Volleyball can be brutal on your hips. Diving for balls onto the hardwood floor makes it nearly impossible to avoid hitting bone on wood, which usually produces black and blue bruises on your hip. Hip pads can help you avoid bruises, and they are legal equipment in the game. Beach volleyball players likely won't need hip pads because sand is soft, but for indoor players, hip pads are a nice extra piece of equipment.
Legality
Players are not prohibited from wearing hip pads to prevent or cover bruises in domestic and international competition. The USA Volleyball rule book allows players to wear safety equipment that does not provide an unfair advantage and will not lead to injury. The rule book states that if the hip pads or the girdle/shorts that hold them are exposed, then those are considered a part of the player's uniform and therefore must be the same color as all the other players on the team with the exception of the libero.
Design
Hip pads for bruises in volleyball can either be inserts placed into a pair of shorts or shorts with extra padding built in near the hip area. The McDavid Women's HexPad Volleyball Shorts are spandex volleyball shorts that have extra padding built into the sides. The pads conform to movement and are made of a gel-type material. You can also use what football players wear, which is foam pads inserted into slots on a girdle. The pads will stick up out of the top of the girdle, so you will have to make arrangements to conceal the pads.
Cost and Availability
The McDavid HexPad Volleyball Shorts are listed at $29.95 at Hex-Pad.com. Amazon.com lists the same shorts for as low as $27.21 and includes free shipping. Each price is current as of April 1, 2011. Many online retailers sell volleyball hip pads that can help avoid the pain from bruises, and you can also find the same products at sporting goods stores.
Protecting Sacroiliac Joints
Hip pads help prevent sacroiliac joint pain. According to the Sports Injury Clinic website, the joints are at the very bottom of your back and there is one on each side of the spine. When your hips contact the floor in volleyball, the joint gets rattled and it can lead to health problems. Large bruises are a sign that you have impacted your hip hard enough to damage the joints. Wearing volleyball hip pads will lessen the impact on your hip, which will thus lessen the impact on your sacroiliac joints.
