Volleyball Court Dimensions and Space Needed

An official indoor volleyball court is 18 metres long by 9 metres wide. In U.S. court planning, that is usually rounded to about 59 feet by 29 feet 6 inches. The net divides the court into two equal 9-by-9-metre halves.

That is the painted court. The space you actually need is bigger because volleyball needs a free zone around the lines. FIVB rules set a minimum free zone of 3 metres on every side, which makes the minimum total playing area 24 by 15 metres. Use the calculator below before you tape a gym floor, price a backyard pad or mark a sand court.

Volleyball court dimensions at a glance

Boundary lines are part of the court. If a ball touches a sideline or end line, it is in. Zone lines are different: the centre line, attack line and service-zone marks mostly control player actions and positioning.

Volleyball court fit calculator

Enter your available flat space. This checks the total playing area, not only the 18-by-9-metre court.

If your space only fits the court lines, it is fine for a drill grid or casual low-speed play, but it is not a safe full playing area. Players need room to serve, chase tips, dig balls outside the sideline and slow down after a jump.

Official indoor volleyball court size

FIVB Official Volleyball Rules 2025-2028 define the indoor court as an 18-by-9-metre rectangle. The centre line divides it into two equal courts measuring 9 by 9 metres.

The court has four boundary lines:

• two sidelines, each 18 metres long
• two end lines, each 9 metres long

All lines are 5 centimetres wide and must contrast with the floor. The sidelines and end lines are drawn inside the court dimensions, so the full 18 by 9 metres includes the line width.

For rules context beyond court size, use our volleyball rules explained guide. For player alignment, see volleyball positions explained and volleyball rotation explained.

Free zone and ceiling height

The free zone is the clear area around the court. It matters because volleyball is played outside the lines as long as the ball has not hit the floor, a wall, a ceiling obstruction or another out-of-play object.

This is where U.S. gyms can confuse people. USA Volleyball uses the same 18-by-9-metre court, but its indoor rulebook allows a smaller free zone for many nationally sanctioned events than the FIVB minimum. For a new build, use the bigger practical space when you can. A court with just the painted rectangle has no real safety margin.

Attack line, front zone and back zone

The attack line is 3 metres from the axis of the centre line on each side. Its rear edge marks the front zone.

Each team half breaks down like this:

The attack line is why back-row attacks have special rules. A back-row player can attack from behind the line, but if the ball is entirely above the top of the net, that player cannot jump from inside the front zone and complete the attack. This also explains why a setter or libero can be in a legal position one rally and restricted the next, depending on rotation.

Service zone

The service zone is 9 metres wide behind each end line. In FIVB rules, it extends to the end of the free zone. USA Volleyball adds a practical minimum depth rule for sanctioned indoor play, so a short venue may need a marked service line behind the end line.

For casual setup, preserve at least a few steps of serving space behind each end line. A server who has to stand against a wall will either foot fault, serve softly or hit something unsafe on the follow-through.

Net height and posts

Adult indoor volleyball uses the same net heights as beach volleyball:

The net height is measured at the centre of the court. The height over the two sidelines must be the same and cannot exceed the official height by more than 2 centimetres. For the full chart by age group and format, see our volleyball net height guide.

The net itself is 1 metre wide and 9.5 to 10 metres long in indoor volleyball. Antennae sit above the sidelines and mark the legal crossing space for the ball.

Beach volleyball court dimensions

Beach volleyball uses a smaller sand court: 16 metres long by 8 metres wide. It has no centre line and no attack line. That is a major difference from indoor volleyball because two players cover the whole side and can attack from anywhere.

For the rule differences beyond size, start with beach volleyball rules or the comparison guide to beach vs indoor volleyball.

Backyard volleyball court sizes

A backyard volleyball court can be official, modified or purely recreational. The mistake is pretending all three are the same.

If you are building outdoors, remove hard edges, rocks, posts and trip hazards first. Grass can work for casual play if it is level, but sand and hard indoor floors behave very differently. Do not copy indoor dimensions onto a rough yard and expect the same movement.

Volleyball vs tennis, pickleball and badminton size

Volleyball is shorter than tennis but much wider than many people expect once the free zone is included.

This comparison is useful for multi-sport facilities. A volleyball court may look compact on paper, but its overhead clearance and sideline movement make it a poor fit for low ceilings or tight walls.

What most court guides miss

Most volleyball dimension charts get the 18-by-9-metre answer right. The weaker ones do not explain which number you should use for your situation.

The useful distinctions are:

• Court lines are not the same thing as the total playing area.
• FIVB, USA Volleyball, school and recreational venues can use different free-zone rules.
• Indoor and beach courts are different sizes, even though adult net heights match.
• The attack line is not a boundary line. It controls player actions.
• A backyard court can be fun without being regulation, but it should be labelled honestly.

For readers, those gaps matter more than another copied dimensions table. The real planning question is whether your players have enough safe room around the ball, not whether the painted rectangle fits on paper.

Quick setup checklist

Before you mark a volleyball court:

1. Confirm the format: indoor six-player, beach doubles, youth, sitting or modified recreational.
2. Measure the playing court first, then measure the free zone.
3. Check diagonals so the rectangle is square.
4. Use 5-centimetre or 2-inch contrasting lines.
5. Keep boundary lines inside the stated court dimensions.
6. Mark the attack line 3 metres from the centre line for indoor volleyball.
7. Leave safe serving space behind each end line.
8. Set the net height for the division and measure it at the centre.
9. Remove obstacles from the free zone and overhead space.

For official competition, the current rulebook and the event authority control. For home or school use, start from the official numbers, then adjust only when everyone understands the court is modified.

Bottom line

An indoor volleyball court is 18 metres by 9 metres. With the minimum FIVB free zone, plan 24 by 15 metres. For elite FIVB events, the practical footprint expands to 31 by 19 metres. Beach volleyball is smaller at 16 by 8 metres, but still needs clear space around the sand court. If you remember one thing, remember this: the lines define in and out, but the free zone defines whether the court is actually playable.

All measurements above were checked against the FIVB 2025-2028 volleyball rules, FIVB beach volleyball rules and USA Volleyball 2025-2027 indoor rulebook on September 5, 2026.