The court is 18 by 9 metres—and a boundary line is in.

The governing rules used on this page

This explanation uses the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) Official Volleyball Rules 2025–2028, approved by the 39th FIVB World Congress in 2024 and implemented for competitions beginning after 1 January 2025. The controlling provisions are Rules 1.1–1.4 for the playing area, lines and zones, and Rules 8.3–8.4 for “in” and “out.”

The FIVB book separates its general minimum facility requirements from larger requirements for “FIVB, World and Official Competitions.” A national federation, school, youth programme or league may adopt different facility specifications, so those appointed competition rules control outside this page's international scope.

The measurements that define the layout

• Playing court: 18 x 9 m (Rule 1.1).
• Each team's court: 9 x 9 m, divided at the axis of the centre line (Rule 1.3.3).
• Line width: 5 cm (Rule 1.3.1).
• Attack line: its rear edge is 3 m from the axis of the centre line (Rule 1.3.4).
• Service zone: 9 m wide behind the end line, extending to the end of the free zone (Rule 1.4.2).
• General free zone: at least 3 m wide on every side, with at least 7 m of unobstructed height (Rule 1.1).
• FIVB, World and Official Competitions: 5 m free beyond each side line, 6.5 m beyond each end line and at least 12.5 m unobstructed height (Rule 1.1).

The 18 x 9 m measurement includes the painted boundaries

Rule 1.3.2 says the two side lines and two end lines are drawn inside the dimensions of the playing court. The outside edges of those four 5 cm lines therefore enclose the 18 x 9 m rectangle; the paint is not extra width added around it.

Rule 1.3.1 requires every court line to be a light colour that differs from the floor and from other lines. That matters in multi-sport halls: only the designated volleyball markings control the match. A basketball or badminton line crossing the floor has no volleyball effect.

Look at the ball's floor contact, not its centre

Under FIVB Rule 8.3, the ball is “in” if, at any moment during its contact with the floor, some part of it touches the court—including a side line or end line. The ball's centre can be outside the court and the landing can still be in.

Rule 8.4.1 makes the opposite test: the ball is out on a floor landing only when all parts of the ball that contact the floor are completely outside the boundary lines. There is no separate neutral strip at the outside edge of the paint.

“Out” is not limited to landing beyond a line

FIVB Rule 8.4 also ends the rally when the ball touches an object outside the court, the ceiling or a person out of play; touches an antenna, rope, post or the part of the net outside the side bands; crosses the net plane outside the crossing space (subject to the first-hit recovery in Rule 10.1.2); or crosses completely through the lower space beneath the net.

This is why a ball can be ruled out before it lands. A spike that contacts an antenna is out at that contact even if the ball later drops onto a boundary line.

Its axis divides the courts, but the whole line belongs to both

Under Rule 1.3.3, the centre line runs beneath the net from side line to side line. Its axis divides the court into two equal 9 x 9 m courts, while the entire 5 cm width is considered to belong to both courts equally.

That shared status explains—but does not by itself decide—player penetration. Rules 11.2.2 and 11.4.3 allow a foot to touch the opponent's court if some part of that foot remains in contact with, or directly above, the centre line and the action does not interfere. A foot penetrating completely into the opponent's court is a fault. A body part above the feet may touch the opponent's court if there is no interference.

The related interference and net tests are explained in net, centre-line and overreach rules.

The rear edge—not the centre of the paint—is 3 m back

Rule 1.3.4 places the rear edge of each attack line 3 m from the axis of the centre line. The front zone runs from the centre-line axis to that rear edge, and Rule 1.4.1 treats the front zone as continuing beyond both side lines to the end of the free zone.

For FIVB, World and Official Competitions, each attack line continues outside the side lines as five broken marks. Each mark is 15 cm long and 5 cm wide; the marks are 20 cm apart and extend a total of 1.75 m. These extensions help officials judge take-off and Libero actions outside the court.

The attack line is included in the restricted side of the test. Under Rule 13.2.2.1, a back-row player's foot may neither touch nor cross the attack line at take-off for an attack made from behind the front zone. Landing in the front zone after the hit is legal. The completed-attack fault exists only when the other Rule 13 conditions are also met, including that the ball was entirely above the top of the net at contact.

