Volleyball is a team sport played on a rectangular court and and flat playing field, with a net strung across the court and dividing it in half lengthwise. The object is of the game is to hit a ball back and forth over the net until one team fails to return the ball legally. Volleyball competitions, sanctioned by national or international organizations, must follow specific regulations, including the proper dimensions for the area of a court.
Overall Dimensions
According to the USA Volleyball domestic competitive regulations, a volleyball court is 59 feet long and 29 1/2 feet wide. A free zone that is 9 feet 10 inches wide surrounds the entire court. The free playing space over the court must be a minimum of 23 feet high.
Court Lines
The areas within a volleyball court are divided by a 2-inch-wide line that is light colored and contrasts with the color of the floor. Boundary lines, consisting of two sidelines and two end lines, mark the outer edges of the playing court. A center line divides the court across its width into two separate playing courts, extending from sideline to sideline. An attack line is drawn parallel to the net on each court, 9 feet 10 inches back from the center line and from sideline to sideline.
Zones
Each playing court contains a front zone and a service zone. The front zone is the primary playing area of the court and is bounded by the end line, the two sidelines and the attack line. The service zone is a 29 foot 6 inch area behind the end line. The service area is limited by two short lines, each 6 inches long, drawn 8 inches from the end line and extending back from the sidelines.
Net
The USA Volleyball regulations state that the height of the net should be set at 7 feet 11 5/8 inches for male teams ages 15 to 54 and 7 feet 4 1/8 inches for women 13 to 44 years old. Other age groups have nets at varying heights, depending on relative physical ability.
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