Volleyball Court Dimensions & Net Height (FIVB Rules)

Key dimensions at a glance

Element	Metric	Imperial	Reference
Court	18 × 9 m	≈ 59 ft × 29 ft 6 in	Rule 1.1
Free zone, all sides	3 m min.	≈ 9 ft 10 in	Rule 1.1
Free zone, FIVB competitions	5 m sides · 6.5 m ends	—	Rule 1.1
Clear (free playing) height	7 m min.	≈ 23 ft	Rule 1.1
Clear height, FIVB competitions	12.5 m min.	≈ 41 ft	Rule 1.1
Attack line from centre line axis	3 m	≈ 9 ft 10 in	Rule 1.3.4
Line width	5 cm	≈ 2 in	Rule 1.3.1
Net height, men	2.43 m	≈ 7 ft 11⅝ in	Rule 2.1.1
Net height, women	2.24 m	≈ 7 ft 4⅛ in	Rule 2.1.1
Net size	1 m deep × 9.50–10 m long	—	Rule 2.2
Antennae	1.80 m long; 80 cm above the net	—	Rule 2.4
Posts	0.50–1.00 m outside sidelines; 2.55 m high	—	Rule 2.5

The FIVB works in metres; feet are conversions.

How the court is marked

The side and end lines are drawn inside the 18 × 9 m, and every line is 5 cm wide, in a light colour different from the floor. The centre line runs under the net and divides the court into two 9 × 9 m halves. In each half, the attack line is drawn with its rear edge 3 m from the axis of the centre line, marking off the front zone. For FIVB world and official competitions the attack line is extended outside the sidelines by five 15 cm dashes, 20 cm apart.

The service zone is the 9 m width behind each end line, marked by two 15 cm lines 20 cm behind it in line with the sidelines, and it runs back to the end of the free zone.

Net, antennae and posts

The net height is measured at the centre of the court: 2.43 m for men and 2.24 m for women. At the two sidelines it must be the same height and no more than 2 cm above the official height. The net is 1 m deep and 9.50–10 m long, with a 10 cm square black mesh. Antennae are 1.80 m long and rise 80 cm above the net, directly above the side bands.

The posts stand 0.50–1.00 m outside the sidelines and are 2.55 m high. For FIVB competitions they are set exactly 1 m outside the sidelines and padded. Post sockets therefore end up 10–11 m apart, and they must not land on another sport’s lines.

Free zone, height, light and temperature

Requirement	General minimum	FIVB world & official
Free zone	3 m all round	5 m beside sidelines, 6.5 m behind end lines
Overall area (court + free zone)	24 × 15 m	31 × 19 m
Clear height above the playing area	7 m	12.5 m
Lighting	300 lux min.	2,000 lux min., measured 1 m above the surface
Temperature	10 °C min.	Maximum set by the FIVB Technical Delegate

The overall areas are our arithmetic from the free-zone figures. Surfaces must be flat, horizontal and uniform; FIVB competitions require wooden or synthetic floors, with the court and free zone in different colours. Outdoor courts may slope up to 5 mm per metre for drainage.

Beach volleyball

Element	Figure	Reference
Court	16 × 8 m	Rule 1.1
Free zone	3 m min.; 5–6 m for FIVB competitions	Rule 1.1
Clear height	7 m min.; 12.5 m for FIVB competitions	Rule 1.1
Sand depth, FIVB competitions	40 cm min.	Rule 1.2.2
Net height, men / women	2.43 m / 2.24 m	Rule 2.1
Net height, under-16 / under-14 / under-12	2.24 m / 2.12 m / 2.00 m	Rule 2.1

Source: FIVB Official Beach Volleyball Rules 2025–2028. The age-group net heights are in the beach rules, not the indoor rules.

Figures that circulate but are wrong

“Indoor lighting 1,000–1,500 lux.” That figure comes from earlier editions. The 2025–2028 rules give 300 lux generally and 2,000 lux for FIVB competitions; 1,000–1,500 lux applies to beach night play.
“Temperature 16–25 °C.” Also from earlier editions. The current rule is a 10 °C minimum, with any maximum set by the FIVB Technical Delegate.
“The free zone is 5 m and the height 12.5 m.” Those apply to FIVB world and official competitions. The general minimums are 3 m and 7 m.
“Youth indoor net heights are in the FIVB rules.” The 2025–2028 indoor rules give only 2.43 m and 2.24 m; the age table is in the beach rules.

What this means for a hall

Where a hall is meant to host FIVB-level volleyball, its 12.5 m clear height is usually the highest requirement in the building, and the free zone sets more of the floor than the court does. A hall built to the 7 m minimum cannot later host competitions that need 12.5 m — the section is the one thing that cannot be upgraded.

We fix the competition level first, then set out the hall from these FIVB figures. See Indoor Multi-Sport Hall Design and Planning an Indoor Sports Hall.

Sources

Figures checked against these documents on 2 Oct 2026. Where a figure is our own arithmetic from official values, the text says so.

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