Upcoming events discussed at FIVB Rules of the Game and Refereeing Commission meeting

The FIVB Rules of the Game and Refereeing Commission held its meeting in a hybrid format today to discuss a number of important topics ahead of a very busy year for volleyball and beach volleyball.

The meeting was attended in-person at the FIVB Headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland by the Commission’s President, Secretary and majority of the members, with all remaining attendees joining via videoconference.

During the meeting, FIVB President Dr Ary S. Graça F° encouraged the Commission to continue working hard to ensure the highest level of match officiating at events. 2022 is set to be a very important year for volleyball and beach volleyball with three World Championships to be held in the same year for the first time ever.

In volleyball, the Men’s World Championship will be held in Russia and the women’s edition in the Netherlands and Poland, while the Beach Volleyball World Championships will take place in Italy. Meanwhile, the sport’s annual events will be staged across the world, specifically the Volleyball Nations League with a new format and the first-ever edition of the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour.

Following the FIVB President’s opening remarks and an update on the FIVB and Volleyball World, the Commission listened to a report on the Commission’s structure and working plan from its President, Guillermo Paredes. The Commission was then split into five working groups which held separate sessions on various topics.

Speaking at the meeting, the FIVB President said:

“Let me again stress the importance of your Commission. As coaches to the referees, you are the ones who ensure the consistency and quality of refereeing at our events. You are also the key people that make sure the rules of our sport are constantly updated to reflect modern times and maintain spectator appeal.

“You need to always look for new ways to modernise our sport and make it more innovative and attractive for the fans. In this regard, I would like to thank you for your cooperation in being part of the tests done during the Club World Championships. These were very successful, and we look forward, together with Volleyball World, to implementing them at our future events and bringing our sport to the next level.”

The FIVB Commission meetings will proceed with the Medical Commission on Tuesday 1 February, Snow Volleyball Commission on Thursday 3 February and Volleyball Empowerment Commission on Monday 7 February.