Volleyball Movement Drills

Movement drills teach volleyball players the importance of proper footwork and positioning. Design drills around moving in a pattern to teach the players these qualities and they will develop correct skills. Assistant volleyball coach Steve Hagenlocher of Fordham University believes that girls need to practice movement more than boys, but girls also listen better than boys do. He also says to emphasize passing more than hitting.

  1. Serve-Receive-Transition

    • Place one server, one setter and three passers on each side of the net. The server on one side serves to the alternate side as in a real game. A passer receives the serve and passes to the setter. The server on the receiving side calls a set call to the setter before she sets the ball. The setter executes the call and sets the ball back to the passer, who catches the ball. The server then serves the ball back to the other side, who repeat the same drill. This drill teaches the players how to transition from receiving to hitting. By taking away the offensive side of the game, the players can focus on proper movement and ball control.

    Coverage Drill

    • Set up six players normally on the receiving side of the court. Place two blockers in each of the three blocking zones on the opposing side. The coach then tosses a ball to the receivers. They play the ball to set up a spike attempt, but with six blockers, the team has to move the ball to a position to best score a point. If the defending team blocks the ball, the team has to keep the ball alive and continue trying to score. The coverage drill teaches players how to maneuver the ball against strong blocking.

    Two Person Pit

    • Set up a pair of players on one side of the net and stand facing them. Start the drill with a toss, tip or down ball to one player who digs the ball and pass it to the other player, who must make contact with it. Repeat the drill quickly, but start the ball in different location to teach the player to reach different areas. After a few tries, alternate by having the second player become the passer. The drill teaches players to dig the ball at different angles.

    Cover and Reverse

    • Put a ball into play to a setter who sets the ball to one of the outside attackers. The team then returns the ball. As soon as the ball crosses over the net, toss a second ball over the net to the same setter to simulate a block. The setter sets the ball to the other outside attacker similarly to the previous ball. The opposing team must cover the hitter throughout the drill. The continuous movement of this drill teaches the players preparedness and readiness to handle blocks while also teaching setters to move the ball over the net after coverage.