Information on Volleyball Rules About Stepping on the Line

Volleyball is an official Olympic and NCAA sport for men and women requiring a ball, a net and a court to play the game. USA Volleyball is an organization that provides the official rules and regulations for domestic play. For international competitions, the official rules and regulations may follow standards specified by the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball. Knowing when you can and cannot step on the lines drawn on the volleyball court could cost your team points and the game.

Features: The volleyball court is marked with lines. All lines on the volleyball court should measure 2 in wide and feature a color which is different and lighter than the floor, according to USA Volleyball rules. The Fédération Internationale de Volleyball requires the lines on the court to be the color white.

Side Lines: The boundary lines on the playing court are marked by sidelines and end lines which are drawn within the dimensions of the playing court. The two sidelines are 59 in and run the entire length of the court, marked in the middle by the center line. After the service hit by the opposing team, rules permit the players on both teams to step on or over the side lines to hit the volleyball or assist another player.

End Line: The end line marks the back of the volleyball court. One end line is 29 ft 6 in ling and sits at the back of each team's court 29.5 ft away from the center line. During the moment of service the server must not step on or cross into the end line. The moment of service is when the server makes contact with the volleyball. Even if the server is in the air, she must not cross into or over the plane of the end line.

Center Line: The center line of the volleyball court divides the playing surface in half from sideline to sideline and indicates where the net goes. It sits 29.5 inches from each end line and the entire center line is considered as belonging to both sides of the court. Players are permitted to cross over the center line into the opponent's court only if some part of the penetrating foot is stepping on or hovers directly above the line.

Attack Line: The rear edge of the attack line sits 9 ft 10 in from the center line. It runs parallel to the center line as well as the end line and officially marks the front zone of the volleyball court. A back-row player may step on the attack line to hit the ball and cross into the front zone only if at the moment of contact a portion of the volleyball sits lower than the top of the net.

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Reference: USA Volleyball