A survey conducted among 224 volleyball players in the German Federal League revealed a high number of serious injuries. The upper ankle joint (55.1% of all serious injuries) and the fingers (22.4%) were most commonly affected. The principal cause of the accidents was a collision with an opponent at the net. There is a close relationship between the player's position, the part he plays in the game and the frequency of injury. Aside from other measures a change of one of the international volleyball rules would represent a suitable method of preventing such injuries.