By Ryan Walker. Updated November 4, 2026: every measurement checked against the FIVB 2025-2028 rules, the NFHS court diagram and the 2026 NCAA, NFHS and USA Volleyball rule comparison. New scale diagrams and a space checker.
Everyone knows a volleyball court is 18 by 9 meters. Every argument I’ve had setting up courts, in gyms, parks and once a church parking lot, was about everything else: the space around it, where the posts go, and why the high school diagram says 60 by 30.
A volleyball court is 18 m long and 9 m wide (59 ft by 29 ft 6 in), split by the net into two 9 x 9 m halves. The attack line is 3 m (9 ft 10 in) from the centre line on each side. All lines are 5 cm (2 in) wide and count as part of the court. A beach court is 16 x 8 m (52 ft 6 in by 26 ft 3 in), with no attack line and no centre line. US high school diagrams round the indoor court to 60 x 30 ft with a 10 ft attack line. Around the court you need a free zone, and its size depends on the level, like much of the rulebook. The six areas inside each half are zones 1 to 6 and the positions that play them.
| Level | Court | Free zone (minimum) | Ceiling | Posts outside sideline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIVB (international) | 18 x 9 m | 3 m all sides | 7 m | 0.5 to 1 m |
| FIVB World and Official events | 18 x 9 m | 5 m sides, 6.5 m ends | 12.5 m | 1 m, padded |
| NCAA | 18 x 9 m | 2 m (3 m for gyms built after 2016) | 25 ft required in gyms built after 2006 | 1 m recommended |
| USA Volleyball | 18 x 9 m | 2 m | 7 m (23 ft) for national events | 0.5 to 1 m |
| High school (NFHS) | 60 x 30 ft (18 x 9 m metric) | 6 ft (10 ft preferred) | 23 ft recommended | 3 ft |
| Beach (FIVB) | 16 x 8 m | 3 m (5 to 6 m at World events) | Outdoors | Outside the sidelines |
| Sitting volleyball | 10 x 6 m | See World ParaVolley rules | – | – |
What the tape measure arguments taught me
In the church parking lot we had chalk, a 100-foot tape and a borrowed net. We got the 18 by 9 right on the first try. Then we put the posts right on the sidelines to save space, and the first player who chased a ball wide nearly ran into one. We moved them. That’s the kind of mistake that hurts somebody.
The bigger lesson came in college, at a summer tournament in Europe. The court was the same size as at home, but the space around it was huge. Our defenders started deeper, our servers had a real runway, and balls that would have hit a wall back home were still playable. Same lines, different game. That’s also where I first saw how the international game differs from what we played in the US.
The indoor court, line by line
- Boundary lines: two sidelines and two end lines, 5 cm (2 in) wide. They are part of the court, so a ball that touches any part of the line is in.
- Centre line: runs under the net and splits the court into two 9 x 9 m halves. Under FIVB rules your foot can touch the other team’s court as long as part of it stays on or above the centre line, and you don’t interfere. Here’s what happens when you go under the net.
- Attack line: 3 m (9 ft 10 in) from the centre line, measured to its back edge. Back-row players have to take off from behind it to attack a ball above the net. Landing in front is fine. That’s why taking off behind the attack line is a skill of its own.
- Attack-line extensions: short dashed lines that continue the attack line past each sideline. Referees use them to judge front zone and back zone on balls played outside the court. NCAA requires them; high school rules don’t address them.
- Service zone: 9 m wide behind each end line, and it runs all the way to the end of the free zone. In a big arena that’s a long runway; in a tight high school gym it might be 6 ft. Good servers use the full width of the service zone, not just the corner.
About the 60 x 30: the NFHS court diagram labels the court 60 by 30 ft with a 10 ft attack line in feet, and 18 by 9 m with a 3 m line in metric. 18 m is really 59 ft and a bit, so the feet version is rounded. Either way, the court you play on is the same.
The space around the court
The free zone is the clear area around the court where you can still play the ball. The court never changes. The free zone and the ceiling are where levels differ, and where most gyms cut corners.
| Free zone | Ceiling | |
|---|---|---|
| FIVB | 3 m all sides (5 m sides and 6.5 m ends at World and Official events) | 7 m, or 12.5 m at World and Official events |
| NCAA | 2 m, or 3 m for facilities built after 2016 | 25 ft required for gyms built after 2006 (41 ft recommended) |
| USA Volleyball | 2 m | 7 m (23 ft) for nationally sanctioned events |
| High school | 6 ft, 10 ft preferred | 23 ft recommended |
Here’s what I tell coaches: if your home gym has the bare minimum, practice serve receive a step deeper than you think, because the first big gym you play in will feel enormous. And a low ceiling changes serving. High float serves that are fine in an arena will clip the rafters at home, so many low gyms have their own ground rules for ceiling contact. Ask before the match, not after the first whistle.
Net, posts and antennas
- Net: 1 m (39 in) tall from top to bottom and 9.5 to 10 m (31 ft 2 in to 33 ft) long, with 10 cm square mesh. High school rules allow 36 to 39 in tall and 31 ft 6 in to 33 ft long.
