Servers vs passers

A tug of war over one single number: a good pass counts plus one, an ace minus one, and the score starts at five. The drill works because both sides are under pressure at the same time — a server who hesitates hands the passers a point, and the other way round just as easily.

5 players 7 phases ± 20 min 8 balls, a scoreboard or whiteboard, full court From U17 upwards

Phase 1 of 7Score 5-5; both servers are ready behind the end line

Your own team (P = passers, S = target) The servers on the other side Equipment 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

Tug of war: good pass +1, ace -1, start at 5; at 10 the passers win.

Serving under scoreboard pressure: aiming without giving up any speed.
Passing when something is riding on it, because one bad ball moves the score straight away.
A team goal bigger than your own contact: the counter runs for the whole group.

Coaching points

Servers: pick your target before the toss.

A server still deciding where to go during the toss changes the arm swing halfway through, and then the ball goes into the net.

Passers: play the ball extra high after an ace.

After conceding a point the tempo usually drops. A high, safe ball breaks that run faster than a tight one.

Call the score out loud after every point.

The count is the engine of this drill. The moment nobody knows the score any more, it has turned into an ordinary serve receive drill.

Explain why you start at 5 and finish at 10.

Five good balls in a row win it. That teaches players a run is worth more than one perfect ball.

Variations

Easier: Start at seven and only count aces against, so a mediocre pass is not punished straight away.
Harder: Only a pass within two meters of the target counts as a plus; anything outside that is neutral and an ace still costs minus one.
With six players: Two servers, three passers and one target; as soon as the score reaches ten or zero, the servers and the passers swap roles.
As a game: The drill already is one. Have the losing side shag the balls and play a second round straight away with the roles reversed.

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: where you serve and why · handling pressure and serving nerves · building game-like drills