Stepping outside the side line does not escape the attack-line rule

Because Rule 1.4.1 extends the front zone laterally through the free zone, officials project the attack line beyond the court. A back-row player who takes off outside the side line but ahead of that projected line is still taking off from the front zone.

The same geography matters under Rule 19.3.1.4. If a Libero makes an overhand finger pass from the Libero's front zone—including its lateral extension—a teammate may not complete an attack hit on that ball while it is entirely above net height. The restriction does not apply to the same setting action made from outside the front zone. See Libero and back-row attack rules for the full sequence.

Two short marks define the server's lateral limits

Rule 1.4.2 defines a 9 m-wide service zone behind each end line. Two 15 cm lines, drawn 20 cm behind the end line as extensions of the side lines, set its sides. Both short lines are included within the service zone. In depth, the zone continues to the end of the free zone.

Rule 12.4.3 judges the server at the moment of the service hit—or at take-off for a jump serve. At that moment the server may not touch the court, including the end line, or the floor outside the service zone. After the hit the server may step or land outside the service zone or inside the court.

These short marks control the server's feet; they are not extensions of the boundary for a ball landing. For the other service-fault tests, see serving faults and let serves.

Playable space is larger than the court

The FIVB “playing area” consists of the playing court plus the surrounding free zone. A player may chase and contact a live ball in the free zone; Rule 9 even permits retrieval from beyond the team's own free zone and over the scorer's table in its complete extension. A ball that touches the free-zone floor without touching a boundary line is nevertheless out.

Do not confuse horizontal run-off with the “free playing space” above it. The general minimums are 3 m around the court and 7 m overhead. FIVB, World and Official Competitions require 5 m beyond the side lines, 6.5 m beyond the end lines and 12.5 m overhead. Those larger clearances are competition requirements, not a different playing-court size.

The antennas mark the crossing space

The floor lines do not describe every spatial limit. FIVB Rules 2.3–2.4 place side bands directly above the side lines and antennas at the outer edges of those bands. The antennas laterally delimit the crossing space over the net.

A ball sent toward the opponent's court must normally cross between the antennas or their imaginary extensions. Rule 10.1.2 supplies a narrow recovery route when a team's first hit crosses wholly or partly through the external space toward the opponent's free zone: the ball may be played back through the external space on the same side, without touching the opponent's court. That exception does not turn the antenna into a floor boundary.

Some line extensions manage replacements rather than rallies

Rule 1.4.3 defines the substitution zone between the extensions of the two attack lines up to the scorer's table. Rule 1.4.4 places the Libero Replacement zone in the free zone on the bench side, between the attack-line extension and the end line.

Those zones matter to substitution and Libero-replacement procedure, but they do not affect whether a ball landing outside the 18 x 9 m rectangle is in. See substitution and rotation rules for the procedural consequences.

How to analyse a close court-line call

1. Name the marking. A side or end line controls a floor landing; other lines control player actions or administration.
2. Freeze the correct moment. Use floor contact for in/out, service hit or jump take-off for a foot fault, and attacker take-off plus ball contact/completion for a back-row attack.
3. Use the correct edge or axis. The attack line is measured from its rear edge; the centre line is divided by its axis.
4. Project zones where the rule says to. The front zone extends outside the side lines through the free zone.
5. Check an earlier out event. Antenna, outside-object or illegal crossing-space contact can end the rally before a later landing.
6. Apply the appointed competition rules. Facility modifications and video-review procedures may supplement the FIVB baseline.

The ball compresses onto the outer edge of the side line

Situation: most of the ball lands outside, but replay shows a small part of the ball touching the painted side line during floor contact.

FIVB 2025–2028 ruling: ball in under Rule 8.3. The decisive fact is contact by any part of the ball with the boundary line, not the position of the ball's centre or where most of it landed.

A jump server clips the end line at take-off

Situation: the server's toe touches the end line while jumping, then the server contacts the ball in the air and lands inside the court.