- Net height: 2.43 m (7 ft 11 5/8 in) for men and 2.24 m (7 ft 4 1/8 in) for women, measured at the centre of the court. Youth nets are lower; see net height by age and level, with a calculator.
- Posts: 2.55 m tall under FIVB rules, placed 0.5 to 1 m outside the sidelines, so about 10 to 11 m apart. At FIVB World and Official events they sit 1 m out and must be padded. NCAA recommends 1 m and high school rules use 3 ft. Never put posts on the sideline.
- Antennas: 1.8 m long and 10 mm thick, fixed to the net directly above each sideline, with the top 80 cm sticking up above the net. The ball has to cross between them. They matter most when you’re blocking near the antenna.
Beach volleyball court dimensions
A beach court is 16 m long and 8 m wide (52 ft 6 in by 26 ft 3 in): 2 m shorter and 1 m narrower than indoor, or half a meter on each side. The net is the same height as indoor. There’s no attack line, so anyone can attack from anywhere, and no centre line under the net. The free zone is at least 3 m, and 5 to 6 m at FIVB World and Official events.
Why smaller? Two players on sand can’t cover 162 square meters. On a full indoor court, beach rallies would end on the first hard swing every time.
Sitting volleyball and youth courts
Sitting volleyball uses a 10 x 6 m court with an attack line 2 m from the centre line. The net is 1.15 m for men and 1.05 m for women. Players have to keep contact with the floor when they play the ball. World ParaVolley sets the rules.
For youth, most club and school volleyball uses the full 18 x 9 m court and lowers the net. Some intro programs for young kids shrink the court and play fewer players a side, so check your league before you tape lines. If you’re setting up for kids, I’d rather see a smaller court with lots of touches than a full court where nobody reaches the ball. My drills that work in a backyard or small gym are built for that.
How much space you need to set up a court
| Setup | Total space | Area |
|---|---|---|
| Court only | 18 x 9 m (59 x 29.5 ft) | 162 m² (about 1,744 sq ft) |
| Rec or club court with a 3 m free zone | 24 x 15 m (about 79 x 49 ft) | 360 m² (about 3,875 sq ft) |
| High school minimum (6 ft around) | about 71 x 42 ft (21.7 x 12.7 m) | about 2,950 sq ft |
| FIVB World and Official event | 31 x 19 m (about 102 x 62 ft) | 589 m² (about 6,340 sq ft) |
| Beach court with a 3 m free zone | 22 x 14 m (about 72 x 46 ft) | 308 m² (about 3,315 sq ft) |
Put your own numbers in the checker below. It tells you which setups fit, and how many courts side by side if you’re planning a tournament gym.
Will a volleyball court fit? Space checker
Measure the open floor (wall to wall, or the usable flat area outside). Ceiling is optional.
Most gyms I’ve run tournaments in fit two courts across the basketball floor, three in the bigger ones. For marking the lines yourself, follow my line-by-line layout guide. Outdoors, grass is fine for fun but uneven ground rolls ankles; sand is easy on falls and hard on legs. Indoors, the floor should be wood or synthetic, and court shoes made for wood floors make a bigger difference than people expect.
Volleyball court dimensions FAQs
An indoor volleyball court is 18 m long and 9 m wide (59 ft by 29 ft 6 in), with an attack line 3 m (9 ft 10 in) from the centre line on each side. A beach court is 16 x 8 m (52 ft 6 in by 26 ft 3 in).
Close. US high school court diagrams label it 60 by 30 ft with a 10 ft attack line. The official metric size is 18 x 9 m, which is 59 ft by 29 ft 6 in, so 60 by 30 is the rounded version.
About 10 to 11 m (33 to 36 ft). Posts go 0.5 to 1 m outside each sideline of the 9 m wide court. At FIVB World and Official events they are exactly 1 m outside and padded.
At least 7 m (23 ft) for most competition. NCAA requires 25 ft in gyms built after 2006, and FIVB World and Official events need 12.5 m.
The court alone is 162 m², about 1,744 sq ft. With a 3 m free zone around it you need about 24 x 15 m, roughly 3,875 sq ft.
Most 12U club and school volleyball uses the full 18 x 9 m court with a lower net. Some intro programs for younger kids use smaller courts, so check your league rules.
In. The lines are part of the court, so a ball that touches any part of a boundary line is in.
A beach court is 16 x 8 m, 2 m shorter and 1 m narrower than the 18 x 9 m indoor court. It has no attack line and no centre line.
Keep playing,
Ryan Walker
Sources
- FIVB Official Volleyball Rules 2025-2028: Rules 1 and 2 (court, free zone, lines, net, posts, antennas)
- 2026 NCAA, NFHS and USA Volleyball rule comparison: free zone, overhead clearance, net and posts
- NFHS volleyball court diagrams, standard and metric
- World ParaVolley: sitting volleyball rules