It is important to establish which height the net should be set out depending on which discipline you play.
Now if you are playing at a professional level in which you have officials and court managers setting up the nets for you, then it’s not quite so important.
However, for the vast majority of us unfortunately the above statement is not true and as such it is important to know exactly what height the net should be depending on your gender, age and even disabilities.
If you just want a quick glimpse into what the specific heights are according to these factors then see the below table.
| Discipline | Net Height |
| Girls aged 10 and under | 6’, 6” or 198cm |
| Boys aged 10 and under | 7’ or 213cm |
| Boys & Girls Aged 11+ | 7’ or 213cm |
| Mens sitting volleyball | 3, 9.28” or 115cm |
| Women’s Sitting Volleyball | 3’, 5.34 or 105cm |
| Women’s Volleyball | 7’, 4 ⅛” or 224cm |
| Women Aged 45 and over | 7’, 2 ⅛” or 219cm |
| Men’s Volleyball | 7’, 11 ⅝” or 243cm |
| Men aged 55-69 | 7’, 9 ⅝” or 238cm |
| Men Aged 70 and over | 7’, 6” or 229cm |
Table of Contents
Youth Volleyball
Obviously it would be unfair to expect very children to hit a ball back and forth over a net that is extremely high compared to their stature.
It is important at a young age to nurture their skills and development to give them a better progression later in life.
If the net is far to high this will lead to players becoming discouraged as they can’t get the ball over or alternatively it may hinder the better players as they ball doesn’t come over the net enough to allow them to try the new skills and techniques they learn.
When dealing with children there is very high chance that no one will be present to set the net up to the correct height, with this being said the onus falls on you.
- If you are coaching girls aged 10 and under the net height should be set at 6 Feet, 6 Inches or 198cm
- If you are coaching boys aged 10 and under the net height should be set at 7 feet or 213cm
- If you are coaching both girls and boys aged 11 and over the net height should be set at 7 feet or 213cm
You may notice there is a bit of a gray area for both boys and girls past the age of 12/13 years of age.
The reason for this is because depending on your region or area the net height will be slightly different. As such if in doubt I would suggest speaking to your local volleyball authority to confirm which height the net should be set out.
Sitting Volleyball
Sitting volleyball was invented in 1965, it was originally designed as a rehabilitation program for injured soldiers.
When first created it did not look as it does today as the sport was a combination of Volleyball and Sitzball.
Over time the game slowly transitioned to replicate Volleyball more volleyball and became the sport we all know today.
As noted above sitting volleyball is a game that was designed to cater to the players that are less physically able.
Now although you don’t have to have a disability to play sitting volleyball, you will see the sport is predominantly played by people with disabilities due to growing popularity in the Paralympic games.
Sitting volleyball is played on a much smaller court and over a much lower net.
- The net height for Men in sitting volleyball should be 3 feet, 9.28 Inches or 115cm
- The net height for Women in Sitting Volleyball should be 3 feet, 5.34 Inches or 105cm
Women’s Volleyball
Women’s Volleyball is extremely popular for many reasons.
Much like youth volleyball adult women’s volleyball has different net heights depending on the age of the participants.
Now for some reason Women’s volleyball doesn’t get as specific as Men’s does for lowering the net with age.
Where Standing volleyball is played for participants with disability the same net height will be used.
- The net height for Women should be set at 7 Feet, 4 ⅛ Inches or 224cm
- The net height for Women aged 45 and over should be set at 7 Feet, 2 ⅛ Inches or 219cm
Men’s Volleyball
Men’s volleyball is growing in popularity each year due to its fast paced play and intense moments.
In Men’s volleyball the net height lowers as the age of the participants increases.
In Men’s volleyball the net heights get quite specific past the age of 55.
I can only assume that the number of men continuing to play volleyball until their 70’s is constantly increasing hence the height reductions getting more specific.
Much like Women’s volleyball where standing volleyball is played when the participants have disabilities the same net heights will apply.
- The net height for Men’s Volleyball should be set at 7 Feet, 11 ⅝ Inches or 243cm
- The net height for Men aged 55-60 should be set at 7 Feet, 9 ⅝ Inches or 238cm
- The net height for Men aged 70+ should be set at 7 Feet, 6 Inches or 229cm
How To Measure The Net Height
If you are responsible for setting the net to the correct height there are a few things you can do to make this process easier.
Correct Tools To Measure The Net
The first thing you can do is get the correct tools to help you measure.
Now the easiest tool to use is a net chain.
The net chain hooks on to the top of the net and dangles down to the floor, once the chain is settled if the bottom of the chain gentle touches the floor you are good to go.
The nice thing about a volleyball net chain is the often have links at the correct heights so you can remove or add sections depending on which height net you are trying to measure.
The next tool which isn’t going to be quite as accurate as a stable tape measure.
Now it is worth noting you certainly can get accurate measurements however it is far more fiddly than the net chain.
Where To Measure The Net
The next thing you should do when measuring the net is always take the main measurement from the centre of the net. If the centre height is correct and the net is taught you should be good to go.
However, with this in mind I always check the net height near each antenna to ensure there is no sagging that would cause the net to be too high at either end.
The other thing to consider is to make sure that the net is equally spaced from the posts and evenly installed.
When Is The Net Too High
You may get some posts that just aren’t playing ball or maybe they are damaged meaning you can’t get the net to the exact height required.
As a general rule of thumb when setting up the net you want to ensure the net is not too high or too low. This means you should normally aim for an allowance of no more than ¾ Inches or 1.9cm.
That’s everything, you know have all the knowledge you need to set up the net regardless of what age, gender or variation of volleyball you are playing or coaching.