{"id":7498,"date":"2026-11-08T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-11-08T01:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arenaplus.ph\/insider\/?p=7498"},"modified":"2026-11-09T10:35:23","modified_gmt":"2026-11-09T02:35:23","slug":"volleyball-court-dimensions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arenaplus.ph\/insider\/volleyball\/volleyball-court-dimensions\/","title":{"rendered":"Volleyball Court Dimensions and Net Height: A Complete Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>An official indoor volleyball court is 18 metres long and 9 metres wide, split by the net into two 9 m \u00d7 9 m halves. The net is 2.43 m high for men and 2.24 m for women, and an attack line runs 3 m from the net on each side (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fivb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/FIVB-Volleyball_Rules2025_2028-EN-v05.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FIVB rules<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>This guide covers every key measurement, from the court and its zones to the net, antennae and ball, plus how beach volleyball courts differ.<\/p>\n<h2>Volleyball court dimensions at a glance<\/h2>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Measurement<\/td>\n<td>Metric<\/td>\n<td>Imperial (approx.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Court length<\/td>\n<td>18 m<\/td>\n<td>59 ft<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Court width<\/td>\n<td>9 m<\/td>\n<td>29 ft 6 in<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Each half<\/td>\n<td>9 m \u00d7 9 m<\/td>\n<td>29 ft 6 in \u00d7 29 ft 6 in<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Attack line distance from net<\/td>\n<td>3 m<\/td>\n<td>9 ft 10 in<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Line width<\/td>\n<td>5 cm<\/td>\n<td>2 in<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Men&#8217;s net height<\/td>\n<td>2.43 m<\/td>\n<td>7 ft 11 5\/8 in<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Women&#8217;s net height<\/td>\n<td>2.24 m<\/td>\n<td>7 ft 4 1\/8 in<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fivb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/FIVB-Volleyball_Rules2025_2028-EN-v05.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FIVB rules 1 and 2<\/a>. Imperial figures are conversions.<\/p>\n<h2>The court and its lines<\/h2>\n<p>The playing court is a rectangle marked by lines that are part of the court: a ball touching a line is in. The key lines are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Sidelines and end lines:<\/strong> the boundaries of the 18 m \u00d7 9 m court.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Centre line:<\/strong> runs under the net and divides the court into two halves.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Attack lines:<\/strong> 3 m from the centre line on each side, marking the front zone where back-row players cannot attack a ball above the net.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>All lines are 5 cm wide and must be a light colour that contrasts with the floor (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fivb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/FIVB-Volleyball_Rules2025_2028-EN-v05.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FIVB rule 1.3<\/a>).<\/p>\n<h2>Zones on a volleyball court<\/h2>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Zone<\/td>\n<td>Where it is<\/td>\n<td>Why it matters<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Front zone<\/td>\n<td>Between the centre line and the attack line<\/td>\n<td>Back-row attack and libero setting restrictions apply here<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Back zone<\/td>\n<td>Behind the attack line<\/td>\n<td>Back-row players may attack from here<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Service zone<\/td>\n<td>Behind the end line, across the court&#8217;s width<\/td>\n<td>Where every serve is taken<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Free zone<\/td>\n<td>The area surrounding the court<\/td>\n<td>Players may play the ball here<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>The free zone must be at least 3 m wide on all sides, and larger in FIVB world and official competitions (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fivb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/FIVB-Volleyball_Rules2025_2028-EN-v05.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FIVB rule 1.1<\/a>). The space above the court must also be clear to a minimum height, so the ball can be played high without hitting a ceiling.<\/p>\n<h2>Volleyball net height<\/h2>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Men (senior)<\/td>\n<td>2.43 m<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Women (senior)<\/td>\n<td>2.24 m<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>The height is measured at the centre of the court and must be the same at both sidelines, within a small tolerance (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fivb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/FIVB-Volleyball_Rules2025_2028-EN-v05.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FIVB rule 2.1<\/a>). Youth and school competitions often use lower nets; check your league or school&#8217;s rules.<\/p>\n<p>The same senior heights are used in beach volleyball. For the men&#8217;s and women&#8217;s game side by side, see [LINK: Spikers&#8217; Turf Guide].<\/p>\n<h2>The net, antennae and posts<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>The net<\/strong> is about 1 m deep and stretches 9.5 to 10 m wide, with a white band along the top.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Side bands<\/strong> are white strips placed over each sideline, marking the edges of the crossing space.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Antennae<\/strong> are flexible rods fixed to the outer edge of each side band. They stick up above the net, and the ball must cross between them. A ball that touches an antenna is out.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Posts<\/strong> hold the net and stand outside the sidelines, so they are not part of the playing area.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fivb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/FIVB-Volleyball_Rules2025_2028-EN-v05.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FIVB rule 2<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Ball size and weight<\/h2>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Item<\/td>\n<td>Rule<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Circumference<\/td>\n<td>65 to 67 cm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Weight<\/td>\n<td>260 to 280 g<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Surface<\/td>\n<td>Flexible leather or synthetic leather<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fivb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/FIVB-Volleyball_Rules2025_2028-EN-v05.