Tips To Prevent Volleyball Injuries

Each year, more than 187,000 volleyball-related injuries are treated in hospitals, doctors’ offices, clinics, ambulatory surgery centers and hospital emergency rooms.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons offers the following tips to prevent volleyball injuries:

• Always take time to warm up and stretch. Research studies have shown that cold muscles are more prone to injury. Warm up with jumping jacks, stationary cycling or running or walking in place for 3 to 5 minutes. Then slowly and gently stretch, holding each stretch for 30 seconds.
  

• Use knee pads to protect yourself from injury when you fall or dive onto the court.
  

• Defensive pants, which are padded from hip to knee, can protect you from floor burns and bruises.
  

• Wear lightweight shoes that provide strong ankle and arch support and offer good shock absorption.
  

• The volleyball court should have 23 feet of overhead clearance. Objects such as portable basketball goals, lighting fixtures, and tree limbs should be cleared from the space above the court.
  

• If the volleyball net is supported by wires, the wires should be covered with soft material.
  

• Don’t grab the net or hang on to supports, which can cause the net to overturn and fall on you.
  

• "Call" the ball to reduce the chance of colliding with another player.
  

• Be knowledgeable about first aid and be able to administer it for minor injuries, such as facial cuts, bruises, or minor tendinitis, strains, or sprains.
  

• Be prepared for emergency situations and have a plan to reach medical personnel to treat injuries such as concussions, dislocations, elbow contusions, wrist or finger sprains, and fractures.
  

• Before playing an outdoor volleyball game, always check the ground for sharp objects and glass.

For more information on "Prevent Injuries America!," call the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons’ public service telephone number 1-800-824-BONES (2663).

Source: American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine; USA Gymnastics Safety Handbook; and U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s 1999 NEISS data and estimates, based on injuries treated in hospitals, doctors’ offices, ambulatory care facilities, clinics and hospital emergency rooms.