SafeVolley base round

The opening round every session starts with: two lines working down the length of the court with a jog, high knees and heel flicks. No ball, so the attention stays on the execution and you can see who walks in stiff. Two full rounds are enough to raise the heart rate without burning anyone out.

4 players 6 phases ± 8 min No equipment, half a court All levels, from U13 upwards

Phase 1 of 6Two lines of two ready on the end line

Players in two lines behind the end line 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

Cardiovascular warm-up: jog in lines with arm swings, high knees, butt kicks; two full there-and-back rounds.

Heart rate and muscle temperature up before a single ball comes into play.
High knees and heel flicks: waking up the hip flexor and the hamstring, the two muscle groups that work hardest in an approach.
Running patterns over the full length of the court, so players get used to the distances they will be playing in right from the start.

Coaching points

Land your feet under your hips, not way out in front of you.

A foot that lands well ahead of the body works like a brake and puts the load on the knee and the hamstring. A short contact time underneath the body is exactly what you need on the court.

Swing your arms alongside your body, not across your chest.

Crossing arms turn the trunk with them and cost speed. On top of that, a straight swing already loosens up the shoulder line for the ball work that is coming.

First round at half speed, second round full.

A cold muscle that has to work at full power straight away is the most common cause of a hamstring problem. The build-up is not optional, it is the drill.

Really brake and turn at the three-meter line and at the net.

Braking and turning is the movement in which players get injured in a match, and it is the one thing a straight-line running pattern leaves out by itself. Build it in deliberately.

Variations

Easier: Halve the lane: from the end line to the three-meter line. One running pattern per lane, walking back in between.
Harder: Finish every lane with a jump and a landing on two feet. Or run the way back backwards, with your eyes on the net.
With twelve players: Four lines of three, each starting five counts after the one before. That way the lane never gets crowded and everyone keeps their own tempo.
As a game: A relay between the lines: a line is only finished when the last player is back. Two rounds, and the losing line picks the running pattern for the third.

Volleyball drills

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 2 players · 6 phases Pair warm-up Warm-up · Passing

Read on in the knowledge base: building a warm-up with the RAMP method · injury prevention for ankles, knees and shoulders · cool-down and recovery after practice