Volleyball is accessible to men and women of all ages, both indoors and outside, making it a prominent international sport. In fact, it ranks behind soccer as the second most popular participation sport in the world. It's been estimated that some 800 million people worldwide play volleyball at least once per week. And with so many players, there of course need to be rules.
History
Volleyball, which was originally called mintonette, was created in the U.S. sometime around 1895 by a man named William G. Morgan. It was a blend of basketball, baseball, tennis and handball. The first volleyball net, borrowed from tennis, was only 6 feet, 6 inches, which is quite a bit shorter than nets are today.
Men
Net height for adult men's and co-ed games should be or 7 feet, 11 5/8 inches. This conforms with the standards of the NCAA, Olympic indoor and beach volleyball, and the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP).
Women
Net height for adult women's and reverse co-ed games should be 7 feet, 4 1/8 inches. This conforms with the standards of the NCAA, Olympic indoor and beach volleyball, and the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP).
Under 18
According to volleyball rules posted by Sports Unlimited, net height varies based on age, as well. For boys ages 15 to 18, net height should be 7 feet, 11 5/8 inches. For girls ages 13 to 18 and boys ages 12 and 14, net height should be 7 feet, 4 1/8 inches. For all children ages 11 and 12, net height should be 7 feet. Ages 10 and under should play with a net height of 6 feet, 6 inches.
Volleyball for the Disabled
Sitting volleyball is a version of the game that's played by six players on each side. It enables people with injuries or conditions that don't allow them to stand to play volleyball. In this game, the net is lowered to about 3 feet, 9 inches for men and about 3 feet, 3 inches for women. For both men and women in the Special Olympics, net heights are the same as they are in the Olympic Games--7 feet, 11 5/8 inches for men and 7 feet, 4 1/8 inches for women.
How Net Height Is Measured
Net height should be measured at the center of the playing court, from ground to the top of the net. The height of the net at the sides can be up to 3/4 inches higher than the official height due to stretching. Measurements on a sand volleyball court should be made from the top of the sand, with the sand raked level. On a grass court, however, the measurement should be made from the ground, not the top of the blades of grass.
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