Basic Volleyball Skills

Developing fundamentals are key to

success in volleyball
Developing basic volleyball skills for success.

Fundamentals
I'm sure you have often heard the key to success in sports is focusing on
fundamentals. This statement is perhaps more true in volleyball than any other sport.

The best teams are always the most highly skilled teams.

The most fundamentally sound teams have the best skills and are very confident.
These highly skilled players have the ability to focus better than anyone else.

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Success Breads Success

As player skills improve, standards increase. This is key if you want to have highly
successful volleyball teams. As skill improves, the players expectation will increase.
As a player learns, they will start to expect to be more successful.

Learning is fun and as skill level improves, players will naturally try to improve their
skill level. This is a cycle that will never stop. As long as skill level is improving,
players will never become "burned out". It's natural to never be satisfied. As long as
the athlete believes and expects to improve, they will continue to always experience
more success.
6 Basic Skills in Volleyball
The six basic volleyball skills are passing, setting, spiking, blocking, digging,
and serving.

Passing is often thought of as the most important skill in volleyball. If you can't pass
the serve, then you won't ever put your team in a position to score a point.

The importance of serving is often undervalued. Many coaches don't teach players to
serve aggressive and use this opportunity to give the team an advantage for scoring
points.

Blocking is perhaps the least taught skill in volleyball. Players can get away with
poor blocking skills because not blocking isn't going to hurt the team as much as being
poor at executing other skills in volleyball.

Digging is another skill that isn't focused on quite as much as most skills in volleyball.

The setter position is considered to be the most important position in volleyball. The
setter basically runs the team offense.

How to Play Volleyball

The object of the game is to score 25 points first.

Points are scored by winning the rally. One way to win the rally is by spiking the ball
to the floor of the opponents court.

There are many other ways to win the rally.

Here are a few...

 Hitting the ball off the opponent in way that ball isn't retrievable.

 The opponent not being able to return a spiked ball back across the net
successfully.

 The opponent volleyball spiking the ball out of bounds.

  Serving the ball so tough it can't be returned.

Basic Strategy for Winning in Volleyball

The big picture END RESULT that we're after is to win the game. You win the game by
scoring points.

Now think of each skill in volleyball as having an END RESULT that you're after.

Always be focusing on the END RESULT

When first learning to play volleyball, skills should be taught with the end result in
mind.

For example, the end result of the serve is the opponent passes or doesn't pass the
ball.

The end result of the volleyball pass is the passer passes the ball to the setter to set the ball.

The end result of a set is a spike by an attacker.

The end result of a block is deflecting the ball coming from the opponent.

UNDERSTAND THE END RESULT OF EACH SKILL

It's important to understand the end result that we're after.

For example, every single time a passer passes the ball, they should be aware of whether or not
the ball was passed in such a way that made it easy for the setter to set it. The passer should be
aware of this because this is their role on the team....passing the ball to the setter in way that
makes the setter's job easier.

The better job a passer does passing, the easier it will be for the setter to set the ball to an
attacker.

This is why developing basic volleyball skills is so important.

The main goal should always be on developing individual player skills

 Volleyball Basics
Learning How to Play Volleyball
Volleyball basics include learning about volleyball skills and the roles of each player
on the team.

Object of the Game

Obviously, you are trying to win. The team that reaches the destination score and has
a two point lead, wins the game.

In order to successfully learn how to play volleyball, you must first understand the
object of the game.

THE OBJECT OF THE GAME IS TO ATTACK

To help explain what I mean by, "the object of the game is to attack", let me first go
over the roles of players on the team.

The different positions on a team are passer, digger, spiker, blocker, server, and
setter.

A Simple Explanation of Player Roles

Some players have multiple roles. For example, a libero will likely be responsible for
passing and digging.

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 Effective Spiking at the Net is Key

A middle hitter (spiker) could focus on spiking and blocking.

The role of the setter is to set spikers. The setter is also usually the team leader.

Most players have serving responsibilities. In some cases, players from the bench might sub into the
game and replace the front row players. These types of players are usually called DS's (defensive
specialists) because they specialize in coming in the game across the back row to play defense and pass.

