Indoor Volleyball Guide

Friday, 29. July 2011

Indoor Volleyball is played by 6 people on a court at one time. The court is 18 metres by 9 metres, split in half by a net running through the middle. Both sides have an attack line, which any back row players are not allowed to jump in front of. Indoor Volleyball requires a number of skills that are unique to Volleyball. Of course, general fitness is where the sports cross over, but in general Volleyball is very unique! Volleyball is usually split into male and female teams, although if you are doing it for a social activity there is no reason why it has to be split up!

Generally 2 or 3 people sit on the bench during a game of Volleyball and they are rotated on as required. In professional games of Volleyball, often there is 4 or 5 people on the bench. The equipment used in Volleyball is largely provided by your school, club or association that you are playing for. The only equipment required by players is the Volleyball Attire (shirt, shorts, socks, shoes) and many players wear Volleyball Shoes, ankle braces and knee pads.

Volleyball is a relatively cheap sport to play, and yet it is incredibly good fun. You can buy Cheap Volleyballs without spending a huge amount of money and get a lot of enjoyment out of them. Volleyball is a sport where height is favored, but there are many skills which can outweigh this if you are not tall! I have enjoyed playing Volleyball for many years now, and like millions of other people I fully recommend it!

Vertical Jump Training – Can I Really Get to Jump 10 Inches High?

Monday, 18. July 2011

If you are looking methods on how to increase your vertical jump, I am pretty sure that you have already searching for quite a period of time. You might have spent many hours at the gym doing rough workouts and not get the results you want to achieve is indeed very frustrating. If you are really serious about improving your vertical jumping skills then continue reading this article and learn about vertical jump training manuals can do to help you.

If you fail trying to increase your vertical jump you should have proper instructions and correct training values. Here are some factors you need to consider if you want to jump real high and excel in sports such as basketball, volleyball and football:

First you need to do it right.
Secondly make sure to do all the exercises correctly.
You also need to consider discipline and determination in following exercise instructions with consistency.
Finally, you need to have good nutritional diet.

If you are able to consider these factors with consistency, then you are one step away in achieving your goal in increasing your jumping ability. Have you ever wondered why popular basketball players have extra air time when performing dunks? Do want to know their secret? These athletes developed and increased their 10 inches high vertical jumping abilities because they are consistent and well-disciplined when it comes in following the factors mentioned above. At the same time they have a secret weapon and that is the new vertical jump training manuals available on the Internet.

These jump manuals gives you specific ideas and training programs that will really aid you in having high jumps. It does not matter if are just starting out your career as an athlete or you are already engaged in sports that requires jumping. This training packages comes in a form of an e-book, videos (CD-Roms/DVD) and instructional that you can view using your computer or DVD player. It also comes with training charts and guides you can use to monitor your progress and measure how many inches you gain every week. Remember that some of this jump training packages aims and guarantees that after weeks of following the training programs you will be able to jump vertically high up to 10 inches.

I suggest that you read and do research thought the Internet about these jump training manuals and see what product suites you best. They are specially designed training programs for sports minded people who wants to impress their coaches, opponents and their audiences.

Volleyball Rotations

Monday, 20. June 2011

When playing indoor volleyball, the players always rotate clockwise. For those who haven’t played a lot of volleyball, there is often confusion as to when you rotate. Some people say you rotate every point, regardless of whether you win. This is not correct! You actually rotate when you win a point that the other team served. This means that if one of your team mates is serving the ball and you win the point, he or she gets to serve again and no rotation takes place. However, if you lose the point, the ball goes to the other team for their serve.

If you win the point from their serve then you rotate and a new person gets to serve. If you don’t win the point, then you stay in the same position until you do win. A libero is someone who takes the majority of the defence on a volleyball court, and they are swapped with another player (not subbed on though) and they come on after your team loses the serve. What this means is that the libero will take majority of the passes from the opponents serve, as that is their job.

If you have only just started volleyball, there is a good chance that the setter will change people, as you rotate around. However, in most games of volleyball where the players have been doing it for a long time, there will be one (usually, but there can be two) setter who is known as a back row setter. Basically they stand behind one of the outside hitters until the ball is served, and then they can run to front row. They still rotate as normal, but they have a few other little rules that they need to follow. Hitters often swap depending on what their strengths are as well. Rotations in volleyball are quite simple, once you have watched a few games.

Volleyball Spike

Wednesday, 8. June 2011

In my opinion, the best part about Volleyball is the spiking. Of course, the offense in most sports is where a lot of the fun is. A Spike in Volleyball will come from the setter 99% of the time, and will go to one of 5 people. 3 of those play on the front row, and will jump up to hit the ball right next to the net. The other 2 people are known as back row players, and must jump from behind the front row line. There are a number of different spikes that happen in volleyball, which vary in height, length and direction. Just because a setter is facing one way doesn’t mean that they won’t back set (set the ball behind them to a hitter behind them).

