Volleyball Court Measurements, Zones and Playing Areas on the Court (2024)

Learn the volleyball court measurements like the length and width of the court, the height and length of the net and learn the zones on the volleyball court.

Welcome to my comprehensive guide on volleyball court measurements!

Whether you're a beginner looking to learn the basics or an experienced player seeking a refresher, understanding the dimensions of a volleyball court is necessary in order to build your game IQ.

In this guide, I will explore everything from the full court and half court measurements to the height of the net and the various zones on the court.

You'll gain a clear understanding of the official standards and regulations that govern the size and layout of a volleyball court.

So, let's get started and explore the essential measurements that make up this dynamic and exciting sport!

Full Volleyball Court Measurements

The playing surface area for two team's competing against each other is called the full court and the official full volleyball court measurements are 59 feet by 29 feet by 6 inches.

These measurements are for both men's and women's courts and is usually rounded up to 60 feet long by 30 feet wide.

Half Volleyball Court Measurements

The official volleyball court measurements for one team's playing area also known as half court is 29 feet 6 inches by 29 feet by 6 inches.

The half volleyball court measurements for both men's and women's courts is often rounded up to 30 feet long by 30 feet wide.

I played in Italy where professional volleyball is the second most popular sport.

In Europe, where the metric system is used the volleyball court measurements are 9 meters wide by 9 meters long for half court and 18 meters long by 9 meters wide.

For international, collegiate or club volleyball competition regardless of where you play and on what net height you practice and/or compete the volleyball court size does not change.

Regulation court dimensions for high school differ slightly.

The length of the full court and the width of the full court are all the same size and they always stay the same. Only the net heights change depending on the discipline.

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What are the 6 court zones located on the court?

There are 6 specific volleyball zones on the court which most players learn about first.

These 6 zones are rotational positions on the court that

• players rotate in and out of when their teams win a rally and the right to serve

These same zones are also called serving zones that

• teams on offense have their players serve to

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These 6 zones on the volleyball court are called

• Zone1 located in Right Back - is also called RB or P1, Position 1
• Zone2 located Right Front - is also called RF or P2, Position 2
• Zone3 located Middle Front- is also called MF or P3, Position 3
• Zone4 located Left Front- is called LF or P4, Position 4
• Zone5 located Left Back - is called LB or P5, Position 5
• Zone6 located Middle Back - is called MB or P6, Position 6

Volleyball Court Measurements
The Service Zone

Where is the service zone?

The service zone is where players serve the ball from at the beginning of each rally and it's located just beyond the endlines on each half of the court.

The volleyball court measurements for the service zones are 29 feet by 6 inches wide which is the same as the width of the court and it extends to six feet deep behind the endline.

There are two lines that serve as extensions to the sidelines that connect the furthest end of the service line to the court endline.

The service zone extends to the end of the free zone.

Volleyball Court Measurements
The History of the Service Zone

In recent years, the service zone which was limited to outsideof the courtbehind the endline in zone 1,was increasedto include thearea outside of the courtbehind the entire endline from onesideline tothe other.

So in the picture of the VCU volleyball player above, even though shechose to serve the ball from the "traditional"right backservice areawhich is located just behind zone 1, outside of the endline, she was freeto move further to her left to attempt the same serveanywhere frombehind that white endlineas long as she didn'tstep on it or overitbefore contacting the ball.

This means that the serving rules state that when serving the ball, players must still remain outsideof the court before contacting the ball, but they can now step furtherto their left and go anywhere along their end line as long as they staywithin the volleyball court sidelines.

Players are now allowed to move behind zone 6 which is middleback oreven further left to behind zone 5 which is the left backarea of thecourt (like the Penn State volleyball player in thepicture above), toserve the ball,as long as they don't step on orover the linebefore they contact the ball.

Volleyball Court Measurements
What Happens in the Service Zone?

Thesix feet of space allotted tothosewho need runway takeoff space for their jump serve or jump floatserve.

Afterthe first referee blows their whistle, the server has eight (8)seconds to serve the ball into the opposing courtwhich theyhave to initiatefrom behind the service line, inside the servicezone, which is indicated in red in the diagram above.

Volleyball Court Measurements
The Free Zone

Thefree zoneis marked by a limited amount of space thatis outside of thecourtboundary lines.

The volleyball court measurements are six (6) feet wideand is used as the area where the ball canbe kept inplay and where playersare substituted in and out ofthe game.

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Volleyball Court Measurements
The Replacement Zones

The liberohas a special place of their own when they enter thegame.

The replacement zone on an indoor volleyball court is where the liberocomes in to take the place ofthefront row hittershe is going toplay in theback row for.

The libero doesn't have to wait to enter the game,they can go rightin aslong as they enter in and out of the areas marked in red on theindoorvolleyballcourt diagram above.

Volleyball Court Measurements
The Substitution Zone

This area is designated to players who are coming in to substitute ateammate during a game.

The red zone on the indoor court diagram indicates where thesubstitution zone is located.

Along the sidelines, thesubstitution zoneis located between theattack line and the centerline and is where the player coming from thebench and the player coming off the court have to pause andwait until the referee acknowledges that the substitution can be made.

Volleyball Court:
Where Do You Go From Here?

Good times! Where do you need to go now? Here are three options:

1. Learn moreabout theCourt Size.
2. Follow the suggested reading on our Sitemap pageLearning How To Play(Sitemap)
3. Or visit the pages in theVolleyball Rulessection in thedrop down menu atthetop of the page.

1. Improve Your Volleyball Performance with Private Volleyball Coach April Chapple
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2. What's The Volleyball Court Size? Volleyball Basics For Beginners
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3. Volleyball Court Measurements, Zones and Playing Areas on the Court