Agility ladder circuit

The ladder on its own makes nobody a better volleyball player; the ball that follows straight after it does. This drill links quick footwork to a real ball contact, so the movement work does not stay stuck in a world of its own.

1 player 6 phases ± 10 min 1 agility ladder, 2 balls From U13 upwards

Phase 1 of 6Ready at the ladder; the coach stands farther on with a ball

The player whose turn it is; the rest wait at the start Coach Equipment Ball

This animation comes straight out of the Koach app. In the app you play it at your own pace and the positions carry your players' real names.

Open in the app

How the drill runs

What you are training

Volleyball-specific footwork through the ladder (two-in-one-out, crossover), followed straight away by a ball action.

Foot speed: small, quick steps without landing on your heels.
The transition from footwork to a ball contact, inside one second.
Getting into a stable passing posture while you are still slowing down.

Coaching points

Look ahead, not at your feet.

Looking at the floor is exactly what a player must not do in a match. Stand with the ball inside their field of vision and the head comes up by itself.

Short contact with the floor, high frequency.

Speed in the ladder comes from the number of steps, not from their length. If you hear stomping, the player is spending too long on the ground.

Coming to a stop before the ball is not a loss.

A controlled pass from a stopped position beats a rushed pass on the move. Being fast here means being ready fast, not playing the ball fast.

Six to eight runs through, then real rest.

This is speed work, not conditioning. Let players rest about twice as long as the run took — thirty to forty seconds — and end the set as soon as the footwork gets sloppy, because from that point on the player is drilling the mistake in.

Variations

Easier: One foot per box, walking first and then jogging. The ball is only added once the pattern is right without looking down.
Harder: Crossover steps through the ladder, and instead of a pass a defensive ball: low, with a lunge out to the side.
With twelve players: Two ladders side by side and two feeders. The line is cut in half and the rest between runs is back where it should be.
As a game: Two lines side by side, a relay over four runs. A mistake in the ladder or a failed pass means that box again.

Volleyball drills

4 players · 6 phases SafeVolley base round Warm-up 3 players · 5 phases Shoulder activation with band Warm-up 2 players · 6 phases Dynamic movement patterns Warm-up 5 players · 5 phases Core plank with rotation Warm-up

Read on in the knowledge base: building a warm-up with the RAMP method · injury prevention for ankles and knees · building your practice in blocks