Footwork along the net

Block footwork without a ball, antenna to antenna. Shuffle over the short distance, crossover over the long one, and a block jump at the end of every move. That is the sequence a middle blocker runs dozens of times in a match, and here you can finally slow it down and correct it.

3 players 6 phases ± 10 min No equipment, the full width of the net From U17 upwards

Phase 1 of 6Starting position at the antenna, three players at the net

Blockers along the net 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

Shuffle and crossover from antenna to antenna, each time with a block jump; there and back.

Choosing between shuffle and crossover: a short move or a long one, and the mistake is almost always in that choice.
Finishing with a jump from a squared-up, closed foot position instead of out of the run.
Keeping the hands high during the move, not only at the jump.

Coaching points

Keep your shoulders facing the net, even on the crossover.

A blocker who turns the body along has to turn back at the end and arrives over the net at an angle. The crossover exists precisely to be fast without losing your orientation.

Last step in the direction you are moving, take off from two feet.

Taking off out of a sideways movement pushes the blocker into the net. That is not only a net violation, it is also how you land on a teammate's foot.

Hands at chest height while you move.

Arms that swing along have to travel up first at the jump, and that costs half a beat. That beat is exactly the difference between getting over the ball and getting under it.

Land on the same spot you took off from.

A jump that drifts forward ends up under the net, where the opponent's feet are. More ankles get rolled there than on the landing itself.

Variations

Easier: Half the net width, shuffle only, and a jump without having to get the hands above the net tape.
Harder: The coach only points out the end position once the player is already moving. Or follow every block jump with one step back into the court, as a lead-in to transition.
With six players: Two groups on either side of the net, moving at the same time. Players then see each other's hands above the tape and correct themselves.
As a game: Five moves against the clock per group of three. A net touch or a landing away from your own spot costs a penalty second.

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: footwork, timing and hands at the block · blocking drills for your middle blockers · landing safely after a jump