are handled according to the FIVB Anti-Doping Rules and may result in sanctions ranging from warnings to multi-year bans, as applicable. Players are responsible for any substance found in their system, regardless of intent (FIVB Anti-Doping Rules, Article 2).