KINGSTON DISTRICT VOLLEYBALL COUNCIL
UNIFORM GUIDELINES
WHAT SHOULD I BE WEARING?
As of 2025, there has been a great deal of confusion regarding the "official" uniform for volleyball following the addition of the supplement red option. Below is Volleyball Canada's position on the uniforms, along with how and when they should be worn. If you have any additional questions, please let us know.
Under the purview of the National Referee Committee's Uniform Guidelines, Volleyball Canada’s official referee uniform is the NAVY uniform, while the RED uniform, introduced in 2025, is currently considered supplemental. Either uniform can be worn so long as the Standards of Consistency outlined in the uniform guidelines are maintained.
Ontario Volleyball Association Guidance
OVA is aware that the cost to new local referees can be substantial. Considering this, the expectation is that for the first year of officiating, the navy-blue Volleyball Canada (VC) referee polo shirt is sufficient with navy blue dress slacks UNLESS you are attending a VC National Championship, where the full uniform is required.By the start of the 2nd year, it is expected that the Level 1 local referee would be in full VC uniform.
Official Navy Uniform
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Navy Volleyball Canada polo (men/women)
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Navy Volleyball Canada pants (men/women)
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Black or navy belt
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Predominantly white or light shoes
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Volleyball Canada crest depicting the accurate certification of the referee.
Optional Red Uniform
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Red Volleyball Canada polo (men / women)
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Black pants (self-provided) **
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Black belt.
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Predominantly black or dark shoes.
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Volleyball Canada crest depicting the accurate certification of the referee.
*While the black pants are self-provided, it should be reminded to all referees that the product used does not include leggings or jeans. Some product examples that would be acceptable include, but are not limited to:
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Lulu Lemon ABC Pant
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Under Armour golf pant
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Nike golf pant
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Adidas golf pant
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Kirkland Commuter Pant
Optional Referee Items
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Unisex Referee Jacket
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Mikasa Line Judge Flags
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VC Large Sanction Cards with Pouch
HOW TO ORDER
Each fall, following the most recent Level 1 Clinic, KDVC will place a bulk order to help it's members save on shipping costs. A blog/email will be sent to all members asking them if they would like to order any additional items. Alternately, items can be ordered directly from the Volleyball Canada e-Shop
STANDARDS OF CONSISTENCY
OR What Uniform should I be Wearing?
As the implementation of this secondary uniform presents the potential for misalignment amongst the nominated referees, please note the following requirements for usage (at the outset):
Matches involving a first referee only:
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The referee can wear the uniform of their choosing, unless
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The hosting entity mandates or requires a specific option for their event
Matches involving a first referee and a second referee:
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The first and second referee can wear either uniform, however
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The uniform worn must be consistent for both first and second referee
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If the referees cannot agree on which uniform to wear, Navy is the official uniform and will be the uniform required
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If the referees do not have the same uniform, Navy is the official uniform and will be the uniform required.
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Matches involving a first referee, second referee and referee assistants
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The first and second referee can wear either uniform, however
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The uniform worn must be consistent for both first and second referee
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If the referees cannot agree on which uniform to wear, Navy is the official uniform and will be the uniform required
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If the referees do not have the same uniform, Navy is the official unform and will be the uniform required.
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The referee assistants can wear either uniform, however
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The uniform worn must be consistent for all referee assistants
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If the referee assistants cannot agree on which uniform to wear, Navy is the official uniform and will be the uniform required
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If the referee assistants do not have the same uniform, Navy is the official unform and will be the uniform required.
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The first and second referee do not have to match the Referee Assistants
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Each PTA, in this case the Ontario Volleyball Association, has the ability to apply more stringent expectations for events under their purview
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For International matches hosted within Canada
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The Referee Manager will oversee the coordination of referee uniforms for the entirety of the Referee Assistants on a daily basis
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The entirety of the referee assistant team must align for every match