How To Play Volleyball - Volleyball Defense
The purpose of volleyball defense is to prevent opponent’s offense to score a point. Volleyball blocking, digging and coverage are considered to be part of defense. (In fact, the coverage can be both, since it is a crucial part of offense also.)
How to Play Volleyball - Volleyball Blocking
How to Block in Volleyball?
Volleyball block is an attempt to block the opponent’s attack.
How to Block?
It is done by jumping up into air slightly after the attacker and pushing the hands over the net and reaching into the other side of the net towards attacker.
Keep your eyes open when blocking! Do not close them!
Basic Volleyball Rules for Volleyball Blocking
In case the block touches the ball, it doesn’t count a touch in indoor volleyball. (In beach volleyball a block counts a touch.)
Only three front row players who play at the net are allowed to block.
A blocker can reach over the net, into the other side of the to stop the ball - ONLY after opponent's third contact. (Blockers can't stop the setter setting the ball.)
When the ball is in the plane of the net (when any part of the bal is above the net), both sides have the right to play the ball. (Seriously, this is correct! Even many referees don't get this right!!). One more time; when the ball crosses the net, even by a half-an-inch, both sides can play the ball.
How to Play Volleyball - Volleyball Digging
Digging is an act which is trying to prevent the ball falling into the court after the opponent’s attack. It can be done by digging underhanded(bump) or overhead (overhead dig with fingers).
Volleyball Digging - How to Dig?
Digging duties are mostly responsibility of three back row players. If the front row player doesn’t block, his duty is to help back court players in defense.
Important in Volleyball Defense!
The most important thing is digging is; the defensive players along with blockers stricly follow the team's defensive strategy (i.e. do they block the line, or angle shots.)
The players have to trust each other to follow the team tactics. For example; if blockers trust the defensive player to dig the line shot by blocking the angle, the defensive player simply has to be on the line to dig the ball.
Otherwise it leads to endless guess work. Next time the blocker may decide to block the line anyways, because the defender wasn't there the last time.. so follow the defensive strategy!
How to Play Volleyball - Volleyball Coverage / Cover
Coverage is a defensive action in which players place themselves under the block – to save the ball back into play in case blocker blocks the hitter.
The spiker may also make an intended swing to the block - and use the block to rebound the ball back to the own court side. The spiker needs teammates on the coverage to dig the ball for the setter.
How to Play Volleyball - Passing
How to Set in Volleyball?
How to Play Volleyball - Passing
Passing, also called the serve receive follows the opponent’s serve. The purpose of it is to pass the ball to the setter, who is the playmaker of the team.
Bumping or Overhead
Volleyball players usually pass the ball underhanded (bumping), but since the rule changes passing overhead (by setting) is also allowed.
How to Pass?
When passing the volleyball player takes the basic stance - shuffles into the correct spot - stops the movement - and places arm platform under the ball - and hits the ball with the minimal arm swing for the setter.
When serve receiving there is no need to swing the ball with arms.
The extra power for the bump - when bumping a free ball - should come from the legs and through the body, not solely swinging the ball heavily with arms.
When serve receiving there is no need to swing the ball with arms.
The extra power for the bump - when bumping a free ball - should come from the legs and through the body, not solely swinging the ball heavily with arms.
Passers / Serve Receivers
Player who specializes on serve receive/passing is called a libero or defensive specialist.
Usually outside hitters and the right side hitter, who all are also called wing hitters, carry the passing/serve receive responsibility too.
Volleyball Setting
The letter is a player who contacts the ball after serve receive/pass. The purpose of a set is to direct the ball for the attacker. The setter chooses between multiple options, trying to give the team the best to score a point. Setter is like a quarterback in the football team or the point guard in basketball team.
How to Play Volleyball - Setting
How to Set in Volleyball?
Setting is usually done by overhead setting with fingers (hand setting), but sometimes setting has to be done also by bumping the ball by underhand pass for the attacker (bump setting).
How to Set?
Hand Placement for Volleyball Setting
When setting the ball with fingers, the player places both hands above the forehead – index fingers and thumbs should form a triangle. Index fingers and thumbs should almost touch each other – they should be 1-2 inches away from each other. The player contacts the ball with fingers – without letting it touch on the bottom of the hands.
Basic Footwork for Volleyball Setting
In the basic setting footwork, the setter first takes left-right step. The right foot being around half the foot in front of the left foot - legs slightly bend, so the setter is able to push with legs, especially when setting to longer distance. Then when contacting the ball, she pushes forward with legs, follows through with the left foot and shifts the weight forward. After the set, the left foot is front of the right foot because of the weight shift.
The setter could try to repeat the rhytm: "left-right-push through it".. "left-right-push through it".. to help to memorize and to get hang of the setting.
Volleyball Spiking / Attacking
For people who are just learning how to play volleyball and want to learn the basic skills as quickly as possible, it is recommended not to spike the ball in the training sessions – since it diminishes longer rallies.
To ensure longer rallies for the beginning volleyball players, it is recommended to “set” or “bump” the ball over the net.
How to Play Volleyball - How to Learn Volleyball Spike?
When the skills improve and rallies start being longer, players can start learning to spike by hitting the ball over the net - with both feet on the ground at first.
Later on when the approach has been honed without the ball, players can attack by making an approach, jumping into the air - and first tipping the ball into the other side of the net.
After timing has been learned, players can start spiking the ball over the net.
How to Spike?
Approach
Make a four step approach (First take a right step, then a left step to get speed. Then placing your feet, right and left, on the ground for jumping.)
OR
Make a three step approach (First taking a left step for speed. Then placing your feet, right and left, on the ground for jumping.)
Arm Swing to Lift You Up
Use your arms for a powerful arms swing to raise yourself into air.
To get the feet and the arms work in-sync, it is extremely important to work on it without a ball for several training sessions.
Timing
Pretty accurate tip for timing is to place either the first right foot or the left foot on the ground when the setter releases the ball. Naturally this depends on the speed of the set, but it is a good rule of thumb.
