Volleyball: Court, Net, Ball, Attire, and Match Rules

The Playing Field

The volleyball court is a rectangle 18 meters long by 9 meters wide, divided at its center by a net. The playing area extends into a free zone outside the court, provided the ball doesn't touch the ground or any other object. This free zone is at least 3 meters wide, but in international competitions, it's increased to 5 meters on the sidelines and 8 meters at the baselines. The free space above the court must be at least 7 meters, and up to 12.5 meters in international competitions.

A line 3 meters from the net in each court defines the attack zone, where actions are restricted for players in defensive roles (defenders and libero). These lines extend beyond the court with broken lines. All lines are 5 cm wide.

Players maintain continuous contact with the ground, often using joint protection. The surface must not be rough or slippery.

The Net

The net is 1 meter wide and 9.5 to 10 meters long, with two bands and two vertical rods at the sidelines. The upper edge of the net, the rods, and the pavilion's roof define the space through which the ball must pass to reach the opposite court.

The net's height varies by category, with adult men's height at 2.43 meters and women's at 2.24 meters.

The Ball

The volleyball is spherical and flexible, with a circumference of 65-67 cm, a weight of 260-280 grams, and an internal pressure between 0.300 and 0.325 kg/cm². It's smaller and lighter than basketball or soccer balls. It can be made of various materials, but leather is the most common. Plastic balls are sometimes used in training.

Attire

Volleyball players wear jerseys, shorts, socks, shoes, and kneepads. Due to the continuous contact with the ground, they often wear knee and elbow pads. The libero is easily distinguished by their different colored jersey.

Matches

Playing Time

A match consists of three, four, or five sets. Volleyball games are played best of five sets. A team wins a match when they win three sets. A team wins a set when they reach or exceed 25 points with a two-point lead (e.g., 25-23, or 26-24).

If a fifth set is needed, the goal is lowered to 15 points, also with a two-point lead. This set is shorter, but the duration of volleyball games can vary from about an hour to over two hours.

The courts are drawn before the game and the kickoff. Each set involves an alternating change of court and serve. If a fifth set is needed, a new draw is made, and the teams change courts when the first team reaches 8 points.

Downtime

Each team can request up to two 30-second timeouts per set. Timeouts can be requested by the coach or captain. In official championships, there are also two 60-second technical timeouts when the first team reaches 8 and 16 points, respectively, in each set, except for the fifth set.