Volleyball Tactical Drills

Wednesday, 23. February 2011

During the off season, volleyball coaches will most often work on conditioning drills. At the beginning of the season, it is a good idea to concentrate on technical drills. After the first few practices during the season, it is time for you to start working on volleyball tactical drills. These are the drills that will take all of the basic technical skills you have taught your players and form them into actual plays. Volleyball tactical drills will teach your team to work together as a unit, instill a measure of proficiency, and give your team a sense of confidence that will grow throughout the season.

One of the most important aspects of volleyball tactical drills is to teach your players to work together as a cohesive team and trust in their teammates. They will be able to play off of each other, knowing that they can count on each other to place the ball exactly where it needs to go on every play. Your drills should be run on a regular basis, repeating them as often as necessary until every member of the team can perform their functions to near perfection. As each member sees the rest of the team perfect their moves, they will be able to trust in them to play the ball just right, whether it is a set for a killer spike or a dig that passes the ball to correct setter.

Because you are running your volleyball tactical drills until the whole team has perfected the moves, the team as a whole will become more proficient in the plays you are drilling them on. They will begin to know instinctively where to stand, how to hit, who to hit to, and all of the other little dynamics that make up the perfect play. Each member should know exactly what is expected of them without any conscious thought, so that in a live game, they will find themselves running the plays quickly and proficiently. This will build your team’s skill level to a higher level than you would think possible at the beginning of the season.

Since the team becomes proficient in the volleyball tactical drills that you are running, they will begin to see the plays coming together. Watching each play being performed perfectly will give your team a feeling of confidence in themselves, the team, and you as their coach. Confidence can often be the difference between winning and losing. A team that is confident that they will perform to perfection before they even get onto the court will often come out the winners of any match up. This confidence will allow them to know that no matter if they are playing a team that is seeded higher than them, or a team that is considered lower than them in the standings, they will be able to perform just as well.

Volleyball tactical drills are some of the most important drills to run during the volleyball season. The players should be conditioned to the play that is expected of them, and they should have the technical skills down to make the plays work. These drills will use all of the training they have received thus far and put it to practical use. The more you run your volleyball tactical drills, the more trusting, proficient, and confident your team will become.

Volleyball Drills for Offense

Tuesday, 8. February 2011

Volleyball drills are used to help strengthen the team, raise team confidence, and build a sense of trust. These drills are designed with those purposes in mind. One of the strongest ways to achieve these goals is through the use of offensive drills. Offensive volleyball drills can help the members of your team trust in each other when it is seen that the players know where to be, how to move to get there, and how to control the ball. These drills are often precise in nature, and teach strong movement and ball control skills. Here are a couple of more advanced drills that will you can use in your own training.

A tricky drill that will work on both movement and precision is a pass-set-spike volleyball drill. In this drill, have the team line up in three rows on a single side of the net. The lines should start close to the net and continue back toward the serving line. The first person in each row begins by lying down on their stomach. You will stand in the middle of the opposite court and throw the ball over the net. When the ball is released form your hands, the players must stand up and run to position themselves so that the middle player passes the ball to the setter on their right. The setter then sets the ball to the spiker on the left side of the court. The spiker then spikes the ball over the net. They then rotate to the back of the line, and the next three people lie down to start the drill over again.

Another precision volleyball drill is to have the setting accuracy drill. In this drill, the team will form a setting line on your right. One team member will stand on a chair, with their arms raised above their head. You will then throw the ball to the setter, who will set the ball to hit the hands of the person standing on the chair. You should throw 5 balls to each setter, having each ball come from a different angle, speed, and height. This teaches your players to be able to set to the same spot no matter how the ball is passed to them.

Accuracy is an important factor in any game of volleyball. A volleyball drill to help with hitting accuracy is the 4-corners drill. In this drill, you will mark off for sections on the opposite side of the court. The players will line up next to you, in a single line. You then throw the ball to the first player and call out a section that you want them to hit the ball to. This will cause the players to think of the best way to hit the ball to accurately get it into the section you have called. To further build on this skill, you can place an object, such as a box or a chair in the middle of each section. The player will get extra points for hitting the object with the ball.

Volleyball drills that teach offensive skills are a must for any team to succeed. As shown, these drills are a bit more advanced than most of the basic tactical drills are though. It is important to be sure that your team is ready to successfully execute these volleyball drills before beginning them. Remember though, that you can always modify these to suit your team’s skill level. If need be, you may want to scale back on the difficulty level a bit when you begin them, and as your team becomes more successful with them, make them harder. Good volleyball drills always work to the strengths of the team.

