Volleyball Court Specs

Volleyball is a fast-paced game that involves a great deal of skill. A volleyball court is usually a hard indoor surface, but variations such as beach volleyball exist. The game is governed by the International Volleyball Federation, and stringent rules govern court specifications worldwide.

  1. Court Dimensions

    • The size of an indoor volleyball court in all 220 nations governed by the International Volleyball Federation is 18 meters long by nine meters wide. This converts to 59 feet by 19 feet and six inches. An Olympic doubles court is 16 meters by eight meters, or 52 feet by 26 feet. In the United States the national High School Federation and some outdoor volleyball groups use a slightly bigger court that is 60 feet by 30 feet. The International Volleyball Federation recognizes these volleyball courts as legal until repainting of the court can occur. These regulations are published in accordance with the 2009-2011 USA Volleyball official rule book.

    Zones and Markings

    • Volleyball court markings are painted using clear lines that can be visibly seen. White or black are common colors used for court markings. The volleyball court has a center line that is marked by a volleyball net and divides the court into 2 equal areas of nine meters by nine meters for each team. A team is not permitted to enter the opposition zone of the court or to touch the dividing volleyball net. Each team has an attack line that is a straight line painted 10 feet from the center line. This line denotes where the rear court players can attack the ball. An opposition serve must land past the attack line and before the service line. The service line is located on the back line of the court and is located 10 feet inside the right sideline on each back line. All serves must be delivered from this spot with both feet behind the back line. The back line of the court denotes the ball as out. If a ball is on the line, it is declared as in play. The decision on balls being in and out of play is made by the umpire. Each point requires a team to have three players behind, and three players in front of the attack line.

    Net Height

    • International Volleyball Federation rules require the volleyball net to have a height of 2.43 meters for men, and 2.24 meters for women. Volleyball net height measurements are taken from the center of the court, and the two ends of the net located over the sidelines are required to be identical in height to the center. International Volleyball Federation rules state that a net may not exceed the required height by more than two centimeters.