FIVB 2025–2028 ruling: service foot fault under Rule 12.4.3. The end line is part of the court and is forbidden at take-off. Landing inside after the hit would have been legal if the take-off had been legal. The opponent wins the rally, scores a point and serves next.

A back-row attacker has a heel on the attack line

Situation: a back-row player takes off with a heel touching the attack line, contacts the ball while it is entirely above the top of the net, and the attack is completed when the ball crosses the net or is touched by an opponent.

FIVB 2025–2028 ruling: back-row attack fault under Rules 13.2.2 and 13.3.3. Touching the attack line at take-off is the decisive location fact. A take-off entirely behind the line followed by a landing in the front zone would be legal.

The Libero sets from outside the side line

Situation: the Libero stands in the free zone outside a side line but ahead of the attack line's imaginary extension, makes an overhand finger pass, and a teammate completes an attack while the ball is entirely above net height.

FIVB 2025–2028 ruling: attack-hit fault under Rules 1.4.1, 13.3.6 and 19.3.1.4. The front zone extends laterally to the end of the free zone, so leaving the court sideways does not remove the restriction.

A blocker lands partly across the centre line

Situation: after blocking, a player's forefoot touches the opponent's court, but the heel remains directly above the centre line and the landing does not interfere with an opponent.

FIVB 2025–2028 ruling: play continues under Rule 11.2.2.1. If the foot penetrates completely into the opponent's court, or the action interferes, it is a fault. Merely touching the shared centre line is not automatically illegal.

A line or zone fault normally decides the rally

Volleyball uses rally-point scoring. A ball landing in a team's court gives the rally to the team that sent it there; a ball sent out or a player fault gives the rally to the opponent. The rally winner scores a point and serves next. Officials should not wait for a later action once the ball is already out or a fault has occurred.

FIVB Rule 29 assigns line judges to signal close in/out landings, touches of out balls, antenna or external-space faults and server foot faults. Referees make the match decision. Where a Video Challenge system is used, Rule 25 requires a Challenge referee and directs the process to the challenge regulations in force; the existence, timing and reviewable categories therefore depend on the competition.

Some FIVB events use trial review and ceiling procedures

For the 2026 Volleyball Nations League, FIVB U17 World Championships and 2026 Continental Championships, FIVB announced a trial allowing teams to bookmark a potentially challengeable action during a rally and pursue one bookmarked challenge after losing that rally. The trial also adds clear, visible defensive and serve-receive touches to the Challenge Regulations.

The same notice tests an exception to baseline Rule 8.4.2: if a first or second team contact hits venue infrastructure above the field of play and remains playable on that side, play continues; a rebound into the opponent's court is a fault, while contact with an in-field spider cam or crane cam remains a replay. These are named 2026 tests, not universal amendments to the FIVB 2025–2028 rulebook.

Claims the FIVB rules do not support

• “The outside edge of the line is out.” Wrong: the complete boundary line is inside the court dimensions and line contact is in.
• “Every painted line is an in/out line.” Wrong: only side and end lines bound the floor landing area.
• “The 3 m distance is measured to the middle of the attack line.” Wrong: it is measured to the line's rear edge from the centre-line axis.
• “A jump server may touch the end line because the ball is contacted in the air.” Wrong: the foot position is judged at take-off.
• “The attack line stops at the side line.” Wrong for zone rulings: the front zone continues laterally through the free zone.
• “Every venue needs only 3 m of run-off.” Wrong for FIVB, World and Official Competitions, which have larger specified clearances.

Governing-body sources and effective version

• FIVB — Official Volleyball Rules 2025–2028, implementation notice; Rules 1.1–1.4, 2.3–2.4, 8.3–8.4, 9, 10.1, 11.2, 12.4.3, 13.2–13.3, 19.3.1.4, 25 and 29; Diagram 2
• FIVB Board of Administration — rule tests for specified 2026 competitions, 27 February 2026

Checked against the English FIVB 2025–2028 rulebook implemented for competitions beginning after 1 January 2025 and the FIVB 2026 test notice. The baseline is FIVB six-player indoor volleyball; appointed competition regulations may supplement facility and review procedures.