Volleyball Drills for a Higher Jump

Wednesday, 19. January 2011

There are many volleyball drills available to build a players skill, teamwork, coordination, and just about every other aspect of the game. There really aren’t a whole lot of drills that work on increasing the jump height of the volleyball player. However, there are some exercises that you as a coach can use to help your players gain some height on their jump. This can be important, since a regulation volleyball net stands almost 8 feet high for men, and slightly under 7 and a half feet for women. The average jump height of men is 16-20 inches, while it is 12-16 for women. If you add some of these exercises before running your normal volleyball drills, you can add inches to that height.

The key to jumping volleyball drills is to understand that they are not drills in the accepted sense of the word. However, there are three exercises that you can use as volleyball drills that will work the muscles necessary for a higher jump. The first drill is the toe-stretch. In this drill, you will have your team stand flat footed on the floor. At your command, they will all burst up so that each player is supporting all of their body weight on only their toes and the balls of their feet. This will help build stronger calf muscles. You can change this drill up by having timing contests to see who can stay in this position longest, or you can have the team stand with their toes on a slightly raised curb. This keeps variety in your volleyball drills.

Another good volleyball drill to use for gaining jump height is squats. A squat is a common exercise that builds the upper thigh muscles. The execution is pretty simple and self-explanatory. The players start this type of volleyball drill by squatting down, with their hands on the floor. At your word, the players explode upright, and then return to the squat position. You can even add this into a volleyball drill by having a player squat on one side of the net. You can then toss the ball in the air, and have the player quickly reach a standing position, return the ball, and squat again. Before long, the motion will become second nature.

Step ups are another great way to help develop a higher jump. This is a simple exercise that has the player standing in front of a bench, then in exaggerated form, stepping up onto it. The form is important to train the muscles into understanding and accepting the motion involved in the step up. A good way to incorporate this exercise into a true volleyball drill is to have the bench in front of the net. The player must step p onto the bench in order to return a ball, then quickly step back down once a successful return is executed.

If you look back on the volleyball drills here, you may notice something important about them. In a typical jump move, the player will make an exaggerated stepping up motion with their legs, using their calf muscles and thigh muscles in tandem. These drills are the actual individual components of a good jump. If practiced enough, these exercises will strengthen the muscles used, while reinforcing the form. Since the muscles are being toned and the form is being reinforced, the player will begin to have a higher jump without even realizing what is happening. If you have your team work on these volleyball drills on a regular basis, you will find each and every member of your team adding inches to their jump height.

Volleyball Drills for Defense

Wednesday, 5. January 2011

When practicing for the big game, it is just as important to run volleyball drills for defense as it is for offense. A good defense can often mean the difference between winning and losing. The team may have a perfect offensive play that is lost when the opposing team spikes the ball back over the net and your team isn’t prepared for defense. Running these volleyball drills will help get your team ready for the inevitable plays that they are on the defense. These volleyball drills will work for just about any level of skill.

One of the most basic volleyball drills for defense is to block jump to the ball. You can use this drill as part of your technical drills, since it is more concerned with the specifics of how to block. The coach stands on a chair on one side of the net. On the other side of the net, a player stands close to the net. The coach then holds the ball directly over the net. The blocker must demonstrate the placement of hands and ability to jump into the ball, demonstrating exactly how a block should be done. When the players become confident in the technique, the coach should then start shifting the ball around, raising it or moving it slightly to one side or the other. Running these volleyball drills will ensure that the players are confident in their ability to block at the net, no matter where the ball crosses.

It is possible to use drills to help your players overcome some of their fears. One of the scariest things to do as a defender is to dive for a dig. The ground rushes up fast, and it is an unyielding surface that can possibly hurt. Use volleyball drills to show your team that they can pull out a dig without fear in a real game. In this drill, the coach stands on a ladder on one side of the net, with the players on lined up on the other side. The coach then throws the ball over the net, in a downward direction. The players will have to dive in order to save the ball. Each player must make a successful dig before the can get back in line. Rotate through the line a couple of times, changing the speed and direction of the ball in order to keep your team on their toes.

Not all volleyball drills for defensive plays are run from the opposite side of the net. Sometimes the team will have to defend against mistakes from their own team. You can help them prepare for this in this drill. Stand in the setter’s position with the rest of the team lined up normally. Toss the ball to any of the hitter as if it were being set. The trick to this is to change up how you toss the ball. Sometimes you will want to throw it as a perfect set, while other times you will make a bad set. This helps your team be prepared for the unexpected. Remember that you sometimes have to be flexible and prepare for things beyond the teams control when running your volleyball drills.

