Beach volleyball court dimensions (official FIVB sizes)

An official beach volleyball court is 16 metres long and 8 metres wide, with the net set at 2.43 metres for men and 2.24 metres for women. Those four numbers cover almost every question you will ever have about court size, and the rest of this guide fills in the detail: the free zone around the court, the sand depth, the net width and antennas, the lines, and how to mark out a court yourself.

These are the official FIVB measurements for the 2025 to 2028 cycle, the same court used on the world tour and at the Olympics. Social games often play a little smaller, but if you learn the real numbers you will recognise a proper court anywhere in the world.

The playing court

The court is a rectangle 16 metres long and 8 metres wide, measured from the outside edge of the lines. The net divides it into two equal halves of 8 by 8 metres, one for each team. That is smaller than an indoor court, and only two players cover each side, so the sand feels a lot bigger than it looks.

Around the playing court you need a free zone, an obstacle-free run-off where players can chase the ball and land safely. The free zone must be at least 3 metres wide on every side for recreational play. For official FIVB competition the free zone stretches to between 5 and 6 metres on all sides, giving players room to dig wide balls and stay clear of cameras, sponsors and the crowd.

Above the court there must be clear space too. A free playing space of at least 7 metres in height, with no overhead obstruction, so serves and high sets are never blocked.

The surface is loose sand, levelled flat, at least 40 centimetres deep. It has to be fine and raked, free of stones, shells and anything that could cut a diving player. Sand depth matters more than beginners expect: too shallow and you feel the hard ground when you dive, too soft and every jump costs you more.

The net

The net runs across the middle of the court. It is 8.5 metres wide and 1 metre tall, stretched between two posts set back from the sidelines so nobody runs into them.

Net height is measured at the centre of the court, and it changes with category and age. These are the standard FIVB heights:

Category	Net height
Men	2.43 m
Women	2.24 m
Youth U16 to U18 (boys)	2.43 m
Youth U16 (girls)	2.24 m
Youth U14 (boys)	2.24 m
Youth U14 (girls)	2.12 m
Youth U12	2.00 m

The exact centre of the net is checked with a measuring stick, and the two ends may be no more than 2 centimetres higher than the official height, never lower. Wind and heat stretch the net during a match, so referees re-check it regularly.

On top of the net sits a flexible antenna on each side, right above the sideline. The antennas are 1.8 metres tall and stick up 80 centimetres above the net. They mark the outer edge of the legal crossing space: the ball must pass over the net and between the two antennas to stay in play. Touch an antenna, or send the ball outside it, and you lose the rally.

The lines

Every line on a beach court is made of coloured ribbon or tape, anchored at the corners, in a colour that contrasts with the sand. Lines are between 5 and 8 centimetres wide, and they count as part of the court, so a ball landing on the line is in.

Here is what surprises players coming from indoors: a beach court has only the boundary lines. There is no centre line under the net and no attack line, so the whole depth of your side is fair game. You can attack, set or serve-receive from anywhere behind your boundary lines. If you want the full picture of how those lines are used in play, read our beach volleyball rules guide.

Court diagram

Here is the court seen from above, with the two key dimensions marked.

Notice there is nothing inside the rectangle except the net line down the middle. No attack line, no zones. Two halves of 8 by 8 metres, two players each.

Beach versus indoor court size

If you already play indoors, the sand court will feel small. An indoor court is 18 by 9 metres, while a beach court is 16 by 8, so the beach is a full 2 metres shorter and 1 metre narrower. Yet indoors six players share the floor and on the beach only two cover it, which is why beach players run so much more per rally.

The net heights are identical for the top adult categories, 2.43 for men and 2.24 for women, so that is not where the difference lies. The real gap is the missing attack line and centre line, the wind, the heavier ball and the sand under your feet. We break down every contrast in our beach versus indoor volleyball guide.

How to mark out your own court

You do not need a stadium to play. With a tape measure, some boundary ribbon and a bit of care you can lay a proper court on any stretch of sand.

You will need: four anchors or sand pegs for the corners, roughly 48 metres of coloured ribbon for the boundary (16 plus 8 plus 16 plus 8), a long tape measure, a net and two posts. A weighted plastic bag buried in the sand makes a fine anchor if you have no pegs.

The tricky part is getting the corners square, because a court that is skewed will always look and play wrong. The reliable trick is the 3-4-5 method, an old builder's rule for right angles. Measure 3 metres along one side and 4 metres along the side that meets it, then adjust until the straight line between those two points is exactly 5 metres. When 3, 4 and 5 line up, that corner is a perfect right angle.

Step by step:

1. Fix your first corner peg and run a baseline of 16 metres to the second corner.
2. From the first corner, use the 3-4-5 method to set the side line square, then measure 8 metres out and peg the third corner.
3. Repeat from the second corner to peg the fourth, then check both diagonals: on a true rectangle they are equal, about 17.9 metres each.
4. Stretch the ribbon tight around all four pegs so the lines stay straight under tension.
5. Set the posts just outside the sidelines and hang the net at 2.43 or 2.24 metres, checking the height at the centre.

Rake the sand flat, clear any stones, and you have a court ready to play.

Find a real court near you

Marking out a court is fun once, but most players just want to turn up and hit. That is what BeachMates is for. Find a court and players near you, see which nets are busy right now, and join a game at your level without the group-chat chaos. Learn the dimensions here, then go put a real court to use.