VOLLEYBALL

Basic skills in Volleyball

The Pass
Also called reception, the pass is the attempt by a team to properly handle the
opponent’s serve, or any form of attack. Proper handling includes not only preventing
the ball from touching the court, but also making it reaches the position where the setter
is standing quickly and precisely.

Types of Passing

a. Forearm pass or bump- where the ball touches the inside part of the joined forearms
or platform, at waist line
b. Overhand pass- where it is handle with the fingertips, like a set, above the head

The Serve

The serve is the act of putting the ball in play by the right-back player. The server
must serve from within the serving area and must not touch the lines bounding this area
or the floor inside this area at the instant he contacts the ball on the serve. The server
puts the ball in play by hitting it with his hand, fist, or arm. The ball must be hit over the
net and into the opponent’s playing area; it must not touch the net. Prior to a serve, the
receiving team is allowed a reasonable amount of time in which to return to their playing
positions.

Effective serves are very important in volleyball. A team with effective server has
an advantage in retaining the serve and thus keeping its offensive, or point-making,
system in play. An effective server can often force the opponents to play the ball the
way he wishes. His serves can be played to the weaker receivers.

Types of Serve

a. Underhand and Overhand Serve: refers to whether the player strikes the ball from
below, at waist level, or firs tosses the ball in the air and then hits it above shoulder
level. Underhand serve is considered very easy to receive and is rarely employed in
high-level competitions
b. Sky ball Serve: a specific type of underhand serve occasionally used in beach
volleyball, where the ball is hit so high it comes down almost in a straight line. This
serve was invented and employed almost exclusively by the Brazilian team in the early
1980s and is now considered out dated

c. Topspin: n overhand serve where the ball gains topspin through wrist snapping. This
spin causes the ball to drop fast

d. Floater: an overhand serve where the ball is hit with no spin so that its path becomes
unpredictable. This type of serve can be administered while jumping or standing

e. Jump Serve: an overhand serve where the ball is first tossed high in the air, then the
player makes a timed approach and jumps to make contact with the ball. There is
usually much topspin imparted on the ball. This is the most popular serve amongst
college and professional teams

f. Jump Float: This is a serve like the jump serve and the floater. The ball is tossed
lower than a topspin jump serve, but contact is still made while in the air. This serve is
becoming more popular amongst college and professional players because it has
certain unpredictability in its flight pattern
g. Round House Serve: the player stands with one shoulder facing the net, tosses the
ball high and hits it with a fast circular movement of the arm. The ball is hit with the palm
of the hand, creating a lot of topspin
Suggested Drills:

The Set
The set is usually the second contact that a team makes with the ball. The main
goal of setting is to put the ball in the air in such a way that it can be driven by an attack
into the opponents’ court. The setter coordinates the offensive movements of team, and
is the player who ultimately decides which player will actually attack the ball.

Types of Set
a. Behind-the-head Setup (Back set). When the setup player is located in the
frontcenter playing area, he can use the behind-the-head setup to setup to the spiker
behind him. He should position himself when receiving a pass so that the ball is
dropping directly towards his face (or chest)

b. Low, Quick Setups. For advanced play, a low setup that travels only one or two feet
above the height or level at which it is spiked is sometimes utilized. This permits a quick
spike to be made before the defensive team players can position themselves properly
c. Back-Court Set. Any ball set from behind the 3-meter line is designated a backcourt
set. The full extension release will be necessary because the ball will be set higher and
the distance of the set will be greater. This set is one that all players should be able to
perform with accuracy

d. The Play Set. It is important to use the quick release on all play sets to establish
consistency. The setter must be able to set a consistent ball to each offensive position.
Many techniques are employed to designate the type of set. The setter may call out a
number to each hitter or may give a one-hand signal which tells all hitters what set they
will hit

e. The Forearm Set. When it is impossible for the setter to get hands on the ball, the
setter must use the forearm set. The body must still be in the full squat position. When
the ball is contacted, the arms will follow through and the player will return to an upright
position

f. The Jump Set. The jump set should be added for any advanced offense. It increases
the setter’s options, thereby increasing the hitter’s options. The position of the hands
and body is important in the effectiveness of this set. The body position is the same as
with regular set and the hand position remains the same in all other sets.

