Volleyball in Netherlands
Volleyball (traditional 6×6 indoor) and beach volleyball in Netherlands are popular sports with a combined total of 125,000 players registered members of the Dutch national volleyball association and hundreds of clubs across the country.
DUTCH VOLLEYBALL ASSOCIATION
Nevobo is the umbrella organization for volleyball in the Netherlands, including beach and indoor varieties. Nevobo’s core tasks include organizing regional and national competitions and tournaments, supporting clubs and members, promoting the sport of volleyball, developing top talent and organizing teams to represent the Netherlands at international events (such as the European Championships, World Cup and Olympics).
The Nevobo headquarters are in DeWeerelt, with an office in each of the 4 regions: North (Heerenveen), East (Apeldoorn), South (Eindhoven) and West (Utrecht).
Nevobo’s Volleyball Academy provides a range of training including playing, coaching and officiating.
TRADITIONAL INDOOR VOLLEYBALL
Volleyball is played on a court 9 meters wide and 18 meters long. The service zone extends 3 meters beyond the service line at both ends. A raised net attached to 2 posts divides the court in half. The standard net height in a men’s game is 2.43 meters and in a women’s game is 2.24 meters. Teams have 6 players.
The standard ball used for indoor volleyball is made of rubber, evenly light-colored, 65-67 cm in circumference, 260-280 grams in weight and inflated pressure of .3-.325 kg/cm2.
Official Dutch volleyball playing rules.
TOP-LEVEL VOLLEYBALL IN NETHERLANDS
The Eredivisie is the top Dutch competitive league for traditional indoor 6×6 volleyball in the Netherlands. The 10 best clubs in the country compete within the league. There are men’s and women’s Eredivisie leagues. Teams consist of 18 total players: 6 on court, 6 on bench, 6 on reserve. How the teams perform during the season determines which ones will compete for the league championships, the national trophy and be eligible to qualify for European leagues.
INTERNATIONAL VOLLEYBALL COMPETITIONS
The Netherlands competes in multiple international volleyball tournaments such as the CEV European League, World Cup and Olympics. For these events, a team of top players is put together to represent the country as Team Oranje. Team Oranje has a men’s team, ladies team and youth teams.
PLAYING VOLLEYBALL IN NETHERLANDS
Most people are first introduced to the sport of volleyball during physical education in grade or secondary school. Expats who enjoy playing volleyball, either competitively or recreationally, can continue to play in the Netherlands. Find a nearby Dutch volleyball club.
Some of the biggest volleyball clubs in the Netherlands are:
- Aetos (Arnhem)
- Avior (Nijmegen)
- Fusion (Rotterdam)
- Kalinko (The Hague)
- RVC Libanon50 (Rotterdam)
BEACH VOLLEYBALL IN NETHERLANDS
In general, beach volleyball follows most of the same playing rules as standard volleyball with a few notable differences:
- Court surface is sand (minimum 30 cm deep)
- Court size is 8×16 meters with an additional 3 meter service zone at each end
- Teams have 2 players
- Ball is made of smooth material (such as leather, faux leather or another synthetic), 66-68 cm in circumference, 260-280 grams in weight with inflated pressure of .175-.225 kg/cm2
See the official Dutch regulations for beach volleyball.
TOP-LEVEL BEACH VOLLEYBALL IN NETHERLANDS
The Eredivisie Beach is the Netherlands’ highest-level beach volleyball league. Teams compete in 10 tournaments over the summer season culminating with the Dutch Beach Volleyball Championships played in The Hague Beach Stadium in Scheveningen.
INTERNATIONAL BEACH VOLLEYBALL COMPETITIONS
Top Dutch beach volleyball teams take part in international competitions such as the World Championships, World Tour, European Games, Continental Cup and the Olympics.
PLAYING BEACH VOLLEYBALL IN NETHERLANDS
Beach volleyball is played across the Netherlands, even in those cities far inland from the nearest beach. Expats who enjoyed playing beach volleyball prior to moving to Holland can continue to play by joining a nearby club and/or entering a local tournament.
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