Volleyball technique on clear diagrams

Serve

Every rally starts with a serve. Beginners learn the underhand serve first, then the standing float; later come the jump float and the jump spin serve.

The standing float, step by step

1. Stand behind the end line with your weight on the back foot, holding the ball in your non-hitting hand at about hip height². At the moment of the hit your feet must not touch the court, end line included Rule 12.4.3.
2. Take a small step forward with the front foot and keep your eyes on the ball; the elbow of your hitting arm is above your shoulder².
3. Toss the ball low, in line with your hitting shoulder, while hips and shoulders turn square to the target². You get one toss per serve Rule 12.4.2.
4. Stay tall, lock your wrist and hit the ball with an open palm. The hitting arm is straight and stays high after the hit, palm to the target². You have 8 seconds after the referee's whistle Rule 12.4.4.

Jump float: A three-step approach like a spike. Release the ball as your second step lands, hit it slightly below the centre with the palm, as high as you can, and land inside the court³.

Jump spin: Start about 3 m behind the end line and toss the ball long, in line with your hitting shoulder. Jump, hit the back of the ball and let the hand roll over it to give it topspin⁴.

Common mistakes

• Tossing too high or behind your head
• A loose wrist, so the ball loses direction
• Arching the back at contact; stay “tall” instead²

Drill: Serving at target zones

Forearm pass

The bump is the first contact on most serves and hard attacks. A good pass gives the setter time.

Passing the serve, step by step

1. Ready position: feet slightly wider than your shoulders and in line with your bent knees, trunk leaning slightly forward, arms and shoulders relaxed in front of you and square to the server⁵.
2. Read the server, then get behind the ball quickly, moving level rather than bobbing up and down⁵.
3. Stop with a brake step, the foot nearer the target slightly in front. Only as your feet stop do the hands come together and the arms straighten into a flat platform⁵.
4. The angle of the platform decides where the ball goes, so point it at the target. At contact your weight shifts to the front foot, and the arms swing only slightly up and forward, the shoulders lifting towards the ears⁵.
5. Follow through towards the target with arms and body; on very fast balls there is no time for it⁵.

Common mistakes

• Swinging the arms hard, so the ball flies too far
• Bent elbows, so the ball goes sideways
• Joining the hands while still running: they come together only as the feet stop⁵

Drill: Passing to a target

Overhead pass (set)

The set turns a pass into an attack. Clean hands matter: catching or throwing the ball is a fault Rule 9.2.2.

The high ball set, step by step

1. Move under the ball the quickest way and let your arms swing as you run: running with your hands above your head slows you down⁶.
2. Stop your feet under the ball with shoulders and body facing the target, turning hips and shoulders if needed; as the feet stop, the hands come up above the head⁶.
3. Ready under the ball: knees and elbows bent, hands just above the forehead, so legs and arms can push the ball high⁶.
4. As soon as the ball reaches your hands, extend arms and legs together; the wrists turn outwards to push the ball out quickly instead of lifting it⁶.
5. Finish with arms and legs fully extended and fingers wide open, land if you jumped, and get ready to cover your hitter⁶.

Overhand pass: To pass a ball with your fingers rather than set it, open your hands wide and keep them closer together than for a set, the wrists stiff and the elbows bent; arms and legs push towards the target⁷. Under Volleyball Canada's rules, players aged 16 and under may not receive a serve this way⁷.

Common mistakes

• The ball in your palms instead of on your fingers
• Hands too low, in front of the chest
• Running to the ball with your hands already above your head⁶
• Over-rotating the wrists, so the hands face away from each other after the set⁶

Drill: Partner setting with a side step

Attack

The spike is usually the third contact, the one meant to win the point. Timing the approach matters more than raw power.

Approach and hit for right-handers (left-handers mirror it)

1. Wait behind the attack line with your weight on the front of the right foot and watch the set to time the approach⁸.
2. First step towards the net with the left foot. Then push off and take a big right step towards the ball, lowering your centre of gravity, while both arms swing back until they are parallel to the floor⁸.
3. Plant the left foot quickly in front of the right so your hips open to the set. Both arms swing up as the legs push off; the left arm points at the ball, the right arm is bent behind your head⁸.
4. Hit: the abdominal muscles start the rotation, the left arm pulls down close to the body, and the right arm shoots up fully extended to the ball, the hand wide open and relaxed⁸.
5. Land on both feet with your shoulders facing the net and go straight into blocking position⁸. Don't touch the net between the antennae while playing the ball Rule 11.3.1.

Tip and tool: Approach as for a spike, but the arm goes straight to the ball, led by the hand. With soft fingers you drop the ball just over the block; with stiff fingers you push it into an open area or off the blockers' hands and out⁹. Indoors a tip is legal as long as the ball is not caught or thrown Rule 13.1.2.

Common mistakes

• Running under the ball
• Starting the approach too early
• Jumping forward instead of up

Drill: Approach and attack from position 4

Block

Only front-row players may block Rule 14.1.1. A good block stops the attack or makes it easier to dig.

The step block, step by step

1. Ready position at the net: knees slightly bent, weight on the toes, back straight, shoulders slightly forward; the hands are up or down depending on the pass¹⁰.
2. Read the arc and speed of the pass first, then watch the setter to see where the set will go¹⁰.
3. Once you know the direction, push off into one big step sideways, staying low; the hands come down to help the take-off, your eyes go to the attacker, and the other foot closes quickly next to the first¹⁰.
4. Jump as the arms extend over your head and push them over the net as early as you can. Stay straight: reaching sideways can let the attacker use your hands¹⁰. Touch the ball on the other side only after the attack hit Rule 14.3.
5. On the way down keep the arms extended as long as you can, then draw them back away from the net, elbows close to the body; land on both feet and get ready again¹⁰. Don't touch the net Rule 11.3.1.

Common mistakes

• Swinging the arms into the net
• Drifting sideways in the air
• Reaching sideways instead of staying straight: the attacker can play the ball off your hands¹⁰
• Elbows wide on the way down: you can hit your middle blocker¹⁰

Drill: Closing the double block

Dig

Defence keeps the rally alive: read the attacker, stay low and keep the ball on your side. Volleyball Canada describes good defence as intense and calm at the same time¹¹.

Digging, step by step

1. Ready position: feet slightly wider than your shoulders, weight on the front of the feet, shoulders forward, arms bent in front of you with the palms up; you face the hitter and read the attack¹¹.
2. Just before the hit, drop your weight into the floor with a small split step: then you are stable or can move off towards the ball¹¹.
3. Once you see the direction, move body and arms towards the ball without moving the feet, by bending one leg and extending the other¹¹.
4. Bring the hands together only at the point of contact; arms in front of the body, shoulders over the knees. After the dig keep the arms together for a moment and let the body follow through¹¹.

Common mistakes

• Standing up too early
• Swinging at hard attacks
• Stopping the movement at contact: the dig stays too low¹¹

Drill: Digging attacks from a box