Both volleyball and badminton require a rectangular court with a net across the middle. The standard court dimensions and boundary lines vary between the two sports. The International Federation of Volleyball and the Badminton World Federation provide court and net specifications that serve as standards for these two sports.
Volleyball Court Dimensions
The standard volleyball court measures 59 feet long and 29 feet 6 inches wide. The ITF rulebook specifies that at least 9 feet 10 inches of free space, designated as the free zone, must surround the court on all sides. The court must have at least 23 feet of free space above the playing surface.
Volleyball Court Lines
All boundary lines on the volleyball court must measure 2 inches wide. The lines must appear in a color that contrasts with the floor. The court’s exterior boundaries, including the sidelines and the end lines, must be drawn within the court’s dimensions. The center line divides the court into two equal parts. Attack lines run parallel to the center line and 9 feet 10 inches away from it on each side of the court. The attack lines separate the front zone and back zone on each side of the court.
Badminton Court Dimensions
The standard badminton court is shorter and narrower than the standard volleyball court. The court measures 44 feet long, 20 feet wide for doubles matches and 17 feet wide for singles matches. The Badminton World Federation does not specify the amount of free space that should surround the court.
Badminton Court Lines
The badminton court’s boundary lines, like the volleyball court’s boundaries, must be drawn within the court’s dimensions. The lines on the badminton court should measure about 1 1/2 inches wide and must be light colored, preferably white or yellow. The court has two sets of sidelines, including the doubles sidelines 20 feet apart and the singles sidelines 17 feet apart. The net line runs across the middle of the court, dividing it into two equal sides. A short service line runs 6 feet 6 inches from the net line on either side of the court. Center lines divide the space between the short service lines and the end lines into two equal service courts. The long service lines for doubles run parallel to the end lines and 2 1/2 feet in front of them.
Nets
The badminton net must measure 5 feet high at the center and no more than 5 feet 1 inch at either sideline. Volleyball requires a much higher net than badminton. For official men’s competition, the net must measure 7 feet 11 5/8 inches at the center of the court. For official women’s competition, the net must measure 7 feet 4 1/8 inches at the center of the court. The net’s height at the sidelines must not be more than 3/4 inch higher than at the center of the court.
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