Volleyball Court Dimensions

A volleyball court can be set up in a backyard, a playground, or even inside a large stadium. It just depends on the level of the competition that is going to take place on the court. But whatever the surroundings, amenities, etc., the dimensions of a volleyball court will need to be the same. Anything bigger or smaller would hamper the smooth playing of this game. Hence, if you are planning to set up a court on your property, educational institution, or club, remember that the dimensions of the volleyball court needs to be followed exactly.

Volleyball was first played in a major competition in the Pan American Games which were held in 1955. In 1957, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) included volleyball as a team sport in the Olympics. The Volleyball World Cup was started in 1969, and is now used as a qualifying tournament for the Olympics. Each match is played by two teams consisting of six players each.

Volleyball Rules

Volleyball rules and regulations are not that complicated as one may presume. A volleyball team consists of six players. Three play as attackers and the other three play as defense. The three attackers are the front left, front center and front right players. The three defense are the back left, back center and back right players. The player in the right back position serves, and needs to be outside the service line (back line). He has to execute the serve within eight seconds of the referee blowing the whistle. The ball needs to be tossed up to serve, and only after completion of the serve, can the server step inside the court. A player can touch the ball only once, and the team can touch the ball not more than thrice in a single chance.

A point is won when the ball is grounded successfully into the opponent's court. The ball has to cross the net within the poles or antennas to be considered as a legal play. A point to note is that the sidelines and baselines are also a part of the court. Hence, any ball landing on them and touching them in any way is considered to be in. A point is also won when the opposing team hits the ball out of the court. Penalty points are also awarded by the referee as per his discretion in case of any faults committed. When a sideout is won by any team (the receiving team wins the point), the players move clockwise and switch positions. In other words, the front right player becomes the back right player (server). A match usually consists of three sets (games), with the team winning two sets emerging victorious. The team reaching twenty five points first, with a difference of two points at least, wins a game. These are about all the basic volleyball rules that one would need to know to play the game.

Standard Dimensions of a Volleyball Court

The dimensions in feet require to be 60 feet × 30 feet. Around the court should be an area called a free zone, which is 10 feet on all sides, thus, making the entire area needed to be 80 feet × 50 feet. In other words, a volleyball court dimensions in meters should then be 18 meters × 9 meters (not counting the free zone). So whichever way you calculate, remember, the mentioned dimensions are standard, and cannot be different, no matter where the court is located. The court is divided into two sides equally by a net, making each side a dimension of 30 feet × 30 feet. The net is one meter wide and runs from one sideline to the other all across the court. In the men's competition, the net is placed at a height of 2.43 meters from the ground, at the center. For the women's game, the same is at a height of 2.24 meters.

Each side is divided into two zones. The attack zone is up to 3 meters from the net. This is where the three attackers are situated, and the defense lines up in the remaining area of the court. Although, while the game is in progress, the players would obviously switch positions and move around even outside the court to retrieve balls.

Beach Volleyball

Beach volleyball is more of a fun version of the game. You can call it fun in the sun volleyball. The difference is that in this type of volleyball, there are only two players in each side. There is usually 1 foot of sand needed on the court. Anything less would be slightly dangerous, as unlike indoor volleyball, there is no protection gear worn on the hands or legs in beach volleyball. And now, if you are wondering about the beach volleyball court dimensions in feet, it is exactly like indoor volleyball, i.e. 60 feet × 30 feet. Even the height of the net for both men and women is the same as the indoor version.

Volleyball has gained a lot of popularity over the years, and is played in almost every country around the globe. Besides being played for fun, it is also part of some serious competition worldwide. And of course to understand and play it better, it is necessary to be aware of the size and dimensions of the volleyball court.