Serving to 21

The zone number is the number of points: zone 6 is worth six, zone 2 only two. You have to land on exactly 21, so from about fifteen onwards every serve becomes a piece of arithmetic. That makes this the only serving drill in which a player deliberately picks the lower zone.

2 players 5 phases ± 15 min 6 hoops, 6 balls, full court with net From U15 upwards

Phase 1 of 5Six hoops: the zone number is the number of points; the catcher is ready in zone 2

Server and catcher; the catcher stands by the hoop that is up next 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

The zone number is your points; landing on exactly 21 forces deliberate zone choice.

Choosing which zone you take in advance and being able to explain that choice.
Being able to serve six different destinations, including the zones you normally avoid.
Keeping on serving the way you did at the start as the score climbs.

Coaching points

Work out your route to 21 before you start.

Start without a plan and you are on 18 with only zone 6 left in your arsenal. Thinking two or three balls ahead is exactly the habit you want in a match as well.

Zones 2 and 3 must not be your last resort.

Short zones are worth few points, so players skip them. Yet that short ball just behind the three-meter line is the hardest one to pass in a match.

A miss costs no points, but it does cost a turn.

Punishing a miss makes players cautious and then everyone parks in zone 1. Letting turns run out keeps the risk in without making safe play pay off.

At 19 you do not serve any neater than at 4.

Just before the finish line players start adjusting their technique: a bit softer, a bit more arc. The same ball as the first serve is the ball that closes it out.

Variations

Easier: Play to 12 instead of 21 and use four hoops. Going past the finishing score is not a mistake then, it simply does not earn you anything extra.
Harder: You may only use each zone twice. Reach for the high numbers too soon and you end up at the finish with no usable zones left.
With ten players: Five pairs, each with their own set of target zones across two courts. Within the pair they serve in turns and count to 21 together.
As a game: Two players race to 21 at the same time. Go over it and you drop back to 15 and keep serving — exactly the moment the lead can flip.

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: which zone you choose in which situation · the numbering of positions 1 to 6 · measuring serving pressure and aces