VOLLEYBALL SKILLS

READY POSITION
The Ready Position is one of the most important parts of playing Volleyball. Performing this move
correctly should enable any player to react faster and get to the Volleyball quicker. The motor skills
in this position are fundamental to movement patterns required on the Volleyball court.

Ready Position
1. Knees Bent
2. Weight forward
3. Hands presented
4. Eyes on ball
Tip: Players should be balanced. When in Ready Position give them a gentle push on the shoulder to
demonstrate to them how unbalanced they are. Balanced players should not move when pushed.

Tip: Throughout any session the Ready Position is a great way of grabbing the players' attention and
also repeating an important skill. Use your whistle to grab attention and instruct them to get into the
Ready Position before delivering next set of instructions.

SERVING
A serve is used to start a game of Volleyball. There are two general types of serving for Kiwivolley,
over-arm and under-arm.
Under-arm serving is the best way for players to begin learning this skill. Gradually as players
become more confident they will slowly adapt to over-arm serving.

Set up
1. Once foot slightly in front of other
2. Ball sitting in non-hitting hand
3. Balanced facing forward
4. Hitting arm behind waist
5. Slightly bend at the waist leaning forward
6. Knees bent

Action
1. Movement from back foot to front
2. Follow through movement
3. Arm comes past waist and hits ball with straight follow through
4. Contact on ball with hard part of hand just above wrist
5. The hand and wrist must be firm
6. Ball must stay on non-hitting hand until hit

Common Mistakes
1. Using a full hand or fingers = carrying the ball
2. No follow through = no distance
3. Hitting arm is not straight = ball will travel in unwanted direction
4. Ball is held above waist height = serve will travel in height not distance

Overarm serve
The movement of the body for overarm serve is very similar to underarm. It is very important that
the player transfers his/her weigh forward and strike the ball with all force going towards the target.
For overarm this is a more complicated arm action and the ball must be tossed.
Key points:

Only toss the ball as high as you want to make contact.

The ball should be tossed an arms length away from the body (towards the court) so when
the server steps forward the ball is still in front of the server.

The striking action should be made by rotating the trunk and shoulder with a high elbow in
a flexed position, finally the elbow extends to contact the ball

Hit the back of the ball, not under the ball

The server should once again always be balanced throughout the serve.

FOREARM PASS
The forearm pass is more commonly known as a dig, bump or pass. It is a basic fundamental
skill used by all players but is likely to be the skill which players find most difficult to grasp.
The forearm pass is normally the first hit used to receive a serve or attacking hit from the opposition.

Forearm Pass
1. Keep eyes on ball
2. Players should align themselves with the path of the ball ready for contact
3. Flat platform (arms) presented. Surface should be flat - like a pancake
4. Knees bent, one foot in front of other
5. Strike the ball by guiding ball with forearms
6. Follow through in the direction the ball is to go

Common Mistakes
1. Players find it difficult to track or judge the path of the ball
2. Players tend to slap or swing at the ball on contact
3. Players will leave the ball to drop or for someone else to pick up
4. Players will let the ball hit their forearms without movement to dig the ball

Playing the Dig

Players must be in ready position when ball begins to travel in the air.
Players must make a quick decision depending on speed and height of ball whether to dig or set
the ball.
Setting the ball is the preferred option on a high ball as the accuracy will be much greater
however on a fast ball a dig is the preferred option as the forearms can take greater impact than
the fingers.
Players need to move quickly as soon as the ball is in the air to ensure they are in the correct
position to play the ball.
The dig needs to be high enough for someone else to play the ball.
As with any other play, players should call 'mine' when deciding to take the ball.

OVERHEAD PASS OR 'SET'

The set is normally the second play in a rally of Volleyball after the dig and is used to set up the ball
for the third player (spiker) to hit the ball over the net. The set is an important skill to learn because
the ball is typically easier to control than a dig. A good set will involve the use of the whole body to
perform the shot.

Overhead Pass (Setting)

1. Played above head, hands apart but when brought together they form diamond shape
2. Position behind and underneath the ball
3. Face the target
4. Hands soft but strong, look through the diamond
5. Knees soft ready to bend and push up with set
6. Soft contact on ball and follow through to target.

Common Mistakes
1. Beginner players may turn hands around and 'lift' the ball with their hands. This is an illegal
'carried' move. This is often the result if the player does not get to the ball in time.
2. Players focus too much on technique and don't think about where to set the ball.
3. Setting the ball below the forehead is an illegal 'carried' move.

Playing the Set

In Kiwivolley there is no setter position however once players become more confident with their
skills a front player position can become the 'setter' which means receiving players will try to
'dig' the ball to the setter who will be ready for the ball.
The set needs to be a high ball so there is enough time for another player to line up the ball to
'spike' or 'drive'.
As players become more confident with their setting they can begin to call out team mates
names of who they will set the ball to.
As with any other play, players should call 'mine' when deciding to take the ball.

SPIKING
The spike is another fundamental skill in Volleyball, it is used to attack the ball with the hand and
direct the ball with force over the net. This shot is normally the third and final play in the attacking
phase.

Spiking
1. Players should stand off the net giving enough room to run and jump
2. Balanced movement running up to the net
3. Swinging arms behind body to aid jumping motion
4. Fling arms up, one arm pointing towards the ball the other coming through with bent elbow in line
to hit the ball
5. Arm preparation - bow & arrow
6. Spiking action - whip like, elbow high, snap wrist
on ball, follow through
7. Hand contact-with palm, fingers wrap over ball

Common Mistakes
1. Focusing too much on hitting the ball and not where to hit the ball - this comes with time and
practice.
2. Hitting the ball into the net - players need to jump to get height over the net or change the way
they hit the ball so it has enough height to get over the net.
3. Running into the net - It is illegal to touch the net in Kiwivolley so players have to ensure they
leave enough room to hit the ball over and stop themselves before the net.

Playing the "Spike"

The spike is the strongest attacking move. It is used to force the ball onto the opposition's court
to hit the ground.
The idea of using the spiking move is to position the ball in a location where the opposition
cannot return it before it hits the ground.
Players have to be smart about where they spike the ball, i.e. into an empty space on the court.

BLOCKING
The 'Block' is a defensive move to stop the ball from the oppositions attacking spike or drive entering
your side of the court. This is a great skill to learn however is typically one of the last skills young
players will learn and is best introduced once all other skills have been taught.

The Block
1. Watch the set and where the ball goes
2. Move sideways
3. Bend at knees, then jump straight up, keeping hands up
at high as possible
4. Reach with hard, big hands towards the ball, keeping the hands close together
5. Land on both feet, turning to face the ball if it passed the block
6. Do NOT touch the net

Common Mistakes
1. Not following the ball - Players have to anticipate where the ball will be depending on speed and
height.
2. Touching the net - Players have to learn to move along the net without touching it. This skill is
developed with practice and stability. When players jump they need to focus on the ball and the
player.

If you have any queries please dont hesitate to contact Edwin ODea- Coach Force Officer
Ph 07 578 0016 ext 824 | Fax 07 571 8463 | Mob 027 333 0390
Email volleyball@sportbop.co.nz | www.volleyballbop.co.nz