Back row spikes are not very common, unless there is a hitter in the team that is brilliant at them. You usually get better results from running outsides or middles from the front row. Spiking has a lot of technique to it, which is varied according to what type of spike is being done. The most common spikes are outsides from the front row. These are usually high balls that go right out towards the antenna. The spiker then runs in and hits the ball down the line, across the court or just tips it to where they want it to go.

A spiker plays another role though, which is known as blocking. When the other team has a chance to spike, the spiker will jump up and put his/her hands up in an effort to block the ball. A successful block will stop the ball from coming over the net, and it will land back on the opponent’s floor. Typically a Volleyball Spike is left to the tallest people in the team, although it’s not uncommon to see some of the smaller players with big jumping ability doing very well too!

How To Become a Better Volleyball Player

Wednesday, 11. May 2011

Many sport lovers are familiar with the beauty of volleyball game where players of two teams attempts to score points against each other with smashing and blocking. We all know that players with excellent physical endurance and athletic abilities have more advantage in this sport. Therefore, I hope the following tips will help you to play well in the game.

Always focus on your position. Player in any position has to focus on his or her position and ready to read their opponents body language. They need to learn how to jump higher as it is essential and integral part to play well in this sport. Leap high and smash the ball with powerful strike is the best way to score the game. Blocking the opponents attack is also important to control the game. Players in all time need to focus on their positions and follow the ball direction with high pace. Volleyball players need quickness, flexibility, fast reaction time and a perfect balance to perform well.

You need to get proper information about effective volleyball drills and techniques. You must learn to understand the game situation as it is vital to set the strategy against the opponent team. This is the most important part of the game and this task can be achieved with the help of professional volleyball coaches. Some people say that the difference between a good volleyball player and an average volleyball player is the amount of time they practice with their coaches. For me personally, I think that quality of the practice is more important than the quantity.

Volleyball Serve

Tuesday, 3. May 2011

Serving in Volleyball is what sets the pace of that particular point. Someone who can consistently serve hard balls is a serious threat to anyone who is playing them, and many points can be won by a good server. However, it takes many hours of practise to get good at serving. Unlike tennis, if you hit the ball out, or you don’t make it over the net you lose the point, which is a great way to lose the game. What this means is that a team needs to be made up of good servers. As you rotate you have to serve, meaning that you need to be consistent.

There are a number of different Volleyball Serves, depending on how good you are at them. You can hit a ball very hard and it will just go straight over and down. Alternatively, you can hit it high and soft and aim for the front part of your opponent’s court. If you have a lot of serving experience, you can throw the ball up, run and hit it over. This is known as a jump serve, and is one of the more popular options when it comes to serving in volleyball.

Like any ball, you can easily make a Volleyball spin how you want it to. If you watch some of the better servers you will notice that the ball can float from side to side if you hit it correctly, which is very off-putting to the person that has to pass it! By spinning the ball one way you can greatly influence the chance that whoever passes it is going to mess up. Even in the pro games there are times when several points will be won in a row because of a good server, which makes a massive difference to how a team performs. Serving is one of those skills that is vital to learn, much like passing well!

Volleyball Passing Practice

Saturday, 30. April 2011

Being able to defend well when playing Volleyball is probably the most important skill that your team needs to have (and that has to be as a team and as individuals too). In order to do this consistently and without any problems, a lot of practise must go into Passing and defence in general. Passing needs to be done in conjunction with blocking as well, because those who are passing will take the areas left open by the block. Of course, there is the chance of the ball being spiked through the block, but in most cases you are able to move there in time.

The one thing that I must recommend beyond anything else is to be on your toes. If you are standing on your heels then that extra second that it takes to move is going to cost you. In my opinion, passing can be very boring. I have had a number of coaches that made the practice incredibly boring, and that is when things go wrong. If you don’t enjoy the training then there is a good chance that you won’t go to training, or that you won’t participate with the energy that is required.

Remember that you will still learn passing skills in a game, so ensure that there is plenty of competition when you are playing a game. There are plenty of drills that are a lot of fun to do, and that will teach the people doing it a lot at the same time. These are the drills that you want to focus on, although with enough variety too! Learning to pass well often relies on plenty of theory too. You want to focus on where the blockers are going, squeezing up for when you are being attacked and the list goes on. I would also recommend recording games, as these are one of the best ways to look back and learn from.

