Minecraft wiki entry for Navigation, associated text: Every world has a set spawn point where players are placed when they first enter the game, and each time they die (see below about beds). The world has one spawn point, and all players spawn within a few blocks of that point. (Formerly, single-player games had a specific spawn point, but now they use the same system as multi-player.) In multi-player, the area around the spawn point is "protected", so that only server operators can build or destroy blocks there. Making a base too close to a multiplayer spawn area can also expose it to griefing, so in multi-player it's usually better to move some distance before settling in.