Moving the block wall

Pin to pin and back again, with three blockers who have to stay closed. Covering the full width of the court in one drill means the blocker on the far side has seven meters to travel every single time. That is the player to watch: if the block tears open anywhere, it happens there.

10 players 12 phases ± 20 min 6 balls, full court with net From U17 upwards

Phase 1 of 12The block wall stands outside left, B builds the attack

Your own team (M = blockers, L = libero, D = opposite) The opposition with a setter and two outside hitters 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

Blocking: three blockers shuffle along the net from outside to middle to outside. Footwork and closed blocking hands.

Moving across the full width of the net without the block falling apart.
Choosing footwork by distance: shuffle for short, crossover for long.
Closing the block twice in a row with nothing but a landing in between.

Coaching points

Up to a meter you shuffle, beyond that you cross over.

Blockers who shuffle everything never reach the far pin; blockers who cross over on everything arrive crooked on the short moves. The distance decides the choice, not the habit.

The blocker on the far side leaves on the set, not on the approach.

That player has the longest way to go on the whole court. Wait until you see the hitter running and you arrive when the ball has already been hit.

Land and pick the next direction straight away.

There is no pause between two balls here. Drift out of your landing and you are a meter too far outside on the second ball.

Keep your chest facing the net while you move.

Turn all the way out to run faster and you have to turn back again at the end. Only the crossover step opens up; the rest of the move stays square.

Variations

Easier: The setter sets to the same side twice in a row, so the block can groove one direction calmly.
Harder: The setter switches sides at random and now and then plays a second ball straight after the first.
With six players: Two blockers, a setter, two hitters and a feeder. The blockers swap with the hitters after every round.
As a game: Four moves per round. Every time the block is closed and on time is a point; three rounds per group and the highest score wins.

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 a block against a strong hitter · the role of the middle blocker in six moments · tracking block points as a stat