Volleyball Court Dimensions
Volleyball court dimensions are the same for both indoor and outdoor volleyball. In competitive volleyball, the court measurements, net requirements and ball particulars are strictly followed and must be the same for all games and teams.
The game of volleyball is played on a rectangular court that is divided in half by a high net. The court measurements for regulation play are 18 meters (59 feet) long by 9 meters (29 feet 6 inches) wide.
Volleyball Court Dimensions - The Lines and Zones
The Centerline divides the volleyball court into two equal halves that measure a perfect square, 9 meters by 9 meters. The volleyball net is hung at the Centerline.
The Attack Line, or Center Line, is 3 meters (9 feet 10 inches) from the net on each side of the court. The Attack Line runs parallel to the net and divides the playing area into the back row (or back court) and front row (or front court).
The rows are further divided into zones, with three zones and positions per row. From left to right, the back row has Zone 5 - Left Back Position, Zone 6 - Middle Back Position, and Zone 1 - Right Back Position, where the server is stationed during service. The front row has Zone 4 - Left Front Position, Zone 3 - Middle Front Position, and Zone 2 - Right Front Position, also in order from left to right.
The Free Zone is the area surrounding the volleyball court. It measures 3 meters wide, and players are allowed to enter the Free Zone during game play.
The court boundary lines are generally 2 inches wide, and they are part of the actual court measurements. So the ball remains in play if it lands directly on the line.
Volleyball Court Dimensions - The Net
The volleyball net is hung at the exact center of the volleyball court between the two sidelines. It is 1 meter wide and the height is different for men and women. For men-s games, the volleyball net is 2.43 meters from the floor (7 feet, 11 5/8 inches). For women-s games, the volleyball net hangs 2.24 meters off of the floor (7 feet, 4 inches).
An antenna is placed on each side of the net, lining up with the sidelines or court boundaries. The two antennae are a guideline for when the ball is in or out of play. The ball must pass completely over the net and inside both of these antennae in order to remain in play.
If the ball hits the antenna, it is out of play. If the ball wanders outside the antenna or crosses the net directly above the antenna, it is out of play. The ball is also out of play if it hits the cables, netting or poles.
Keeping volleyball court dimensions consistent helps to keep game play fair. Uniform volleyball court dimensions also make it easier for players to comply with the rules of the game, since they are already familiar with the court, the net and the zones.