Block move-shuffle along the net

Three cones along the net, three jumps a turn, and a line that keeps moving up so nobody stands still for long. As a warm-up this does two things at once: it brings the body up to temperature and it sharpens the blocking footwork, before a ball is involved at all.

9 players 8 phases ± 10 min 3 cones, half a court with net, no balls From U13 upwards

Phase 1 of 8The trio ready at the left cone, two lines wait at the back

All players; the trio at the net (M) is up, the rest wait in two lines 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

Footwork for blockers: three players shuffle along the net together and jump at the cone zones; the waiting line moves up.

Side steps along the net in which the feet never cross.
Three jumps in quick succession, with the arms at the same height every time.
Rotating at pace, so nobody cools down while waiting.

Coaching points

The feet do not cross during the side step.

Over a short distance the side step is faster than the crossover, but only if the feet stay clear of each other. A crossed foot is a stumble right before the take-off.

The third jump is as high as the first.

With three jumps back to back the last one almost always drops off. That is exactly the moment in a rally where it goes wrong, so that is what you train for.

Bend through your knees, not through your back.

Bend forward to make power and you go forward into the net. The take-off comes from knees and hips, with the trunk upright.

Rotating happens at a jog.

A warm-up only works if the heart rate stays up. The trio joining the back of the line should be there before the next line sets off.

Variations

Easier: Two cones instead of three, and a beat of rest between the jumps.
Harder: Set the cones further apart, so the last move can only be covered with a crossover.
With six players: Two lines of three going along the net in turn; the waiting line counts out loud and watches the arm height.
As a game: Two trios at once, one on each side of the net. The trio that gets all three jumps to the same height scores a point; three rounds.

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 · getting the queues out of your training · training jump height and speed