Volleyball Net Height (How Tall is a Volleyball Net?)
The volleyball net height plays a vital role on the style of game that is played.
When answering the question ‘how tall is a volleyball net?’, the first thing you must know is that there are different heights for men and women, as well as differences in net height depending on age groups.
Each level of volleyball has a legal net height that is appropriate for the average height and skill level of the athletes.
The net measurement is taken from the center of the court, however the height at both ends of the net should be close to the same. The height at the ends of the net cannot be any higher than ¾ inches over the center height.
Let’s break it down by levels…
Youth and Junior High Volleyball Net Height
The international volleyball federation sets the volleyball net height rules to create a common standard.
Boys 12 years and under will typically play on a net height of 7 feet (2.13m).
Girls 10 and under will reduce the height to 6 feet 6 inches (1.98m).
Although some leagues will agree to play at a shorter net of 6 feet 4 inches to accommodate the skill level of the athletes playing in the league.
In Junior High, the net height for both girls and boys is set at 7 feet 4 1/8 inches (2.24m) for athletes 13 and 14 years old.
High School Volleyball Net Height
The high school level is typically where a separation is created amongst size and skill level of volleyball athletes…
The net in high school is set at specific heights determined by the sex of the athletes.
Men’s Volleyball Net Height: 7 feet 11 5/8 inches (2.43m).
Women’s Volleyball Net Height: 7 feet 4 1/8 inches (2.24m).
High school sports begin to set the standard for future levels of athlete, thus tend to follow the same rules the higher levels of sport do
The net heights set forth for the high school level are also the standard for collegiate, international, and professional play.
Age Accommodations
While the standard for most levels of play is set at the high school level, there are accommodations made for players participating at an older age or with a disability.
At the age groups of 55-69, men play with a net height of 7 feet 9 5/8 inches (2.38m).
Women 45 and over play over a net of 7 feet 2 1/8 inches (2.19m).
Men 70 years and older will play on a regulation net of 7 feet 6 inches (2.29m).
Special Accommodations
There are plenty of volleyball athletes playing that require accommodations for play from a seated position.
Often, these teams consist of paraplegics who do not have legs but can play with one or both arms.
Seated volleyball, as it is known, is typically played on a smaller court with a lower net.
The regulation net height for seated men’s volleyball is 3 feet 9.28 inches (1.15m) and for women is 3 feet 5.34 inches (1.05m).
Conclusion
One of the best things about volleyball is that the volleyball net height can be modified to accommodate players of all ages, sizes, and abilities.
While not everyone can jump high or has long arms, the sport allows for varying degrees of skill with simple adjustments to net height.