Volleyball and wrestling are 2 different sports with very few common similarities! One of those similarities is the use of some accessories like knee pads …
That’s why some people involved in both sports are wondering whether they can use volleyball specific knee pads for a contact sport like wrestling. Indeed …
Volleyball knee pads should not be used in competitive wrestling bouts, but they can be used for practice if no other option is available. Those knee pads will tend to be tight and will offer protection from injuries for sure. However, they can be really too constricting to a point to impede movements.
This article breakdown the most important features volleyball and wrestling knee pads should have as well as some exceptional cases where you can use them for both sports.
I also include some helpful tips to protect your knees regardless of the sport you are involved in!
How volleyball knee pads need to be?
Knee pads typically resemble a stretchable fabric sleeve and will be between 5 and 9 inches long with thick padding – either high density or memory foam – placed around the tops of the knees.
The foam not only offers protection, but it also has the ability to provide flexibility while playing and offers comfort at the same time.
Memory foam has the added benefit that it contours around the knees, providing further protection and support. All types of pads come with an outer coating to prevent players from sliding across the floor.
There are two main styles of pads available:
- Bubble
- And flat
Bubble style is more common of the two, and these provide a thick padded cushion on top of the knee, although the downside of this type is that they can be stiff, and do not provide much protection to the side of the knees.
Flat style are less bulky than the bubble type and offer more protection around the knee, just on top of it. The disadvantage of this type is that the protection provided on the top of the knee is less than with the bubble style.
Example: There are many knee pads models in the market with optimal protection. You can check those quality volley knee pads to get an idea on what those look like.
Volleyball players need to invest in a good pair of knee pads, because the knees can’t withstand as much physical stresses and impacts as the arms and hands.
Indeed, statistics show that volleyball players are more likely to suffer knee injuries than on any other part of their body. In addition to protecting the knees and knee caps, pads also help guard ligaments from serious injury.
How wrestling knee pads should be?
Although knee pads are not necessarily required for competition, they can be very useful in protecting the knees whilst training throughout a season.
The type of knee pad dependents on the type of mat. For example …
- With a really hard mat, it is preferable to wear a type that comes with more padding.
- However, for thinner mats where there is a risk of sliding, some might prefer one that comes in a sleeve design
Some wrestlers will choose to wear two knee pads, whilst others may just have one on their lead leg. It is a matter of individual choice, and there is no prescribed preference.
The two reasons that wrestlers choose to wear knee pads are to:
- Protect against the impact when taking hits from an opponent
- And to allow more ease of movement.
There are two major categories of knee injury that occurs with wrestling …
- The most common is “mat burn” – this occurs when an opponent takes a shot and the knee gets scraped on the mat.
- The other normal type of injury is simple bruising, although, occasionally, more serious damage can be incurred.
Pads may help to limit the exposure to such injuries, but they cannot prevent them happening altogether.
When can you wear volleyball knee pads for wrestling?
For a high contact sport like wrestling, any type of protection and padding around the knee area is better than none, so if volleyball knee pads are only what is available then they can be used.
However, we should not forget that volleyball and wrestling are two different sports, and the movements made by competitors are very different.
Volleyball is all about fast movement and changes of direction, so knee pads need to offer not only conditioning but also flexibility at the same time, so they need to stretch with the leg.
And, at the same time, the impact of the knee on a hard volleyball court is different to that on a volleyball mat, however, hard its thickness.
That is why it is always recommended, where possible, to wear sport-specific knee pads, because they have been designed to withstand the rigours and demands of the discipline.
You can learn about these clothes that you can use for volleyball practices!
Can you wear volleyball knee sleeves for wrestling?
Knee sleeves are designed to provide some support to the knee, but do not hinder the natural range of motion or immobilise the joints in any way. They are not intended to provide support to an injured knee, but instead are meant to protect it from further injury or damage.
However, unlike a knee brace, for example, which is meant to protect the anterior knee and patella, a knee sleeve does not provide the same ligament support.
