Triangle passing

The calmest passing drill there is: no serve, no time pressure, just three players in a triangle and one ball going round. That is exactly why this is the drill in which you can correct technique, because nothing else is competing for attention.

3 players 5 phases ± 10 min 1 ball per group of three, a quarter of the court From U13 upwards

Phase 1 of 5Tosser, passer and target stand in a triangle

P = passer, S = target; the third player is the tosser 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

Triangle passing: tosser, passer and target in a triangle; after the pass the ball moves on and everyone rotates.

The angle between tosser and target: the ball comes from the left and has to go to the right, so the platform has to turn.
Passing calmly and high with a consistent arc instead of a flat, fast ball.
Rotating through the triangle, so everyone also tosses and catches and sees up close what a good pass looks like.

Coaching points

Feet first, arms afterwards.

In a triangle the ball never comes straight at you. Steer with the arms alone and you swing at it, and the direction goes with it.

Point your shoulder at the target and keep your arms still.

Direction comes from the angle of the platform, not from a swing. In this calm drill players can still feel that difference; under serve pressure they cannot.

Tosser: feed at eye height, not at the hands.

A ball that arrives too close to the body forces the passer into a short, rushed movement, and then they are training something other than what you intended.

Pass above head height, always.

A low, flat pass looks sharp but gives the setter no time. At this stage height matters more than speed.

Variations

Easier: The passer catches the ball and throws it to the target, and only once that runs smoothly do they actually pass it.
Harder: The tosser feeds short or deep without warning, and the triangle is made big enough that every ball has to cover seven meters.
With six players: Two triangles side by side, or one triangle with two players at every corner and someone joining the back each time.
As a game: How many times can the triangle go round without the ball dropping? Twenty rounds is a good bar for a U15 team.

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: the platform that starts every rally · steering the ball without swinging · all the basic skills at a glance