Volleyball in the garden: net height, court size and a safe set-up

This article in other languages: Deutsch · Polski

Neither FIVB rulebook mentions grass: the indoor rules ask for a flat, horizontal and uniform surface, the beach rules for levelled sand.¹² For the garden you borrow from both: the indoor court for six against six, the beach court for two against two, the same net for all. Here are the official numbers, what they mean on a smaller lawn, and how to measure and secure the net. Our own tips are marked as such.

How high is a volleyball net?

For adults the net is the same indoors and on the beach: its top hangs at 2.43 m for men and 2.24 m for women, 19 cm apart.¹² The beach rulebook allows lower nets for young players, and USA Volleyball sets a height for every age group. Its table also covers mixed play: co-ed teams use the men’s height, reverse co-ed teams the women’s.³

To set two to four age groups side by side, use our net height comparison. In a league or tournament, the rules of that competition decide.

Court size: 18 × 9, 16 × 8 and smaller

An indoor court is 18 × 9 m, split by the centre line into two halves of 9 × 9 m. A beach court is 16 × 8 m with no centre line. All lines are 5 cm wide and lie inside these measurements.¹² The beach court is 34 m² smaller, about 21% less. Young players often use smaller courts with fewer players:

*Our calculation: half the court divided by the players on one side. USA Volleyball allows its shorter courts “for developmental purposes” and says nothing about the number of players.³

Space per player on their own half of the court

Indoor 6 v 613.5 m²

Beach 2 v 232.0 m²

4 v 4, 14 × 7 m12.3 m²

2 v 2, 10 × 4.5 m11.3 m²

1 v 1, 8 × 3 m12.0 m²

Indoors each player looks after 13.5 m² of court, and the youth formats in the table stay between 11 and 13 m². On the beach each player covers 32 m², more than twice as much. Our tip: for two against two on a small lawn, 14 × 7 m still leaves 24.5 m² per player; the German youth beach championships use this size for the U15 and U16.⁶

Net, antennae and posts

Both rulebooks describe almost the same equipment; net length, post distance and padding differ:¹²

The indoor net reaches 25 to 50 cm past each side band, the 8.5 m beach net 25 cm. The antennae stand at the outer edge of the side bands, on opposite sides of the net, and mark the space the ball must cross.¹ Their tips are 3.04 m above the ground with a women’s net and 3.23 m with a men’s net. A 2.55 m post stands 12 cm above a men’s net and 31 cm above a women’s; the rules prefer adjustable posts.¹

Free zone: how much space you need

Around the court the rules ask for a free zone of at least 3 m on all sides and free space up to 7 m above the ground. At FIVB events the indoor free zone grows to 5 m at the sides and 6.5 m at the ends, the beach free zone to 5–6 m, and the free space to 12.5 m.¹² USA Volleyball accepts a free zone of 2 m.³ With the 3 m minimum, an indoor court takes up 24 × 15 m, or 360 m², a beach court 22 × 14 m, or 308 m². With 2 m the indoor court needs 286 m², with the FIVB’s event measurements 589 m².

Our tip, not a rule: trees and low branches, fences, flower beds, steps and garden furniture belong outside that area. If the lawn is too small, shorten the court rather than the free zone.

How to measure the net height

The rules say where: in the middle of the court. Over both side lines the net must be at exactly the same height, and no more than 2 cm above the official height, so at most 2.45 m for men and 2.26 m for women.¹ On the beach the height is taken with a measuring rod.² Our own tips:

• Tighten the net first; a sagging top band lowers the middle.
• Mark 2.24 m and 2.43 m (or your age group’s height) on a straight lath and use it as a measuring rod.
• Stand it upright under the middle of the net, set the top of the net to the mark, then check above both side lines and adjust the posts until all three points match.
• Measure again after a while: posts in grass or sand can lean once the net is under tension.

Safety: posts, guy ropes and ground

The rules want round, smooth posts fixed to the ground without wires, and no dangerous or obstructing devices. Beach posts must always be padded, indoor posts at FIVB events.¹² The USA Volleyball rules go further: posts padded up to at least 1.7 m with at least 1.25 cm of shock-absorbing material, wires that cannot be removed padded along their whole length, and supports such as barrels clearly marked.³

The ground must not be rough or slippery. Outdoors the indoor rules allow a slope of 5 mm per metre for drainage, which adds up to 9 cm along an 18 m court, and forbid lines made of solid materials.¹ On sand, lines are ribbons, and exposed anchors should be soft and flexible.² More about sand is on our beach volleyball page and in indoor vs beach.

Our tips, not rules: if your posts need guy ropes, anchor them outside the court and the free zone, make them easy to see and pad them. Before you play, fill holes, remove stones and mark sprinkler heads. Wet grass is slippery; wait until it has dried.

Frequently asked questions

How high is a volleyball net?

2.43 m for men and 2.24 m for women, indoors and on the beach (FIVB rule 2.1.1). Youth and senior groups often play lower; USA Volleyball, for example, uses 1.98 m for girls 10 and under.

What size is a volleyball court?

18 × 9 m indoors and 16 × 8 m on the beach, each surrounded by a free zone of at least 3 m. With that free zone, an indoor court needs 360 m² and a beach court 308 m².

Where do you measure the height of a volleyball net?

In the middle of the court. Over both side lines the net must be at the same height and no more than 2 cm above the official height.

How far apart are volleyball net posts?

Indoors they stand 0.50–1.00 m outside each side line, so 10–11 m apart; on the beach 0.70–1.00 m, so 9.4–10 m apart. They are 2.55 m high.