RULES OF THE GAME olleyball is a team sport in which players use their hands or arms to knock a ball over a net Two teams usually with six players each compete in a volleyball game Volleyball requires a mini mum of equipment and space and can be played indoors or outdoors CoURT AND EQUIPMENT The indoor game is played on a smooth surfaced court 9 meters 30 feet wide by 18 meters 60 feet long divided by a center line into two equal areas one of which is selected by or assigned to each of the two competing teams Players may not step completely beyond the center line while the ball is in play A line 3 meters 10 feet from and parallel to the center line of each half of the court indicates the point in front of which a back court player may not IO
RULES OF THE GAME VOLLEYBALL COURT 7 ft 115 8 in men 7 ft 41 8 in women left back left forward o right forward right back end line 29 ft 6 in center center back forward Od center forward center back serving area right right 9 10 in ft back forward o 0 left forward left back 9 ft 10 in sideline 29 ft 6 in An indoor volleyball court consists of two adjacent squares each measuring 29 feet 6 inches on a side and separated by a net Players advance position with each change of serve The player at the right back position serves Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc drive the ball over the net from a position above the top of the net This offensive action called a spike or kill is usually performed most effec tively and with greatest power near the net by the forward line of players A tightly stretched net is placed across the court exactly above the middle of the center line official net heights measured from the top edge of the net to the playing surface in the middle of the court are 2 4 meters 8 feet for men and 2 2 meters II
VoLLEYBALL AND ITS GREATEST PLAYERS 7 4 feet for women Further adjustments in net height can be made for young people and others who need a lower net A vertical tape marker is attached to the net directly above each side boundary line of the court and to help game officials judge whether served or volleyed balls are in or out of bounds a flex ible antenna extends I meter 3 feet above the net along the outer edge of each vertical tape marker The ball used is around 260 to 280 grams 9 to 10 ounces and is inflated to about 65 cm 25 6 inches in circumference A ball must pass over the net entirely between the antennae A service area tra ditionally 3 meters 10 feet long is marked outside and behind the right one third of each court end line At the 1996 Olympic Games the service area was extended to 9 meters 30 feet The service must be made from within or behind this area A space at least 2 meters 6 feet wide around the entire court is needed to permit freedom of action eliminate hazards from obstructions and allow space for net support posts and the officials stands A clear area above the court at least 8 meters 26 feet high is required to permit the ball to be served or received and played without interference I2
RULES OF THE GAME Beach volleyball is usually played as its name implies on a sand court with two players per team The court dimensions for beach volleyball are 8 meters 26 feet by 16 meters 52 feet making it slightly smaller than the court space used in indoor volleyball Also unlike on the indoor vol leyball court in beach volleyball the court has no attack line designated 3 meters A beach volleyball court has many of the features found on an indoor court However a beach court is smaller and has no attack line near the net Matej Divizna Getty Images 13
