MANILA, Philippines -- Teams won't switch courts and there will be no handshakes when the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) opens its first professional conference this Saturday at the PCV Socio-Civic and Cultural Center in Bacarra, Ilocos Norte.

The Open Conference starts with a triple-header, with PLDT and Chery Tiggo set for first serve at 1:00 p.m.

Before opening day, however, every member of the PVL delegation -- from the teams to the production crew, to the league staff and media -- were given RT-PCR tests. Antigen tests will be done every ten days.

"'Pagdating sa game, wala nang change court," said PVL Commissioner Tony Boy Liao.

"Pagka-toss coin, bibigyan ng kaunting oras 'yung dalawang teams, if they want to bow, to wave, whatever... [But] no handshakes," he added. "When all of this is happening, naka-face masks sila."

• READ: PVL's first pro conference opens with triple-header

Each team will have ten minutes to warm up while wearing face masks. Afterward, they will each get five minutes for spiking, still while wearing face masks.

During the game, players can opt to wear face masks as well, as is the head coach. The members of the coaching staff should wear face masks on the bench, according to Liao, along with the substitutes.

Only a hundred people are allowed inside the venue, and teams can only change -- but not shower -- in the arena. Once the first two teams exit the venue, that's the only time that the next two teams can come in.

"Hanggang nasa loob sila ng venue, hindi pwedeng pumasok 'yung [teams playing the] second match," Liao stressed. "'Pag dumating ng maaga 'yung second match, they wait in the bus. May kanya-kanyang bus naman."

The game equipment will be sanitized and disinfected in between games, Liao also assured.

PVL President Ricky Palou said teams have had no complaints so far about the protocols put together by the league, including the "no change court" rule that is also being implemented by the FIVB.

"It's for their own good," said Palou of the new rule. "The teams, they have their own equipment, water. So 'pag lumipat, kung may infected doon, madadamay lahat."

"They understand naman. In fact, they welcome it nga at this point of time, for safety and precautionary measures," he added.

Ahead of the start of the conference, teams are given an hour each day to practice, with the venue disinfected for 15 minutes after every team.

"Everybody was happy," said Liao. "We were explaning na, pasensya na dahil isang oras lang. In-explain ko kung bakit, and okay naman [sa kanila]. Nobody complained why it was only one hour."

Should a player test positive, she and her roommates will be isolated and quarantined for seven days.

"We're happy na finally, mag-uumpisa, pero at the same time, we're kinda worried," Palou admitted. "Natatakot din kami, dahil we're hoping and praying na nobody gets infected."

"None of the players or even the coaching and working staff. Mixed feelings kami. That's why we keep telling everybody, please be very careful," he added.

After the PLDT-Chery Tiggo tiff, it will be Perlas vs. Cignal HD at 4:00 p.m., with Creamline and Sta. Lucia capping off the double-header at 7 p.m.