Five-on-four — attacking with overload

Five attackers against four defenders, with the coach feeding the balls in. The numbers advantage is not a gift but an assignment: with an extra attacker there has to be a zone lying open somewhere, and the attacking team has to find it. The four underneath learn at the same time to defend against more attackers than they can possibly cover.

9 players 9 phases ± 25 min Ball cart with at least twelve balls, full court From U19 upwards

Phase 1 of 9Five on four; the coach waits with the ball beside the court

Attacking team of five (S = setter, P = passer, M = middle, D = opposite, L = libero) Four defenders Coach 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

Match drill with an overload: five attackers play against four defenders and look for the open zone; a complete rally with counterattack.

Cashing in the numbers advantage: picking the attacker who is not being blocked.
Setting priorities as a defender when you cannot cover everything.
Letting your setter choose on the basis of what they see standing on the other side.

Coaching points

The five score single, the four score double.

Without that weighting the drill is pointless: the bigger side wins on its own. With double points for the defense even the smallest side has something to play for, and the resistance stays real.

The setter looks at the other side before the ball arrives.

The entire advantage of five against four sits in the zone that is open. Look only while you are setting and you go outside by default, and the advantage is thrown away.

The four defend cross-court and let the line go.

Four players cannot cover everything, so you have to give something away. Cross-court is statistically the busiest corner, so that is where you put your players.

Change who plays on the five after every set of five balls.

Otherwise the same player is always on the fun side. The defending side is the physically hardest job, so that role has to rotate.

Variations

Easier: The coach throws the ball in high and right at a player, and the four defenders may still play the ball after one bounce.
Harder: Six against four, or: the attack from the five has to come from a different player than the rally before.
With twelve players: Five in attack, four in defense and three players who take over the defense after every set of five balls.
As a game: The five play to fifteen points, the four to ten. Whoever hits their number first wins; then the sides swap over.

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: the pipe as a fourth attacking option · attack tempos from high ball to first tempo · scaling drills to fit a squad with mixed levels