What is the AMOEBA drill?

Ian MarshCoach, England

Hi Patricio,

This is fun drill that gives your weaker players more chances to improve their serving technique.

For this exercise split your team into two even teams and place them at opposite ends of the court.

1. The drill starts with a player from each side serving a ball. They then go and sit down where their serve landed - assuming it went in (if not they join the back of the line and will have to serve again in a minute).
   
   
2. The rest of the players then start serving, trying to serve to their teammate on the other side of the net. If successful and their team-mate catches the ball, they go join them.
   
   
3. The drill ends when one team has all of their players reach the other side.

As there is a growing target on the other side of the net as the dirll goes on this makes the drill easier for players who struggle with their serving. You'll also probably find your players encouraging one another and being supportive which will help improve team chemistry.

IvoLeite Other, Portugal

This drill has a time limit, so it introduces pressure—not only for serving, but for hitting a target so accurately that another player can catch it from a seated position.

This loud, highly active drill begins with one player sitting in zone six on the court, cross-legged and immobile. The rest of the team gathers on the other side at the end line with balls ready to serve. When the whistle blows, everyone serves at once. If the seated player catches your ball, you run over and sit cross-legged next to him or her. As more players serve balls that seated players catch, an "amoeba-like" pattern forms on the floor. The player serving often grows stressed and feels pressure. The other players cheer loudly and and rally the server on. Once all players are seated cross-legged on the other side of the net within the time limit, they are rewarded with a game like "Queen of the Court" or scrimmage for the rest of practice.