Volleyball court diagram explaining the court.
Court Terminology
ANTENNA:
A boundary marker that determines the boundaries of the court on the net.
CENTERLINE:
The centerline divides an indoor court in half. It is directly below the net.
COURT:
The volleyball court is an area divided into two equal halves by a net. It is 18 meters (59 feet, 0.75 inches) long and nine meters (29 feet, 6.375 inches) wide.
The net is 2.24 meters (7 feet, 4.125 inches) high for women and 2.43 meters (7 feet, 11 inches) for men.
Multiple Adjacent Volleyball Courts
ENDLINE:
The base line or boundary marker that runs parallel to the net, at the end of the court.
FOOT FAULT:
When a server steps on the endline while serving. The server may step on or over the line after the ball has been contacted.
ROTATION:
The clockwise movement of a team each time it wins the serve.
SIDELINE:
The side boundaries on the volleyball court diagram are known as the “sideline”.
Free zone, endline, attack line, sideline, and centerline
FREE ZONE:
The free zone is the area outside the boundary lines of the court where players sometimes make plays.
NET:
The net is the volleyball net that goes down the middle of the court and divides each teams playing area in half.
REPLACEMENT ZONE:
The replacement zone is the area of the court where the libero enters the game for a back row player.
SUBSTITUTION ZONE:
The substitution zone is the area between the attack line and the centerline along the sideline where substitutes sub into the game.
Volleyball Court Diagram Rules
To be successful at volleyball, you need to understand “court markings” and the rules of the game.
Measure Net Height
Centerline Rules
On the volleyball court diagram, the line that separates the two teams is the centerline. Players can legally cross the centerline with part of the hand or foot. If the entire hand or foot crosses the centerline then it’s a line violation.
At the NCAA Collegiate level, players can cross the centerline as long as part of their body remains on their teams side and they don’t interfere with play of the opponent (or cause a hazard).
3 Meter Line Rules (10 foot line or attack line)
On the volleyball court diagram, the line that crosses the court 3 meters from the centerline is called the 3 meter line (attack line). This line is used to help determine illegal back row attacks. In 6’s volleyball, there are 3 front row players and 3 backrow players.
The players in the backrow can’t attack from inside the 3 meter line.
Also, the libero can’t hand set to an attacker when in front of the the attack line. For example, if the libero’s has part of a foot in front of the attack line when they hand set, the next player that plays the ball must contact the ball with part of the ball below the top of the net or the play will be whistled, “illegal attack”.
Attack Markings for 3 Meters
Replacement Zone Rules
It’s illegal for the libero to enter/exit the game through the substitution zone.
For example, the libero must cross the replacement zone when leaving or entering the game. This is mainly so the referee doesn’t get confused on whether or not the player is a substitute or libero placement. The libero isn’t a sub, therefore, no stop in play is needed.
Substitution Zone Rules
Players subbing must enter the substitution zone. Entering the substitution zone is the “request for substitution”. Once entering the zone, the player must enter the game. If the player chooses not to enter the game, the result is a sanction (team delay warning).
Free Zone Rules
Players may make plays on the ball in the free zone (the playable area that surrounds the court).
If a player is leaving the free zone while making a play on a ball, the player must have part of their body in contact with the playing surface. For example, dragging the toe while making a play on the ball then falling off the playable surface is legal and play continues.
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