The Court of the Sport

Okay, since my last couple of posts have been more on the philosophical part of volleyball, I thought this week I would focus on something more practical: the court.

I figure the beginning is as good a place to start as any. So let's start with one of the first things you have to learn about volleyball, either as a player or as a coach. Below is a diagram of a typical indoor volleyball court.

As you can see by the diagram, the court is 18 meters long and 9 meters wide. The height of the net varies, depending on whether you are playing on a women's net or a men's net. A women's net is typically 7"4' high, while a men's net is almost 8". The ten-foot line is, yes you guessed it, about ten feet (3 meters) away from the net.

Now that's about it as far as the actual dimensions of the court go. There aren't a lot of markings on the court like there are in say basketball. However, there are many different spots, or areas, on the court, and each spot is played by a different position.

We'll start by talking about the different areas of the court. As you can see in the diagram below, there are six different areas of the court. When numbering off, you start with the number one and goes counter-clockwise around the court, with one number in each of the six spots.

Next, we'll cover the different positions on the court. I wasn't able to find too great of a diagram for this one, but what's below will have to do.

As you can see, the areas are labeled on this court as well, which is very helpful. Area one is called right back. In most rotations, the setter's base would be at this spot. A player's base is like their home on the court, it's the spot where they would be whenever the ball is on the other side of the net, after all the rotation switches have been made. 

Area two corresponds to the right front position. This is where the right side hitter is based. Area three is usually called middle front (unlike center front which is what the diagram calls it) and this is where the middle hitter is stationed. Similarly, area four is known as left front and this is where the left-side, or outside, hitter is based. 

Going to the back row of the court, the next area (area five) is the left back position. Now, the player who has their base here can vary. Without using any substitutions, the other outside hitter would play this spot. However, most teams use substitutions for the back row unless their outside hitters are extremely good passers, so a defensive specialist (a player who is very good at passing and defense in general) or a libero can also play this position. 

A libero is another type of passer, although most people recognize that player by the opposite color jersey she wears. If you don't know much about the libero, don't worry, I'll cover that in an upcoming post. However, if you're just dying to find out now, click here to learn more about the details of all the different positions on the court and what roles they play. 

The last position (area six) is also a tricky one. Again, if no substitutions are used, the other middle front would play this position. If substitutions are used, a defensive specialist or libero would play this position as well. 

Well hopefully that all made sense to you. (There will be a quiz posted later so be ready!) If you have any further questions or would like something better explained, please feel free to comment below!