Equipment in Volleyball

Volleyball Uniform

The volleyball uniforms of participating players have likely seen the largest variety of changes throughout the sports history. In the earliest years of the sport, players often played with whatever article of clothing they wore by chance. It wasn't long after that however, and especially when volleyball had entered schools, that an emphasis on uniform became the norm.

For men, this largely meant simple shorts and tee-shirts, which would remain the staple for years not seeing drastic changes until later into the century. For women however, there were immense changes. Until the later 1940s, it seemed common for women to participate in dresses or bulkier, restricting clothing.

By the 1950s, we began to see more athletic and less restrictive jerseys for men and women. Women's attire still frequented a more formal style, featuring a type of sport skirt; however, both teams jerseys appeared to have additional elements like jersey numbers and similarity between players. 

By the 1980s and 1990s, players frequently played in materials of spandex or synthetic material that helped players stay cool and were light. Collars on jerseys were also commonplace to bring a professional element to the attire.

Another important topic revolves around the uniform of beach volleyball players. Often, beach volleyball players participate in attire that resembles a bathing suit as it is common for players to cool off in water after playing. At the olympic level, controversy had stemmed regarding women's volleyball clothing; however, FIVB acknowledges cultural and religious boundaries, and accepts all types of uniforms.

Many players prefer to wear less clothing to avoid sand getting into their clothing. Alix Klineman, a player for USA has stated "I totally respect other people wanting to be more covered if that's what makes them more comfortable."

Volleyball Kneepads

Another area of volleyball that has seen some developments are the kneepads. While there was some form of knee pads being used early in the 1900s, they resembled more similar to any other form of knee pads that would have been used, and were more stiff than what is used today. 

The primary function of the piece of equipment serves to protect the knee from injuries related to falls, but also keep the knee safe from repetitive movements like jumping.

In the 1950s we begun to see volleyball players using synthetic materials which were far more comfortable and allowed for a wider variety of movements by the players. 

Today, brands like Mizuno, Adidas, Nike and Asics make knee pads to keep players safe from injury; however, it is not a mandatory form of equipment. Several players, and especially middle blockers who seldom are forced to bump the ball, do not wear the protective equipment. 

Volleyball Net

Another aspect of volleyball that has been changed, is the volleyball net. Unfortunately, because not much information regarding advancements or changes in the net are recorded, much of the information is generate through speculation. 

When the first volleyball game was played, the net used was a tennis net simply raised. As time went forward however, a couple differences became noticeable. Somewhere during the middle of the century, we notice the inclusion of a second line of tape at the bottom of the net. 

Because the bottom of a tennis net touches the ground, and a volleyball net does not, there must have been ana idea to include this second level of tape at some point. 

Other important parts of a net include its tightness. A volleyball net must be tight so that it is straight and level across the entire court. Because the ball can be played off the net, this is also important so that the ball functions off the net universally. 

Volleyball Shoes

Another area of change for volleyball is the volleyball shoe. Although it is believed the first volleyball shoe was created in 1908 by Spalding, many players used shoes from other sports or forms of activity. 

The purpose however of the volleyball shoe is to provide players with more traction regarding their movement on the court. Because players must be able to make quick strides in any number of directions, this factor is important. Volleyball shoes also have extra padding on each side of the shoe as frequent side to side movements cause quick wear and tear on traditional running shoes.

Many players opt for basketball shoes as well as they share similarity in movements and because of a larger following in the sport, have had more time to make advancements. Companies like Asics and Mizuno however have made rapid developments in later years which had led to many higher level players making the switch to traditional volleyball shoes. 

In beach volleyball, players most often participate barefoot because of the unleveled sand they play on.

Volleyball Ball

The last piece of volleyball equipment we will be approaching is the ball. When the sport was initially created, William Morgan had attempted using a basketball to play but it was learned that a basketball was too heavy to make the necessary volleyball movements. 

In 1900, the first traditional volleyball was made, which was leather panelled ball made by Spalding. The biggest importance was that the ball was light enough to easily be kept airborne by players, but not so light that the ball would be drifted away by a gust of wind. 

Material in the ball did not change much throughout the 20th century after that aside from aesthetics like colour. 

In beach volleyball, balls are of a rougher texture to combat the harsher outdoor environments and have a lower psi, or pressure in the ball, so that it interacts with the ground in a more preferred manner.