Volleyball, a game created in the U.S. in 1895 by William G. Morgan, was introduced to the Olympics at the Tokyo games in 1964. In 1996, beach volleyball--played on a smaller-sized court and with only two participants -- was introduced to the Olympics. The game's popularity is highlighted by the 800 million players worldwide.
Indoor Volleyball Court
The court is defined by the Federation of International Volleyball, or FIVB, as the "free zone" or an area that not only contains the pitch but a 3-meter area around the court for the players to maneuver. The playing court is a symmetrical rectangle of 18 meters by 9 meters and the height of the roof must be no less than 7 meters. The "attacking zone" extends 3 meters back on each side of the center line. All the lines on the court, for official FIVB tournaments, must be white and no less than 5 cm wide.
Net
The height of the net is different for men and women. Set the net at a height of 2.43 meters from the center line of the court for men. The center line is placed directly down the middle, with a 9 meter square on either side. Set the net at a height of 2.24 meters for women. The net measures 1 meters wide, and no less than 9.5 meters long with a white canvas outline.
Beach Volleyball Court
The beach volleyball court is slightly smaller than the traditional volleyball court. The free zone again extends 3 meters around the outside of the playing court. The playing court measures 16 meters by 8 meters, is a symmetrical rectangle, and there must be an area 7 meters high above the ground for the players to serve, set up and smash. Never measure a center line on a beach volleyball playing court. The FIVB states the lines "must be of a colour which contrasts sharply with the colour of the sand." There is no attacking zone in beach volleyball.
Net
The beach volleyball net is 1 meter wide and no less than 8.5 meters long. A 7 cm "dark blue or bright" canvas band runs around the outside of the net. The height of the net is 2.43 meters for men and 2.24 meters for women, and is always placed across the center axis of the court, leaving two 8 meters boxes on either side. The posts of the net are always a smooth circular shape to avoid potential injury to the players.
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