Roll and sprawl technique

Two falling techniques in one drill: the sideways lunge with a roll over the shoulder, and the sprawl forward on a short ball. The coach plays the balls so the player just fails to reach them on their feet — the fall is a consequence of the ball, never the instruction.

1 player 7 phases ± 15 min 6 balls, half court, a mat for the first reps From U15 upwards, once the falling technique has been drilled dry

Phase 1 of 7Coach with the ball at the net, defender in the middle

1 = the defender 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.

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How the drill runs

What you are training

Lunge with a roll-out (Japanese roll) and a forward sprawl on short balls; every save played out to the middle.

The sideways lunge with a roll over the shoulder, so you are straight back on your feet.
The sprawl forward on a ball dropping just in front of you.
Playing the ball before you land, not after.

Coaching points

The ball comes first, the fall comes after.

Players who drop to the floor first and play the ball second are always late. The dive is there to absorb the impact, not to get you to the ball — you reach the ball with your feet.

Bend the knee on the ball side and roll over the shoulder, never over the elbow.

Landing on an elbow costs you a season. Rolling across the upper back spreads the impact and, on top of that, puts you back on your feet in one movement.

In the sprawl the chest and hips slide down together, chin up.

A player who keeps propping up on their hands slams a chin or a knee into the floor. Sliding through on the chest makes the landing soft and the movement predictable.

Afraid to fall? Build it up in four steps: rolling from a seated position, rolling from a squat, the lunge with a roll, and only then with a ball.

This is the step that gets skipped most often. A player who cannot do the roll without a ball will never do it in a match and will stay on their feet for balls they could have reached.

Variations

Easier: Work on a mat and throw the ball within one step. The player starts from a squat, so the height of the fall stays small.
Harder: The ball comes further away and the coach announces nothing: short or deep, left or right, two balls back to back.
With six players: Two lines on either side of the coach, each with their own balls. One ball at a time, alternating, and rotate after every save so everyone gets plenty of recovery time.
As a game: Six balls per player, one point for every save that comes up playable. The coach judges the landing and takes a point off for any impact on a knee or an elbow.

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: diving technique step by step · learning to land safely · preventing injuries when you hit the floor