How to Set Up a Beach Volleyball Court

Beach or sand volleyball has boomed in popularity during the past decade. Far from being a coast-only sport anymore, sand volleyball can be found everywhere from big city arenas to local city parks. If you want to set up your own court, you need a decent amount of space and a few basic construction items.

Things You'll Need

  • Sand area
  • Rake
  • Shovel or post-hole digger
  • Tape or rope (optional)
  • Two metal or treated wood poles, at least 10 feet long and 4 inches thick
  • Cement or guy wires and anchors
  • Volleyball net
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Instructions

    • 1

      Find a beach or sand area with at least a 50-foot by 80-foot clearance. Make sure the area is free of obstructions and that the sand is several inches deep. The space should also be as level as possible. Use a rake to level it and clear it of smaller obstructions.

    • 2

      Mark off a 30-foot by 60-foot playing area in the center of this area, either by digging long troughs in the sand or with tape or rope. If the area is centered correctly, there will be at least a 10-foot safety area around its borders.

    • 3

      Dig 2-foot-deep holes, either with a post-hole digger or shovel, on opposites sides of the midpoint of the length of the court and at least 2 feet into the safety area.

    • 4

      Insert metal or treated wood poles that are at least 10 feet tall into the holes. Fill the holes with cement if you want to make a permanent court, or fill them back with sand or dirt and use anchors and wires or ropes to hold the poles in place. The anchors can be either the twist kind that can be turned to tighten into the ground or the slanted type used for most tents. These should be secured outside of the sand area if possible and into hard ground. Ropes or wires can then be wrapped around the poles and strung to the anchors to help support the weight of the net.

    • 5

      Stretch and secure a net across the poles. Men's and coed sand court nets should be 7 feet, 11-5/8 inches tall, and women's sand court nets should be 7 feet, 4-1/8 inches tall.