While there are many volleyball drills to be utilized, one of the most important types of drills you can run is the defensive drill. These types of volleyball drills will help your team prepare to save their perfect offensive plays by defending against the unexpected. They will also help your team become all around better players, since they will have more than one skill set to draw from in any game. The team with the most flexible players, using the best volleyball drills to train, will be the team in first place at the end of the season.

Having Fun With Volleyball Drills

Saturday, 11. December 2010

Volleyball drills are designed to create a winning volleyball team. However, it is important to remember that volleyball is still a game. If you create drills that are no fun, it can be real easy for your players to burn themselves out. They are playing to have fun. If you can give them that fun, while also teaching them, then you are going to be a very successful coach. Your team will enjoy coming to practices, and will want to show you that they know what to do, because they will respect the way you are teaching them. It is about showing your team that volleyball drills aren’t just about the hard work, but the fun they can have.

When creating volleyball drills for basic skill building, it can be easy to simply tell your team to hit this ball to a spot on the court. This can quickly become boring, and lack any creative thinking on the part of your team. One excellent way to work on ball handling can be by substituting a water balloon for the volleyball. Obviously this won’t work for all types of ball handling skills, but you can use a water balloon to help teach your team setting skills. The object to set the ball to a specific spot, with a soft touch that has complete control. Using proper setting skills, the balloon will be able to travel to the exact place your players want it to go, with the control they need to get it there. If they can’t learn the skill, then you are going to have some pretty wet players on your team. This is one of those volleyball drills that can turn fun rather quickly, by seeing who can stay the driest longest.

Conditioning volleyball drills can be a monotonous set to work on also. Instead of telling your players to hit the weight bench or run some laps however, set up a competition a few times during the season. Take one day every few weeks and hold a volleyball triathlon or more. Each member of your team will compete with each other, earning points in each event, so that one member won’t necessarily win each time. Create events that touch on all of the major conditioning points you are trying to accomplish. You will find that your team members will each have strong points in different areas. Of course, in order for these volleyball drills to be fun in the end, you should definitely come up with a good way to reward the overall winners, and possibly the winners of each event. One free pass out of suicides can be a great way to motivate your players.

The concept and reason behind some volleyball drills can be difficult to catch onto sometimes. One really great way to help reinforce the purpose and theory of some of your drills is to have your team teach them to younger players. Having a day or two where you have your team training some young players, especially pre-teens, will help yourteam understand exactly what you are looking for in your drills. They will understand what it is like to be in your shoes, and they will learn a lot of what you are looking for in the drill, because they will be looking for the same thing. Stress the fact that it is to be a fun learning exercise for the children though, so it doesn’t turn into another all-work session. Have contests to see which team member is having the most success with their child partner. Earning the respect of the younger player will prove important in this aspect, and the best way to earn their respect is by teaching them volleyball drills in as fun a way as possible. By end of a session or two like this, your team will know the drills you are teaching them and will know how to have fun with them.

Good volleyball drills don’t always have to be about work. They, like the game itself, should be designed to be fun whenever possible. Using some of these fun volleyball drills, you will help build an even stronger team than you had thought possible. Take some of these tips and build on them, make them your own. Create the types of volleyball drills that you think your team will have the most fun with.

Volleyball Videos: Top Volleyball Videos

Monday, 15. November 2010

It is almost impossible to learn about the game of volleyball without volleyball videos. If you want to learn volleyball electronically, there is no other way to do it than watching videos.

Take it from me a volleyball coach, that it is impossible to read a bunch of articles about volleyball techniques and then try and implement them. Games are won and lost based on the small differences between technique, and the only way to make sure you or your team are doing it correctly is to watch the process for yourself by viewing volleyball videos.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, just imagine what volleyball videos are worth.

There is no way I will force you to read a thousand words on how to do a specific technique, which is a reason why you should trust me and look up some videos online.

Featuring volleyball videos with top volleyball players, it becomes easier to understand the fundamentals of the game.

When picking an instructional video, make sure you find one that focuses on techniques and new ways of approaching the game. Everyone knows how to spike a volleyball, but the difference in video content occurs when you can view top players from around the world showing you their specialties.

There are several options to find good instructional volleyball videos online, but most of them do not focus on the intricacies of the game, and instead are just promotional videos. When choosing the right instructional video, make sure you find one with the top players in the world.

