"Mine!" — call for the ball

Two players, one ball right in the gap between them. This drill does not test whether they can pass but whether they dare to commit — and whether the other one then really clears out. That is where it goes wrong for most teams, not on the technique.

6 players 6 phases ± 12 min 3 balls, half court From U13 upwards

Phase 1 of 6Set-up: the coach has the ball, two players stand with a gap between them

Your own team (the pair in the gap, the catcher at the net and the line) 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

The coach tosses in between two players; whoever wants the ball calls loudly before contact. Prevents collisions.

Deciding early: calling out loud before the ball is past its highest point.
Clearing out: the player who does not call actively steps aside instead of standing still.
Delivering a usable pass while you are still stepping sideways toward the ball.

Coaching points

Call one word, and call it loud.

"Mine" or "me" is enough. Whole sentences take time and get lost in a noisy gym; the other player then hears only noise and no message.

Whoever does not call, steps away.

Standing still is the most dangerous reaction: both of them think the other one is going, and nobody touches the ball — or they collide at full speed.

A call is allowed to be wrong.

A player who claims the ball and shanks it has done less damage than two players who say nothing. Correct the silence, not the miss.

When in doubt, the player moving forward takes it.

Playing forward is far easier than playing backward. Agree on that rule of thumb and your team does not have to negotiate it all over again in every match.

Variations

Easier: Throw higher and clearly to one side, so the choice is obvious; calling stays compulsory. The catcher at the net may simply catch the pass instead of playing it on.
Harder: Throw low and short, right on the dividing line, and every so often fake the throw without releasing the ball. Anyone who calls on a fake was too early.
With four players: One pair, one catcher and one ball feeder. The pair stays in for three balls in a row and then swaps roles.
As a game: The pair scores a point for every ball where exactly one voice was heard before the contact. Two voices or no voice is nothing, even if the pass was perfect. First to eight.

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: who takes the ball between two passers · how many players to set up your serve receive with · the player who calls for every single ball