How High Is A Professional Volleyball Net?

Volleyball has many faces. It can be an exciting sport to play during a family get-together but it is also a demanding and competitive sport when played at the highest level. Professional volleyball requires jumping ability, instincts, athleticism and coordination. In order to get the ball over a net that is just short of 8 feet. A good volleyball team needs to practice long hours in order to gain the teamwork needed to play consistently.

Official height

The official height for the net for professional and Olympic men's volleyball is 7-foot-11 and 5/8 inches. The distances for womens' volleyball and that for men over 45 years old or boys under 18 will vary by age group and other categories, but pro volleyball requires a net that is just under 8 feet tall, according to 2009 regulations.

History

Volleyball was invented in 1895, by Holyoke, Massachusetts physical education teacher William Morgan at a local YMCA. The net was originally 6 feet, 6 inches high on a court that was 25 by 50 feet. According to Morgan's rules, team had an unlimited number of hits to take the ball over the net. Teams must now get it over the net by the completion of the third hit.

Ball regulations

The volleyball itself must meet specific regulartions. The ball needs to have a circumference of 65-to-67 centimeters and it must weigh between 260 to 280 grams. The pressure inside the ball must measure between .30 and .325 kilograms per centimeter square.

Olympic volleyball

The sport was first introduced ot the Olympics in 1924. It was always considered an exciting game, but the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles provided the sport with one of its seminal moments. In that Olympic games, the U.S. Mens' Olympic team swept to the gold and got excellent ratings for NBC television even though many of the matches were televised well after prime time hours. The sport moved into the mainstream of the North American conciousness in that Olympic games.

Beach volleyball

Another competitive angle of the sport came when it branched out to playing on beaches across North America during the post-1984 boom. Beach volleyball was recognized by the International Volleyball Federation in 1987 and it became an Olympic sport in 1996.