Volleyball has a long history in the United States, dating to its invention in 1895. The equipment required to play a game of volleyball are the court, the net and the ball. Optional equipment like protective knee pads helps protect players from injury. USA Volleyball is the national governing body in the United States and determines the rules for official games.
The Court
A volleyball court is a rectangle marked by four boundary lines. The size of the court for official indoor and beach games is dictated by USA volleyball. For an official indoor volleyball court, the width is divided in equal halves at the center and it measures 59 feet long by 29 feet 6 inches wide. The attack line is drawn 9 feet 10 inches back from the center line on both sides of the court. An official beach volleyball court is 52 feet 6 inches long by 26 feet 3 inches wide, without a center or attack line.
The Net
The inventor of volleyball, William G. Morgan, got the idea to use a net in volleyball from the game of tennis. During the first volleyball game, Morgan set the net height at 6 feet 6 inches. Today, the height of the net depends on the age and gender of the players. As stated in the official USA Volleyball rules, the height from the court to the top of the net in indoor and beach volleyball should be 7 feet 11 5/8 inches for men and 7 feet 4 1/8 inches for women. The net should measure 39 inches wide and 31 feet 6 to 33 feet long, and be made of 4-inch-square black mesh. An official beach volleyball net should measure 28 feet long.
The Ball
Morgan hoped to use a basketball for playing volleyball but found it was too heavy. In 1900, a ball was specially designed for volleyball by the firm A.G. Spalding and Bros. in Massachusetts at Morgan's request. This ball was made of leather. The first volleyballs had a circumference of not more than 27 inches and not less than 25 inches. They weighed no more than 12 oz. and not less than 9 oz. The volleyball used today is almost the same as the ball made in 1900. A ball used in an official USA Volleyball game must be made of flexible leather or synthetic leather, have a circumference of 25.6 to 26.4 inches and weigh 9 to 10 oz., with an inside pressure of 4.26 to 4.61 psi. An official beach volleyball must have a circumference of 25.9 to 26.8 inches and weigh 8 to 10 oz., with an inside pressure of 2.5 to 3.2 psi.
Knee Pads
The knee pads used in volleyball are not required equipment but are designed to give players freedom of movement while protecting the patella and supporting the knee joint. Some knee pads are made of materials designed to absorb the shock of landing on your knees.
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