Four-on-four complete

Four against four is the smallest game in which every match phase still shows up in full: serve, serve receive to the setter, set, an outside attack, and then defense with a counterattack. With four players there is always a hole in the court, so every player has to choose what to cover and say it out loud. A player who does not get that in six against six will see it here within two rallies.

8 players 12 phases ± 25 min 6 balls, a full court From U15 upwards

Phase 1 of 12Line-up four on four; B serves from the right back

Your own team (P = passer, M = middle, S = setter, L = libero) Opponents 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

Full 4v4 rally drill: serve, pass to the setter, set, outside attack and defense with a counterattack across the whole court.

Playing a complete rally: serve, serve receive, build-up, attack, defense and counterattack back to back.
Splitting the whole court between four players, which means deliberately leaving part of it open.
Playing on after the first attack — the rally is not over once the ball is across the net.

Coaching points

Play rally scoring to 15 and change server as soon as the serve changes sides.

Without a score, four against four sinks into a kickabout. With a short score everybody knows when a mistake costs something, and the team plays at match speed.

Straight back behind the three-meter line after your attack.

In this drill the hitter is also the defender. Stand there watching where your ball lands and you are exactly the gap the counterattack comes through.

Agree beforehand who takes the second ball when the setter touches the first.

With four players that happens every couple of rallies. Without an agreement two players dive for the ball or nobody does, and then the rally is over before there is an attack.

Play every rally right out, even a ball that looks hopeless.

The second and third attacks in the animation only exist because somebody keeps chasing at the back. Teams that learn that are the ones who win the long points in a match.

Variations

Easier: Serve from the three-meter line, or start the rally with a free ball from the coach. Play on a court that is one meter narrower.
Harder: The attack has to come from above the net; a high ball over counts as an error. Or: the counterattack counts double, so defending pays off.
With six players: Four on court and two waiting who replace both back-row players after every rally. Everybody then plays for the rally and nobody stands still for long.
As a game: Two sets to 15 with a change of ends. The team that wins a rally after defending first gets an extra point.

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: training with a small squad · game-realistic drills · covering your hitter