Volleyball Coaching Info

Serve / Serve Receive Drill

Purpose: To give the players serving repetitions, and to force them to focus on a serving tactic.

Set-up: Three passers on each side, a target on each side (can be a setter who sets to the outside for repetitions), two or three servers per side.

1. The object is to score 15 points. The servers and passers on one side of the net are on the same team.

2. The servers have to tell each other where to serve the ball. If the server serves an ace, the server’s side gets a point. If the serve is missed, then the server’s side gets minus one point. If the passers pass a perfect ball their side gets a point.

3. The coaches should give the servers a tactic to focus on. Either they should try to serve one player the entire time, serve the seams to cause confusion, mix up the serves to catch them off guard, etc. This should put the servers into a competitive situation where they have to focus on a certain tactic while penalizing them if they miss their serve.

Serve Receive Game with Middle Attacker Training

Purpose: To provide repetitions for your serve receivers and setters. To force your setter to set the middle attack. To force your middle attackers to make themselves available for a set.

Setup: 3 serve receivers, 1 setter, 1 middle attacker, 2 servers, basket of balls.

1. You will start the drill with a player serving from one side of the court. The serve receivers are on the other side receiving.

2. The setter can start her pattern from various places on the court. You need to train her from each of her six rotations.

3. The middle attacker will also start from the three different positions when she is in front row. If she is a primary passer then you will want her to pass and swing to hit whatever you instruct for her to hit.

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Outside vs Outside

Purpose: To create competition between outside hitters and to encourage them to attack aggressively.

Set-up: Two setters, two outside hitters, two defenders, two tossers.

1. The drill begins with T1 initiating a free ball to LB2. LF2 attacks the ball cross court past the blocker. Play continues until LF1 or LF2 puts the ball away. LF that wins gets the next free ball. You may want to play mini-games to 7 points and then have the winner stay and the next outside hitter become the challenger.

Antennae Drill

Purpose: To quicken the reaction time of your defense to balls hit off of a block.

Setup: Line up 5 or 6 antennas along the net (about 4 - 8 inches apart) in your right front position. On the other side have a tosser, setter, and a line of outside hitters. On the defensive side have a left front, left back, middle back and right back.

1. Tosser tosses to Setter who sets to Outside Hitter.

2. The outside hitters attack against the line of antennas, thus creating a situation similar to balls coming off of a block. The defense should start in their base positions and release to defensive assignments once the ball is set.

You may put a plus or minus 5 points scoring system, or give the defense a goal of 5 playable balls dug. If the attackers put the ball away with no one touching the ball it is minus one. Once the defense reaches plus or minus 5 points, switch new players into the drill. You may modify this drill by putting the antennas in different places along the net and by having the defense play the ball out.

Pressured Serve Receive Repetitions

Purpose: To put some pressure on the serve receivers while giving them a lot of repetitions.

Set-up: 3 serve receivers (on each side), servers (on each side), target or setter (on each side).

1. The drill starts with the servers serving to the serve receivers. They should serve 20 balls in bounds to complete the drill. A missed serve does not count in the 20 serves. This should encourage the servers to serve very tough.

2. The targets are counting how many perfect passes the serve receivers pass out of the 20 serves. Give the serve receivers a goal of a certain number of perfect passes that they need to get. If they do not reach their goal there is an incentive that they need to do (50 crunches, a sprint, etc.). If they do reach their goal then they get to stay on if they want to.

3. Keep playing these games to 20 serves until you feel that the team has gotten a sufficient number of repetitions.

Two Minute Drill

Purpose: To force the defensive players to go for everything. To give the offense the killer instinct. To have fun and train competitiveness.

Set-up: Many players, basket of balls, timer, tosser.

1. Have three players start on one side of the net (they are the defenders). Have the other players on the other side in three hitting lines. The setter starts at the net. The tosser can rotate or be an assistant coach. The clock starts when the first ball is set. The setter can set any desired set.

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Bombs Away

Purpose: This is a fun drill for younger kids at the beginning of the year or during summer camp. It encourages serving tough and getting to the ball in serve receive position.

Set-up: All players, several balls.

1. Divide the court into two even teams.

2. One side is the serving team (S), and the other is the catching team (C).

3. Everyone on the serving team should have a ball, and there should be a few extra balls in a bucket ready to be put into the drill.

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Right-Front, Right-Back Pepper

Purpose: Teach digging responsibilities and setting for right- front and right-back players.

Goal: Each pair should successfully dig and set 20 balls.

How it works:

1. Right-front and right-back should be on the court in defensive positions (as if the other team attacking from other side).

2. The coach acts as the attacker, hitting balls to the players.

3. The player digging the ball should dig to the setter target area, where the other player should step in and set the ball back to the coach, who again hits the ball at the two players.

4. Whoever sets the ball stays in the right-front while the player who dug the ball replaces the right-back.

5. This drill is used for setters and opposite (right side) players. Two setters may also be used for a 6-2 offensive system.

Hand Signals

Area 1: Hold up index finger.

Area 2: Index and middle fingers.

Area 3: Index, middle, and ring fingers.

Area 4: All four fingers.

Area 5: Whole hand with fingers spread.

Area 6: Hold up your fist.

Middle of the Court: Whole hand with fingers together and held with palm down.

Space between Two Areas: Flash both signals.

Ace Training

Purpose: To have the players consistently serve very tough serves.

Set-up: 4 servers, 4 handers, shaggers, baskets of balls.

1. Have two servers per side. The servers should rapidly serve 20 balls. These serves should be very tough. There re no penalties so the servers can go for aces.

2. Encourage servers to get into a rhythm. They should be consistent with each serve in the ready position, toss, swing, and follow through.

3. After the server finishes the next server begins. The name of this game is consistent repetitions.