So how does knowing player roles relate to the object

of the game....ATTACKING?
The main responsibility of the passer is to pass the ball in a way that makes it easy for
the setter to set the spiker. (The end result we are always looking for is a successful
ATTACK.)

The main responsibility of the setter is to set the ball in a way that makes it easy for
the spiker to spike (to execute an effect ATTACK).

The main responsibility of the blocker isn't necessarily to block the ball, but to block
in a way that makes it easier for a teammate to make a defensive play on the ball.

The diggers main goal is to dig the ball in a way that makes it easy for the setter to
set. (Again, the easier it is to set, the easier it is to ATTACK).

The main responsibility of the server isn't to just serve the ball into the court or to
serve aces. The servers main job is to serve the ball in a way so that it makes it easier
for the team to block and play defense. The easier it is to block and play defense, the
easier it is for the setter to set a spiker and ATTACK the ball.

The reason the "object of the game" is to ATTACK, is because this is ultimately how
you want to score points. (A successful ATTACK is always the end result you're looking
for).

For example, you don't score points by digging. You score points by digging a ball in a
way that the setter can get to it and set a spiker to ATTACK the ball. If the ball is
successfully ATTACKED to the ground, you score the point.

Also, you don't score points by setting a spiker really well. You score because the
spiker successfully ATTACKS the ball.
There are essentially 4 ways to score points...
1. Service Ace. If you score points off of an ace, I would consider this as a successful
attack.

2. Kill. A kill is a fancy word for a successful attack.

3. Block. You can score points from successful blocks, but you likely shouldn't depend on blocks to score
points.

4. Opponent Error. Scoring points off of opponent errors is definitely common at lower levels of
volleyball. Focusing on making your opponent make errors is good strategy for winning. The more often
you are able to put your team in a position to get a successful attack, the more often your opponent will
make errors.

Rocky Top Sports World is the perfect place to host your next volleyball tournament!
With 12 indoor courts (and five more onsite), bleacher seating, three team rooms, and
our very own restaurant, our sports facilities have everything you need for an amazing
volleyball event.

In addition to being a ton of fun, playing volleyball is also one of the best ways to stay in
shape. Here are the top five health benefits of playing volleyball at our Smoky Mountain
sports complex:

1. Burns Fat and Calories

One of the best benefits of playing volleyball is that it helps to burn off calories. As a
result, your body can effectively maintain a positive ratio between muscle and fat. It has
been estimated that just a half hour game of competitive volleyball can burn anywhere
from 120 to 178 calories, while a less competitive game may result in 90 to 133 calories
burned off. Volleyball is a great way to maintain a healthy weight, which reduces the
risks of heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension.

2. Builds and Tones Muscles

The physical motions used while playing volleyball help to build the muscles in your
upper and lower body. You squat and use your legs for power when passing the ball,
and use your hands, arms, and legs to set the ball. Since playing volleyball requires
constant use of the arms and legs, you are effectively gaining the benefits of a full body
workout! In addition to building strength and improving your respiratory and
cardiovascular systems, you will receive the added benefit of toning your muscles.

3. Improved Mental Health

When you play in a volleyball tournament at our Smoky Mountain sports complex and
work together with your team to achieve a common goal, you will strengthen friendships
and feel a sense of group cohesion. Team sports are also a fantastic way to improve
your self confidence and reduce stress. The positive feelings you get from playing
volleyball will transfer over to other areas of your life off the court as well!
 4. Builds Coordination,
Balance, and Speed
New volleyball players quickly improve their coordination, balance, and speed. The
sport involves all of these important abilities, since the game play consists of serving,
passing, setting, blocking, and much more. These essential skills are used constantly to
be effective in volleyball games, so you will notice yourself developing these skills more
with each match!

5. Increased Aerobic Activity

While it may seem surprising, studies have shown that someone playing even a slow
paced 20 minute game of volleyball can use the identical amount of energy as a person
jogging for a mile. By playing a more intense game of volleyball, you use the same
amount of energy in just 12 minutes as someone jogging a mile! Longer and more
competitive games have even more tremendous health benefits. In addition to
enhancing your energy level, your increased aerobic activity will improve your
performance in a variety of other sports.

Check out our Tournaments & Camps page to see all of the upcoming events at our
Smoky Mountain sports complex!

October 5, 2015