My personal favorite features Andor Guylai and 3 Time Olympian Jeff Nygaard performing the “Bic and Pipe.” For all you avid volleyball fans out there, you understand what a fundamental and great play this is. I never realized that Jeff Nygaard is the inventor of this move!

If you have no idea what I am talking about, that probably means you should be looking up how to do this great move now. I mean when else can you easily access content related to top volleyball players divulging their secrets.

I use volleyball videos to assist myself in learning more about the fundamentals of the game, and it is also a great tool in helping my kids get better at the game. I force the team I coach to watch instructional volleyball videos all the time, and it has become a part of our weekly practice routine.

Beach Volleyballs: Top Beach Volleyballs for This Season

Thursday, 21. October 2010

As spring arrives and the sun starts to poke through winter clouds, so starts the time to prepare for volleyball season. Finding the perfect beach volleyballs for the season may seem like a daunting task for the beginner, but choosing the right one is as easy as showing up to the beach. Games for the beach require different volleyballs for play than those used on indoor courts, and using beach volleyballs requires you play by a different set of rules.

Made in different sizes, and constructed with different materials than their indoor counterparts, beach volleyballs are made to withstand tough play in any outdoor environment.Their design allows them to repel dirt and sand so your beach ball always stays in top shape. Luckily, were here to review the best beach balls for the season, so you can show up ready to spike your competition at the volleyball beach. Games for the beach demand a slightly larger volleyball, and manufactures use a hand-sewn technique to keep the balls lasting for multiple seasons. Beach balls are made from high composite leathers or from the real thing, instead of soft leather alternatives.

Top Five for This Season

1) The Mikasa VLS300 – It is hard to improve on the best volleyball, but Mikasa succeeded when it revamped the volleyball with the latest technology. The FIVB chose these balls as the international standard in competitive play.

2) Mikasa SCV200 – A great beach volleyball for beginners, this ball is a smaller version than others, making it the official ball of the NCAA.

3) Wilson H4308 – While playing with the Wilson H4308, it is easy to realize why this is a favorite on the volleyball beach. With an 18-panel hand sewn construction, and durable leather alternative makes this beach ball resistant to dirt and moisture. The standard for AVP beach volleyballs, and the favorite of professionals like Misty May and Kerri Walsh.

4) Wilson Traditional AVP – This is the official beach ball of the California Beach Volleyball Association, and the USA Volleyball Jr. Beach Tour. This is the top of the line volleyball, and is constructed using the highest quality leather, unlike many of the composite beach volleyballs other competitors make.

5) Spaulding King of the Beach – If you want to make sure no one can question your beach ball authority, make sure you purchase the King of the Beach. Hand-sewn 18-stitch leather makes this the standard in durable beach volleyballs.

International Volleyball and Development Studies

Wednesday, 15. September 2010

Volleyball on the International Stage

The FIVB is an international federation founded in Switzerland in 1947, and represents all major volleyball rules and tournament play in the world. Standing for the Federation International de volleyball it governs five continental confederations.

The FIVB governs all international volleyball events through an elected congress, which meets every two years to elect a new board of directors, and to make official statements over new rules.

The FIVB is somewhat of a daunting authority in the volleyball world, and can be compared to the UN Security Council of international rules. They have been known to lobby other tournaments and even have been known to stop other tournaments from being able to practice and work.

FIVB Sponsored Volleyball Tournaments

The FIVB sponsors several tournaments in beach and indoor volleyball play. The FIVB volleyball World League is a yearly event-taking place over seven weekends in more than 40 cities. With 12 national volleyball teams competing for more that 20 million in prize money, this is the premier men’s international volleyball tournament.

The FIVB Volleyball World Championships occur every four years, and a multitude of qualifying tournaments occur prior to this insane volleyball event. Only the top 24 teams compete in the world final, with over 200 teams trying to qualify from 14 different country regions.

FIVB and Volleyball Sponsorship

The FIVB lobbies other volleyball groups, and is the main authority on all international play. They can lobby other regional organizations, which gives them the ability to force other authorities to adopt there rules.

Referees can become FIVB certified by attending a volleyball-refereeing clinic. These clinics are offered in a variety of countries, and once FIVB certified, it is much easier to get a position refereeing for local and national tournaments.

Volleyball Development Programs in the Horn of Africa: A Fundamental Project for Reconstruction

The FIVB is starting to promote volleyball in developing countries and is starting this campaign in Africa. The FIVB volleyball development program is a non-profit action that acts as a medium between the developed world and countries trying to gain their foot on the international stage. Volleyball programs are a necessary action to promote relationships between different factions of the world.