Volley Knee sleeves are not a good choice for wrestling, In part this is because they are intended for those who put their knees under constant pressure whilst playing volleyball through repetitive running, jumping, and landing. Those are not the same athletic movements as in wrestling …
These involve a lot of grappling and then short explosive movements as a player attempts to secure a hold or to pull their opponent to the canvas.
The primary reason to wear knee protection in wrestling is to guard against the knee burn that occurs due to frequent rubbing of the knees against the ground …
Because knee sleeves are made of thin, stretchable neoprene materials they do not offer sufficient protection in this area. Instead, it is always preferable to choose something that offers more padding.
Can you wear volleyball knee braces for wrestling?
A volleyball knee brace is specifically intended to protect the knee and patella area from injury. There are actually disadvantages to wearing a brace – not only can they be hard and stiff, which reduces mobility in the region, but some argue that they prevent joints from becoming stronger over time.
Knee braces typically are made of materials like:
- Nylon
- Polyester
- And Lycra
And stretch from the bottom of the thigh to the top of the calf, covering the knee on both sides.
There are also short knee braces, which are hinged and just protect the knee area.
One distinction between a knee sleeve and a knee brace is that while the former normally completely covers the knee, there is always a gap in the front of the knee with a brace to allow for movement and also ventilation.
And for this reason, they are not suitable for wrestling, because they offer no protection from the mat and the constant rubbing and skin irritation that can result from regular contact with it.
Some may also find that the design of the knee brace impedes the type of forward movement typically involved with wrestling, although it can be argued that, for those who have knee problems, any protection is better than none.
What about knee pads for kids?
Children do not typically suffer from arthritic pain, but evidence does suggest that braces and sleeves can mitigate the worst effects of any injuries, and help prevent long lasting damage later in life.
It is important though that any knee protection worn by kids needs to be size specific …
Buying adult knee pads or sleeves for a child will, almost inevitably mean, that they will be too loose and not fit properly. That means they will become loose and not do the job they were intended to do.
And, because children’s bodies can develop rapidly during puberty, new pads, sleeves, or braces will need to be bought as they grow.
There is the argument that encouraging the use of knee pads by kids for volleyball, wrestling or any other sport actually is counter-productive because it hinders the natural growth of muscles in this area, although this has yet to be scientifically proven or the other.
Finally and for your beloved kids safely, you probably needs to know about what volleyball knee pads are actually made from! Just for allergetic reasons …
How tight should knee pads be for both volley and wrestling?
When it comes to volleyball knee pads, the most important thing is that they should fit properly. In other words, players should avoid wearing anything too bulky that will impede their movement and dives around the court.
Instead, the knee pads should feel snug against the skin and give the impression that they will stay in place during the rigours of a game …
However, by the same token, care should be taken to make sure that they are not too tight to the point where circulation in the area is affected.
It is also recommended to wear a pair made of non-abrasive material to minimise the risk of skin irritations, like chafing.
With wrestling, stability is an important factor when choosing the right one (s) to wear. The last thing that an athlete wants is for their knee pad to work loose during a bout.
That means choosing a knee pad that is both comfortable and close fitting at the same time, and time should be taken to make sure that the correct size is chosen.
If a pad or sleeve is too tight, the material will find it hard to stick to the leg, leading to slippage. And, with compression fabrics, even putting on a pad that is just a bit too small, may be difficult.
However, if the pads slightly on the large side, the compression fabric should still provide a snug fit.
You can also learn about the difference between volleyball and skating knee pads!
Final Thoughts …
I totally understand that sometimes people would want to use an accessory designed for a sport in a different one for reasons related to low budget, no availability or even just not having the time to get them …
However, getting specific accessories (especially those used for protection) for a given sport is really important and you really should consider doing so to keep your knees or other body parts safe as much as you possible can.
Finally, I would love that you check these volleyball knee pads cleaning tips! I think you will find that very interesting and useful …