The Spike
A spike in volleyball is the act of hitting a set ball from above the level of the net
into the opponent’s court. It consists of an approach, jump, arm swing, follow-through
and landing. Spiking is probably the most difficult individual skill to master in volleyball
because it requires a great deal of body control and coordination while the spiker’s body
is airborne.

Types of Spike

a. Backcourt (o back row) attack: An attack performed by a back row player. The player
must jump from behind 3-meter line before making contact with the ball, but may land in
front of the 3-meter line

b. Line and Cross-court shot: refers to whether the ball flies in a straight trajectory
parallel to the sidelines, or crosses through the court in an angle. A cross-court shot
with a very pronounced angle, resulting in the ball landing near the 3-meter line, is
called a cut shot
c. Dip/Dink/Tip/Cheat: the player does not try to make a hit, but touches the ball lightly,
so that it lands on an area of the opponent’s court that is not being covered by the
defense
d. Tool/Wipe/Block-abuse: the player does not try to make a hard spike, but hits the ball
so that it touches the opponent’s block and then bounces off-court (see fig.32).

e. Off-speed hit: the player does not hit the ball hard, reducing its acceleration and thus
confusing the opponent’s defense

f. Quick hit/”One”: an attack (usually by the middle blocker) where the approach and
jump begin before the setter contacts the ball. The set (called a “quick set”) is placed
only slightly above the net and the hitter strikes the ball almost immediately after leaving
the setter’s hands. Quick attacks are often effective because they isolate the middle
blocker to be the only blocker on the hit

g. Slide: a variation of the quick hit that uses a low back set. The middle hitter steps
around the setter and hits from behind him or her

h. Double quick hit/”Stack”/”Tandem”: a variation of quick hit where two hitters, one in
front and one behind the setter or both in front of the setter, jump to perform a quick hit
at the same time. It can be used to deceive opposite blockers and free a fourth hitter
attacking from backcourt, maybe without block at all

The Block
Blocking refers to the actions taken by players standing at the net to stop or alter
an opponent’s attack.
A more effective way to meet a spiking attack than the dig is the use of the two-
or three-man block. The block is a defensive play close to the net. It involves a
coordinated, simultaneous jump by all the blocking players in which they jump just after
the spiker leaves the floor.

Types of Block

e. One-man Block. One player is blocking, positioning himself on either side of the
spiker in order to cover a maximum area (see fig.41).

f. Two-man Block. When two players are blocking, they position themselves on either
side of the spiker in order to cover a maximum area. Both blockers jump at the same
time; just after the spiker leaves the floor (see fig.42).
g. Three-man Block. When three players are blocking, the center player blocks directly
in front of the spiker. The center man is trying to position his hands parallel to the net, in
line with the probable direction of the spike (see fig.43).

The Dig
Digging is the ability to prevent the ball from touching one’s court after a spike,
particularly a ball that is nearly touching the ground. In many aspects, this skill is
similarly to passing, or bumping: overhand dig and bump are also used to distinguish
between defensive actions taken with fingertips or joined arms.

Types of Dig
a. One-arm Bounce Pass. The one-arm bounce pass, usually referred to as a dig pass,
and involves the same principles as the two-arm bounce pass. The solid surface of
either hand, preferably the heel, wrist, or forearm, is placed in the path of the ball. The
one-arm bounce pass can be executed with a closed fist, in which case the ball is hit on
the combined surface of the heel of the hand and the clenched fingers

b. Two-arm Bump or Bounce Pass. When a ball is driven directly toward the receiver
and at such an angle or height that it is impossible to lower the body and use the chess
pass, the two-arm bump or bounce pass should be use
c. Japanese Rolls (Save). This is to do diving in front, back and side positions in order
to save the ball using one-arm dig or two-arm dig. These rolls and saves should be
practiced many times on mats before attempting them on the hard floor