Volleyball drills · Match play · Blocking

Match format with rotating serve

Every rally starts with a different server: whoever just scored passes the ball on to the next one. That way there is no such thing as a serving run and every point has to be won on its own. The rest of the drill is a complete four against four, with the block as the point of attention because you only have two players at the net.

8 players 9 phases ± 25 min 8 balls, a full court From U17 upwards

Phase 1 of 9A serves; B is in serve receive formation

Team A (P = passer, S = setter, M = middle, L = libero) Team B (P = passer, S = setter, M = middle, L = libero) 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

Complete 4v4 with a rotating serve: every rally starts with a new server, after which both teams play a full attack-defense cycle.

Blocking with two: choosing between closing the line or jumping at the ball.
Starting every rally fresh, without the momentum of a serving run.
Everybody serves the same number of times, including the players who avoid it in a match.

Coaching points

After every point the ball goes to the next server in a fixed order.

Without a fixed order the best server serves the most. It is exactly the player who does not trust his serve who has to get on the ball every round here.

The block picks a job before the set: line closed or angle closed.

With two blockers you can never cover everything. A block that picks nothing is half a meter off everywhere, and the defense has no idea where to stand.

The defense lines up behind the block's choice, not next to it.

If the block closes the line and the back-court player covers the line as well, the angle is wide open. Block and defense have to be agreed on together.

No approach if you have just served.

The server often gets into the court late and is then not ready for the first attack. Moving straight to your position after contact is part of the serve.

Variations

Easier: Every server hits two balls in a row, so there is more rhythm in it. Serving from the attack line is allowed.
Harder: A service error costs two points. Or: the server has to announce which player he is aiming at and actually serve there.
With ten players: Four on court per side and one waiting player per team who takes the next serve and then stays on court; the hitter who scored comes off.
As a game: Play to 21. A block point counts double, an ace counts single — so the block stays the subject and not the serve.

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: organizing your block against a strong hitter · read blocking or commit blocking · what a serving run is worth