Serving Consistently in Volleyball

Monday, 6. September 2010

When you first learn to serve the first thing you will want to focus on is creating a routine that you do each time you serve the exact same way. When you change the way you serve during a match it becomes more difficult to create control and harder to maintain consistency.

Spending time creating a serving routine that is comfortable to you will make it easier for your body to create muscle memory; this will allow you to serve the same way each time without even thinking about it. Try to implement different techniques you learn that work best for you and stick to those same techniques until you master your serve.

When you are first setting up your serving routine the first thing you will want to notice is the serving line. Some people have a tough time serving behind the line and if you don’t start early it can make your serve miserable.

If you cross or even touch the line with your toe before you jump and serve the ball then the other team will automatically be awarded the point. Being aware of the serving line when designating a serving routine will make it much easier to serve constantly down the road.

If you can make your serving routine one fluid motion you will notice you have more control. You will want to work on moving forward, throwing the ball, and then hitting it all in one motion.

When you are able to have the timing down to know how high to throw the ball and how high to jump, your serve will be much more consistent. It is important to realize that you hit with you strong hand and throw the ball up with the opposite hand.

The serving line will dictate how far back you start the fluid motion of your serve. As you become more comfortable with your serving routine you will be able to focus more on placing the ball and generating more power behind each serve.

It can be very tricky to learn exactly how high to throw the ball and when to jump to ensure that you aren’t waiting on the ball as you jump to hit it. When you have to wait for the ball to come down you lose the momentum you had from moving forward and jumping at the same time.

Some people find it difficult to find the right timing that will allow them the perfect angle to serve the ball. If you let the ball drop below a certain point you should throw it up again and never hit it over the net.

As time goes on you will be able to perfect the timing that will allow you to hit the ball consistently. After that you should focus on your swing and try to increase the velocity behind each serve. Eventually you will be able to place the ball where you want it and hit it with more power.

As you take the time to learn how to serve consistently you will notice your confidence will increase dramatically. With the right motivation and proper mindset your volleyball serving skills can become much better in no time at all.

Setting Volleyball Drills

Monday, 30. August 2010

A good coach knows that in all likelihood, every player on his team is going to have to have the ability to set the ball. Running good volleyball drills for setting will benefit the entire team, not just the normal setters. Because setting the ball is often the best way to recover a broken play, it is important to have the entire team work on their setting skills. These are some volleyball drills that will help everyone hone their skills to be beneficial to the entire team.

One of the volleyball drills that is a good jumping off point is known as the “Set to Box”. In this drill, have a player standing on a chair, or on a wooden box with their hands in the air. The coach will then toss the ball to the setter, who will then set it to the hands of the player on the box. The object of this drill is for the setter to work on their form, and be able to visualize the play with a stationary target. This is much easier to see than when working with a moving target. To add this to your collection of advanced volleyball drills, you can rapidly toss ten balls in a row to the setter so that she gets into a good rhythm.

The next example of volleyball drills designed to help setters will help the setter watch the blocker with her peripheral vision. Have a blocker stand opposite the setter, on the other side of the net. The coach will then toss the ball to the setter. While the ball is in the air, the blocker will take one step either left or right. The setter should then set the ball in the opposite direction. Once the setter has the basics down for this set of volleyball drills, make it just a little bit harder. Toss ten balls in a row to the setter, having the blocker move with each ball. This gives the setter much less time to be ready to set, so she is forced to use her peripheral vision rather than just turning her head.

The final drill in this set of volleyball drills expands upon the blocker drill. This time, the coach stands in place of the blocker. A player will toss the ball to the setter. While the ball is in the air, the coach holds up 1, 2 or 3 fingers, indicating the direction that the setter should set the ball, either left, right or center. As with the other volleyball drills, you can expand this one by rapidly tossing ten balls in a row. Again, this causes the setter to use their peripheral vision more, while causing them to have to concentrate on smaller targets. To take it to an even higher level, the coach should change the height and position of his hands with each ball.

All good volleyball drills should be designed to help the entire team. These drills have been established to help both players who will only set the ball once or twice in a game as well as those who regularly set almost every play. This helps the players each build their own self-confidence, while building the team’s confidence in each player. The team knows that any player will be able to set the ball where it needs to be when the time comes. Each of these volleyball drills will ultimately help build your team to be the best that it can be.