Volleyball knee pads: which to choose and how to wear them
The short answer
Volleyball knee pads protect your knees against impact, floor burns and bruises when you go to the floor; they do nothing against injuries inside the knee joint. Choose a thickness that matches how often you dive, a size that does not slide down, and make sure the pad covers your kneecap in your defensive stance.
You see volleyball knee pads in every gym, but far from everyone wears them properly. A pair that is too thick gets in the way, a pair that is too loose slides down to your shin and a pair that is too tight pinches the back of your knee. Here you read what they do and do not do, which ones to choose for your position and how they should sit.
Do you need knee pads for volleyball?
Volleyball is played on a hard floor, and defenders go to the floor all the time: a low pass on one knee, a dive for a tip, a roll after a dug attack. Every time, the front of the knee lands first. Knee pads absorb that. They prevent bruises and floor burns, and they mean you go for a ball without hesitating instead of letting it drop.
There is a medical reason too. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons names sports with frequent blows or falls on the knee as a risk for an inflamed bursa in front of the kneecap, and recommends knee pads for people who work on their knees a lot or play a contact sport (OrthoInfo, Prepatellar (Kneecap) Bursitis). Volleyball is not named there, but a defender lands on their knees more often than most athletes.
They are not compulsory. The FIVB rules allow protective pads and do not require them anywhere; in FIVB, World and official competitions for seniors they must be the same colour as the corresponding part of the uniform, or black, white or neutral if all players who wear them choose the same colour (rule 4.5.3 of the Official Volleyball Rules 2025-2028). In lower leagues you follow the rules of your own federation. When a child needs them is covered in what your child needs for a first practice.
What knee pads do not do
A knee pad protects the outside of your knee against impact. It does not change what happens inside the knee. A twisted knee on a landing, a torn ACL or an overloaded tendon below the kneecap come from twisting, landing and the number of jumps, not from hitting the floor. What helps against those is landing technique, strength and a sensible build-up of load; more on that in knee pain in volleyball.
Nor do they replace defensive technique. Players who learn to dive and roll properly absorb the fall with hands, chest, hip and thigh, and the knee touches the floor briefly at most. A thick pair tempts players to slide on their knees, and that is exactly what you do not want to teach. How to do it right is in defense and diving in volleyball.
Which thickness suits your position?
Volleyball knee pads mainly differ in the thickness of the pad and in how much protection there is on the sides. Choose by how often you go to the floor, not by what the rest of the team wears.
| Type | What it does | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Thin, almost a sleeve | Against floor burns and light impact; you barely feel it | Players who rarely go to the floor, often middle blockers |
| Medium | Cushioning for a pass on one knee and a short dive | Most outside hitters, opposites, setters and young players learning to defend |
| Thick, with side padding | The most cushioning, also when you land sideways | Liberos and defenders who dive and roll a lot |
Look out for three more things. A longer sleeve stays in place better than a short band. Fabric that wicks away moisture makes a big difference in a warm gym. And the seams on the inside should not press into the back of your knee when you squat deep.
Finding the right size
Size charts differ by brand and by model, including where you measure: one around the middle of the knee, another a few centimetres above it. So measure exactly where the chart for that particular model tells you to, with a tape measure and your leg slightly bent. After that the fit test decides, not the label:
- Put the pair on and squat deep ten times, as in a low passing position.
- Go down on one knee and come back up, left and right.
- Do three jumps with a soft landing.
If the pad is still in place after that, you feel no band pinching the back of your knee and nothing tingles, you have the right size. If it slides down, it is too big or the elastic is worn out. Do not buy children a size to grow into: a pair that is too big slides down to the shin during the warm-up.
How should knee pads sit?
The pad belongs in the middle of your kneecap when you are in your defensive stance, with your knees bent. That is the moment you go down, and then the front of your knee has to be covered. So check it in that stance and not standing upright in front of the mirror: upright it sometimes seems to sit slightly too high, while bent it falls exactly right.
Do not wear them low on your shin. It is a habit you see in every gym, but a knee pad on your shin protects nothing at the moment your knee hits the floor. If you push them down during the warm-up, pull them up before the first defensive drill. And wear two: in a dive or a pass on one knee you do not get to choose which knee hits the floor.
Test the position on the floor, not in the mirror. Get into your defensive stance and lower yourself slowly onto one knee. If you feel the floor through the pad or next to it, it is not sitting right. Slide it up or down a little and try again.
Care, and when to replace them
Take them out of your bag after every practice and let them dry; stored damp, they start to smell and the elastic stretches faster. Wash them according to the label and let them air dry, not on the radiator. Replace a pair when the pad has gone flat, when it keeps sliding down even though the size is right, or when a seam has come open. How long that takes depends on how often you dive: a libero wears out a pair faster than a middle blocker.
If you get a warm, red or swollen bump on your kneecap after a fall, or a fever along with it, show it to your doctor soon. If knee problems persist or get worse, see your doctor, a sports physician or a physiotherapist. Knee pads are one part of your gear; shoes with grip and cushioning determine how you land, and what to look for there is in buying volleyball shoes.
For coaches: the gear list in one place
If you are starting with defence and diving in practice, let players know a week in advance, so nobody ends up on the floor without knee pads. In Koach you post an announcement on your team's dashboard: players and parents see it there as soon as they open the app, and you do not need a group chat with fifteen separate replies. If you have just started as a coach, what else to sort out for your first season is in starting as a volleyball coach.
14 days free, no credit card. Add your team and post the gear list for the first defence practice tonight.
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Frequently asked questions
How should volleyball knee pads sit?
The pad belongs in the middle of your kneecap when you are in your defensive stance, with your knees bent. Check it in that stance: upright it sometimes seems to sit a little high. Do not wear them low on your shin, because then your knee hits the floor next to the pad. If they slide down while you play, they are too big or the elastic is worn.
What size knee pads do I need?
Measure at the spot the size chart for that model tells you, because brands measure differently, and then do the fit test. Squat deep ten times, go down on one knee and do a few jumps. If the pad stays in place without pinching the back of your knee, the size is right. Do not buy children a size to grow into.
Do knee pads protect against knee injuries?
Only against injuries from a blow or fall on the knee, such as bruises, floor burns and an irritated bursa in front of the kneecap. They do not help against a twisted knee, an ACL injury or an overloaded tendon; those come from twisting, landing and too many jumps. For those you need landing technique, strength and a sensible build-up of load.
Do middle blockers need knee pads?
A middle blocker goes to the floor less often than a libero or outside hitter, but also defends in the back row when there is no libero, or dives for a tip. That is why many middle blockers choose a thin model they barely feel when blocking. Going without is possible, as long as you know you will then be more careful when you dive.
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