While the Committee highlights innovation and gender equality, the volleyball community expresses concerns about the retention of a limited number of players per team.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) presented its vision for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, approving a program focused on innovation and unprecedented gender equality. However, despite numerous announced changes and expansions in various sports, the decision to retain the heavily criticized format in the volleyball tournament – only 12 players per team – immediately sparked reactions and concerns within sports circles.
The reason for concern was information disseminated and commented on by sports journalists, such as the Pole Jakub Balcerzak, who immediately alerted on the social network X after the IOC announcement (dated April 9). He wrote:"OFFICIAL: (as of April 10, 2024): The International Olympic Committee announced yesterday changes to the program of the Los Angeles 2028 Games. Unfortunately, still no change in the two most important issues for the indoor volleyball tournament: 12 women's and 12 men's teams will participate in the Olympics. The small rosters of the teams that will be in Los Angeles 2028 will be able to rely solely on 12 players."
This lack of change is perceived as a serious problem by many in the sport. Keeping only 12 players in a squad is considered insufficient and risky given the high intensity of volleyball and the high risk of injuries during the extremely demanding Olympic tournament. The experience from Paris 2024, especially the example of the Polish men's team, which won silver despite serious personnel problems due to injuries and squad limitations, vividly illustrates the potential negative consequences of this rule.
At the same time, in its official announcement, the IOC paints a completely different picture, emphasizing the progress made. The Committee proudly notes a "strong commitment to innovation and gender equality." It is highlighted that for the first time in Olympic history, the football tournament will have more women's (16) than men's (12) teams, and water polo achieves full parity with 12 teams for both genders. The addition of new sprint disciplines in swimming, the debut of coastal rowing, the division of climbing into two disciplines, and the expansion of 3x3 basketball to 12 teams are also emphasized. The total number of medal events increases to 351, all within the established quota of 10,500 athletes and following principles such as global appeal, cost control, and athlete focus.
Thus, a stark contrast emerges. While the IOC celebrates progress, especially in gender equality at the team number level, the official announcement completely fails to address the specific and long-standing concerns of the volleyball community regarding the 12-player roster limit. The question of how this rule corresponds to the principle of "focus on athletes" and their health remains unanswered in official communication, even though this sport is one of the most watched and popular at the Olympic Games. For now, it seems that volleyball teams in Los Angeles 2028 will have to deal with the same personnel challenges as in Paris 2024.
