Volleyball Court Measurements, Zones and Playing Areas on the Court

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.  

Volleyball Court Measurements: The official half court measurements for both men's and women's courts is 29 feet 6 inches long by 29 feet by 6 inches feet wide. (grifone87)

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!

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.

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.

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

These 6 zones on the volleyball court are called

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

Volleyball Court Measurements: The rally starts with a player serving from the service zone located behind the end line located behind Zone 1, 5 and 6 (Henry Stern)

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.

In recent years, the service zone which was limited to outside of the court behind the endline in zone 1, was increased to include the area outside of the court behind the entire endline from one sideline to the other. 

So in the picture of the VCU volleyball player above, even though she chose to serve the ball from the "traditional" right back service area which is located just behind zone 1, outside of the endline, she was free to move further to her left to attempt the same serve anywhere from behind that white endline as long as she didn't step on it or over it before contacting the ball.   

Volleyball Court Measurements: Penn State Player serves from behind Zone 5 (Position 5/P5) the Left Back (LB) area of the court (John O'Brien)

This means that the serving rules state that when serving the ball, players must still remain outside of the court before contacting the ball, but they can now step further to their left and go anywhere along their end line as long as they stay within the volleyball court sidelines.

Players are now allowed to move behind zone 6 which is middle back or even further left to behind zone 5 which is the left back area of the court (like the Penn State volleyball player in the picture above), to serve the ball, as long as they don't step on or over the line before they contact the ball.

Volleyball Court Measurements: Illinois Volleyball Libero Serving From Behind Zone 1, The Right Back Zone of The Court (Richard Yuan)

Volleyball Court Measurements: The Service Zone Court Diagram Illustrates The Service Area (in Red) Where Players Can Serve The Ball From (Chiba Ryo)

The six feet of space allotted to those who need runway takeoff space for their jump serve or jump float serve.

After the first referee blows their whistle, the server has eight (8) seconds to serve the ball into the opposing court which they have to initiate from behind the service line, inside the service zone, which is indicated in red in the diagram above.

Olympian and Texas Longhorn Volleyball Player, Destinee Hooker Jump Serving From Behind Zone 5 (Aaron Vazquez)

The free zone is marked by a limited amount of space that is outside of the court boundary lines.

The volleyball court measurements are six (6) feet wide and is used as the area where the ball can be kept in play and where players are substituted in and out of the game.

The replacement zone on an indoor volleyball court is where the libero comes in to take the place of the front row hitter she is going to play in the back row for. (Chiba Ryo)

The libero has a special place of their own when they enter the game.

The replacement zone on an indoor volleyball court is where the libero comes in to take the place of the front row hitter she is going to play in the back row for.

The libero doesn't have to wait to enter the game, they can go right in as long as they enter in and out of the areas marked in red on the indoor volleyball court diagram above.

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

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

Along the sidelines, the substitution zone is located between the attack line and the centerline and is where the player coming from the bench and the player coming off the court have to pause and wait 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 more about the  Court Size. 
2. Follow the suggested reading on our Sitemap page Learning How To Play (Sitemap)
3. Or visit the pages in the Volleyball Rules section in the drop down menu at the top 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

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