Serving from five positions

Five servers spread across the full width of the end line, all aiming at the same two zones. From five different angles that makes five different balls while the technique stays the same. The catchers roll their ball on to the next player in line, so the balls come back on their own.

10 players 6 phases ± 15 min 2 cones, 5 balls, full court with net From U17 upwards

Phase 1 of 6Five servers behind the line, five catchers in the target court

Servers, spread across the width of the end line Catchers in the target area 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

Serving: five servers hit in turn into fixed target boxes; five players catch on the other side. Precision by zone.

Feeling how your starting point behind the line decides the angle to your target.
Hitting the same zone from five spots, so five different flight paths.
Choosing where to stand first and only then thinking about the swing.

Coaching points

Pick your spot behind the line based on your target.

You are allowed to serve from anywhere behind the end line. Standing in the same place every time hands the other team free information and closes off angles for yourself.

From the side you aim along the sideline, not across it.

The cross-court from the corner is the longest path on the court and therefore the safest. Players overestimate how sharp the angle has to be and put the ball just wide.

Be standing still before you toss.

On a new spot players keep shuffling right into the toss. The feet have to be planted already, otherwise the ball travels with that movement.

Change spots every round.

Otherwise everybody only gets good from their own corner. Five rounds means every player has served from all five angles.

Variations

Easier: One big target zone covering the whole back court and three serving spots instead of five. An underhand serve counts.
Harder: The server always has to take the zone furthest away, so the cross-court. Down the line does not count.
With eight players: Four servers and four catchers at two target zones. After every round the whole group moves on one spot, so serving and catching alternate.
As a game: Every server gets five balls from five different spots. One point per zone hit; the first player to score from all five spots 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: keeping a big group working · choosing angle and zone on the serve · measuring serving pressure per player