Defending behind the block — pipe coverage

A full defense in a single picture: three players at the net, three in the back court, and an attack that gets past the block. The gain sits in the pocket behind the block — that is where the ball nobody claims comes down. Every dig gets played out into a counter-attack, so you train defense and transition at the same time.

9 players 7 phases ± 20 min 6 balls, full court with net Advanced, from U19 upwards

Phase 1 of 7Six defenders in block-plus-court; the opponent has the ball

Your own team (M1 to M3 = the players at the net, D = opposite, L = libero, P = passer) The opposition building their attack 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

Court defense: three blockers close, the five back-court players cover the angle behind the block and play the dug ball to the setter.

Filling the zone behind the block instead of trying to cover the whole width of the court.
Matching up block and back court on an attack from the outside.
Turning the dig into an attack through the middle.

Coaching points

Do not stand in the shadow of your own block.

Almost nothing arrives there: the block takes the ball that goes straight through. The balls land beside and behind the shadow, and that is exactly where your defenders belong.

The player behind the block stands deep enough to play forward.

Moving forward is faster than moving backward. Stand too shallow and you have to chase the ball back over your shoulder, which almost never works.

The block jumps, the court stands still.

Back-row players drift along with the block and are still moving at the moment of contact. The block may travel; the court is stopped at contact.

Blockers get off the net the moment they land, even when they touched the ball.

A block touch does not kill the rally, it only changes the flight path. Stay there and watch and you have missed your approach for the counter-attack.

Variations

Easier: The other side throws the ball over instead of attacking, so the back court can learn the positions calmly first, without time pressure.
Harder: The other side picks freely between an outside attack, the middle and a tip, so block and court have to read every ball fresh.
With six players: Play without the attacking side: the coach hits from a box, three players block and three defend. Swap the trios every five balls.
As a game: Ten attacks per round. Two points for a dig that leads to a counter-attack, one point for a dig that only goes up.

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: defensive systems explained · organizing a block against a strong hitter · transition after the dig