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FIVB rule 3<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Beach volleyball court vs indoor court<\/h2>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>Indoor<\/td>\n<td>Beach<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Court size<\/td>\n<td>18 m \u00d7 9 m<\/td>\n<td>16 m \u00d7 8 m<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Surface<\/td>\n<td>Wood or synthetic<\/td>\n<td>Sand at least 40 cm deep<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Attack line<\/td>\n<td>Yes, 3 m from net<\/td>\n<td>No<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Net height<\/td>\n<td>2.43 m men, 2.24 m women<\/td>\n<td>Same<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Sources: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fivb.com\/beach-volleyball\/the-game\/basic-rules\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FIVB<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.edb.gov.hk\/attachment\/en\/curriculum-development\/kla\/pe\/references_resource\/national_games\/Infographic_BeachVolleyball_Eng.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hong Kong EDB<\/a>. See [LINK: Beach Volleyball Rules].<\/p>\n<h2>Why court dimensions matter in the rules<\/h2>\n<p>Many rules depend on these measurements:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>The attack line<\/strong> decides when a back-row player can attack above the net.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The centre line<\/strong> decides when a player has crossed into the opponent&#8217;s court.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The antennae<\/strong> decide whether a ball crossed the net legally.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The end line<\/strong> decides where a server must stand.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For those rules in full, see [LINK: Volleyball Rules].<\/p>\n<h2>Court sizes for different levels of play<\/h2>\n<p>Not every game uses the full official court. Here is how sizes usually vary:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Official senior competition,<\/strong> including the PVL and Spikers&#8217; Turf: the full 18 m \u00d7 9 m court, with standard net heights.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Schools and youth leagues:<\/strong> often the full court, but lower nets for younger age groups, set by the organiser.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Recreational and barangay games:<\/strong> whatever fits the space, usually close to official size, with the net height agreed before play.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Beach volleyball:<\/strong> a smaller 16 m \u00d7 8 m sand court.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you are planning a venue, check the specific rules of the league or event, since official competitions also set requirements for lighting, ceiling height and the free zone.<\/p>\n<h2>Setting up a court for casual play<\/h2>\n<p>If you are marking a court at a school, barangay gym or open space:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Measure an 18 m \u00d7 9 m rectangle<\/strong> if space allows; smaller courts are fine for casual games.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Mark the centre line,<\/strong> then the attack lines 3 m on each side of it.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Set the net height<\/strong> to 2.43 m or 2.24 m at the centre, or lower for young players.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Leave space around the court<\/strong> so players can chase the ball safely.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<h3>How big is a volleyball court?<\/h3>\n<p>An official indoor court is 18 m long and 9 m wide, or about 59 ft by 29.5 ft.<\/p>\n<h3>How high is a volleyball net for women?<\/h3>\n<p>2.24 m (about 7 ft 4 in) in senior competition.<\/p>\n<h3>How high is a volleyball net for men?<\/h3>\n<p>2.43 m (about 7 ft 11.6 in) in senior competition.<\/p>\n<h3>How far is the attack line from the net?<\/h3>\n<p>3 m (about 9 ft 10 in) from the centre line on each side.<\/p>\n<h3>Is a beach volleyball court smaller?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes. A beach court is 16 m \u00d7 8 m, compared with 18 m \u00d7 9 m indoors.<\/p>\n<h3>Is a ball on the line in or out?<\/h3>\n<p>In. The lines are part of the court, so a ball that touches any part of a line is in.<\/p>\n<h3>Can you step on the centre line?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes, as long as part of your foot stays on or above the centre line. A whole foot over the line into the opponent&#8217;s court is a fault.<\/p>\n<h3>What are the antennae on a volleyball net for?<\/h3>\n<p>They mark the sides of the space the ball must pass through. A ball that touches an antenna, or crosses outside it, is out.<\/p>\n<h2>Keep learning<\/h2>\n<p>See how the court is used in [LINK: Volleyball Rules] and [LINK: Volleyball Rotation Explained], then watch the PVL on ArenaPlus Insider. If you also follow the betting side, <a href=\"https:\/\/arenaplus.ph\/insider\/blog\/game-guides\/handicap-and-over-under-betting-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Handicap and Over\/Under Betting Explained<\/a> explains how volleyball lines work, and Insider covers other sports in <a href=\"https:\/\/arenaplus.ph\/insider\/sports\/basketball\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ArenaPlus Basketball<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/arenaplus.ph\/insider\/blog\/sports\/football-betting-on-arenaplus\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Football Betting on ArenaPlus: A Beginner&#8217;s Guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><em>For adults 21 and over. Gambling can be addictive; please play responsibly.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An official indoor volleyball court is 18 metres long and 9 metres wide, split by the net into two 9 m \u00d7 9 m halves. The net is 2.43 m high for men and 2.24 m for women, and an attack line runs 3 m from the net on each side (FIVB rules). This guide [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":7642,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_apbw_player":"","_apbw_game":"","_apbw_type":"sports","_apbw_stake":0,"_apbw_payout":0,"_apbw_verified":"1","_apbw_box":"1","_apbw_hide":"0","footnotes":""},"categories":[110],"tags":[],"apnews_topic":[],"class_list":["post-7498","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-volleyball"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/arenaplus.ph\/insider\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7498","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/arenaplus.ph\/insider\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/arenaplus.ph\/insider\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arenaplus.ph\/insider\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arenaplus.ph\/insider\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7498"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/arenaplus.ph\/insider\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7498\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7641,"href":"https:\/\/arenaplus.ph\/insider\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7498\/revisions\/7641"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arenaplus.ph\/insider\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7642"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/arenaplus.ph\/insider\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7498"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arenaplus.ph\/insider\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7498"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arenaplus.ph\/insider\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7498"},{"taxonomy":"apnews_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arenaplus.ph\/insider\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/apnews_topic?post=7498"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}