Drills
Volleyball drills for practice
Printable cards for coaches and players, 9 drills in all: goal, players, equipment, steps and a diagram, plus an easier and a harder version of each.
How to use the cards
Each card goes with one skill or with the rotations. The times are suggestions for one practice; the variations make a drill easier for beginners or harder for experienced players. When you print, each card gets a page of its own.
Drill
Partner setting with a side step
Goal: Clean overhead passes and quick feet under the ball.
How it works
- A and B stand 3 to 4 m apart and set the ball back and forth.
- After each set, the player who set takes one side step and moves under the next ball again.
- After 20 sets without a mistake, change the direction of the side step.
- Check the triangle of thumbs and index fingers and the push from the legs.
Easier: Catch the ball in the setting shape for a moment and push it straight back. This is a learning step only: in a match, catching is a fault (rule 9.2.2).
Harder: Before each set to your partner, set the ball once high to yourself.
Drill
Passing to a target
Goal: Serve receive with the platform angled to the setter's spot.
How it works
- The tosser stands on the other side and throws the ball over the net.
- The passer stands in the back court and passes to the target player between positions 2 and 3.
- The target player catches the ball and rolls it back under the net to the tosser.
- After 10 balls everyone moves on to the next role.
Easier: The tosser stands closer to the net and throws high and slow.
Harder: The tosser serves underhand, and the passer has to move sideways first.
Drill
Serving at target zones
Goal: Serve safely and on purpose.
How it works
- Three targets lie on the other side, in positions 1, 6 and 5.
- Before each serve, the coach calls a target.
- Every serve that lands in the called target scores a point; the first to five wins.
- After each round both groups collect the balls and switch sides.
Easier: Serve from closer to the net, for example from the attack line.
Harder: The coach calls the target only just before the toss.
Drill
Approach and attack from position 4
Goal: Find the rhythm of the approach and meet the ball high in front of the hitting shoulder.
How it works
- The hitters line up behind the attack line at position 4.
- First five approaches without a ball: left, right, left (left-handers mirror it), taking off from both feet.
- Then the setter, between positions 2 and 3, sets a high ball out to position 4; the hitter attacks into the target area.
- After the attack, fetch the ball and go to the back of the line.
Easier: The coach tosses the ball up and the hitter attacks from a standing position.
Harder: The hitter first passes a tossed ball, then approaches and attacks.
Drill
Two against two on a small court
Goal: Use all three contacts in play: pass, set, attack.
How it works
- Mark a small court with cones: about half the width and half the length of a normal court on each side.
- Play 2 against 2; each team must play the ball three times before it goes over the net.
- A point only counts if all three contacts worked; otherwise start again with a toss.
- Play to 11, then change pairs.
Easier: The ball may bounce once.
Harder: The second contact must be a set with the fingers.
Drill
Running the rotation: receive and switch
Goal: Line up correctly in serve receive and switch quickly to the playing positions after the serve.
How it works
- The team lines up in rotation 1 as for serve receive: 4–3–2 in front, 5–6–1 behind, each back-row player behind the front-row partner.
- The coach throws a ball over the net from the other side. As soon as it leaves the hand, everyone runs to their playing position: the setter to the right of the net, the hitters to their sides.
- The ball is passed and set; then the coach calls “rotate”, and everyone moves one position clockwise.
- After six rotations start again; later the coach calls the rotations in random order.
Easier: Without a ball: the coach claps, the players run to their positions, and the coach checks the pairs 4–5, 3–6 and 2–1.
Harder: The coach serves underhand; the team passes, sets and attacks.
Drill
Front set and back set
Goal: High sets forward to position 4 and backwards over your head to position 2.
How it works
- The setter stands at the net between positions 2 and 3. One hoop lies at position 4 and one at position 2, about a metre from the net.
- The tosser stands at position 6 and throws high balls to the setter.
- The setter moves forward under the ball, faces the target with feet, hips and shoulders, and sets alternately forward to position 4 and backwards to position 2.
- The catchers stand next to the hoops, catch the ball above their heads and count the hits. After 20 sets, change setters.
Easier: Set forward to position 4 only, with the tosser standing closer.
Harder: The tosser calls the target only when the ball is already in the air.
Drill
Digging attacks from a box
Goal: Dig hard attacks calmly and high to the middle of the court.
How it works
- The coach stands on a box on the other side of the net and hits controlled attacks over it.
- A defender waits in position 5 in a low ready position and makes a small split step just before the hit.
- The defender digs the ball high into the hoop near the middle of the net and goes to the back of the line.
- After every ten balls the defending position changes: position 5, then 6, then 1.
Easier: The coach hits from the floor and less hard.
Harder: The coach shows the direction only at the last moment; two defenders share the court.
Drill
Closing the double block
Goal: Move along the net with side steps and jump straight up together.
How it works
- Three players stand in blocking ready position about an arm's length from the net, at positions 4, 3 and 2.
- The coach points left or right. The middle blocker moves with side steps next to the outside blocker on that side, hips staying level.
- Both jump together, straight up, push their hands over the top of the net and land on both feet.
- Back to the start; after ten jumps the three change positions.
Easier: No jump: just move and show your hands at net height.
Harder: On the other side a hitter attacks a high set against the double block.
For players, parents and coaches
The rotations cheat sheet
All six rotations of the 5-1 system on one printable page: who stands where at the serve, where everyone switches after it, and the position rule with its rule numbers.
- Six rotations at the serve and after it
- The position rule in four lines
- One email a week with the new video and its article
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