Volleyball Warm-Ups

Wednesday, 6. April 2011

Warming your body up is essential in any sport, regardless of whether you are training, or whether you are playing a full on game. When it comes to Volleyball, warming-up is important because of the number of muscles that are used, and the extent that they are used. You need to warm-up your legs, feet, stomach muscles and most importantly the arms and fingers. Warming your body up in Volleyball should be done slowly, and stretching needs to occur at the same time. If you don’t stretch before playing Volleyball you will end up with sore muscles afterwards. It’s vital to stretch after playing Volleyball too, as this removes the lactic acid that builds up.

Warm-ups for training can be done at any pace, in many different ways. Often just playing a simple game is a great way to get people motivated and into gear. However, warm-ups on a court can have a huge effect on your opponents. You want to look intimidating, as this will help to give your team the edge. I don’t mean that you have to be rude when it comes to spiking and hit balls at them, but you want a routine that looks professional and that works well. With this, they will see that you know what you are doing and will be intimidated.

Doing the skills that you would normally in a Volleyball for your Warm-ups are vital. Plenty of setting, passing and spiking is very well worth it, which is usually where pepper comes in. Warming your body up on a Volleyball Court is usually very standard, with spiking being done 5 minutes in, and then with serving being done too.

Volleyball Recruiting – Steps to Take Your Freshman and Sophomore Years

Monday, 28. March 2011

Your road to playing college volleyball actually begins much earlier than college. Your freshman year of high school is when you need to get started on the volleyball recruiting process.

Consider this time line for reference:

Freshmen Year

During your freshman year, it is important to have fun. Don’t worry: the serious stuff will come soon enough.

But, while you are having all this fun, it is also important to keep focused academically. When coaches and recruiters have interest in you, your grades will come into play. Poor grades or test scores can drastically hurt, and even end, your chances of playing college volleyball.

It is also important during this time to make sure you are playing volleyball correctly. Bad habits, many of us know, can be quite hard to break so it is better to break them while you are young. Make sure your volleyball coach teaches you with proper form and technique. It is also a good idea to play on a competitive club volleyball team; this will let you compete against the best players in the country.

As your freshman year comes to a close, you may receive introduction letters in the mail from a variety of colleges. While these may seem exciting, don’t get your hopes up. These letters are part of the college volleyball recruiting process and a way for colleges to build a database of interested athletes. Don’t think of these letters as being actively recruited, instead think of them as the first step of the volleyball recruiting process.

Sophomore Year

At the beginning of your sophomore year, you should meet with your guidance counselor to discuss the requirements to play college volleyball.

You should continue to play high school volleyball, and club volleyball at the highest level available to you.

This year you will also want to start recording game footage. You will use this footage to market yourself to schools. Ask your parents to purchase or rent a digital recorder that can be used to film games and practices.

As your sophomore year progresses, you will get a variety of questionnaires in the mail. Again, this does not mean a college is actively recruiting you (though they may be). Rather, this continues to help the college build up their database. Fill out the questionnaires so that you can voice your interest.

You should also begin researching schools. Maybe you have a specific school in mind or maybe you have certain requirements. Do you want to go out of state? Do you have a specific major? Is there one or two schools you will absolutely not attend? These are things you need to ask yourself.

Once you have figured out the schools that interest you most, send an introductory letter to the coach of that school. This letter should include a bit about your volleyball self (such as stats and awards), as well as a link to your video game footage. Include a game schedule and invite the coach to come see you play.

Finally, consider attending summer camp at a few of the schools you like best. These camps are crawling with college volleyball recruiting officials – they are a great way to get noticed.

You won’t be able to fully know whether you are being recruited until your Junior year, as per the NCAA rules. But, by doing the above steps you are laying the groundwork of your college volleyball career.

Girls Volleyball

Saturday, 12. March 2011

Volleyball is one of those sports that anyone can play. People as young as 10 learn the sport and many elderly people also play the sport. Regardless of whether you are a girl, boy, woman or man there is a spot on a volleyball court for you to find. Girls volleyball is incredibly popular throughout the world, and for good reason. Volleyball is truly a lot of fun, and everyone who has played it would know this. Girls volleyball is very competitive, with state, national, international and even Olympic teams. The difference between girls and boys volleyball is nothing, other than the net height.

Girls volleyball uses nets that are slightly lower due to the average height of girls being less than that of boys. At full height, the net difference is only a few cm though, so it’s just as much of a challenge to get the ball over the net for boys and girls. Other than this, the volleyball played is identical, although girls tend to be a little less aggressive in general. However, this doesn’t mean that the games are not serious, because they are! Even in the junior games girls volleyball is well worth watching.

One thing to note is that volleyball is not mixed sexes very often. Interestingly, a girl can play in a boy’s team, but not the other way around. Of course, there are age restrictions that must be met, and this only happens when the team is low on players. You would never see this in a full on professional game of volleyball. If you are looking for a team sport that is a whole lot of fun (and you are a girl), seriously look into playing volleyball; you will have a blast.