HOME Volleyball SEARCH

Volleyball: defense

DRILLS (23)SESSIONS (3) ANSWERS (8)

defense DRILLS

View All

2 V 2 Mini Match

Play a 2 v 2 mini-match, on which setters and spikers play their roles throughout. Spikers dig and take kills while setters only set. All attacks go crosscourt.

5 Drills

Bent Knee Warm Up

Players work in pairs and face each other, moving sideways along the court. While moving, players keep their knees bent and throw the ball underhand to each other.

2 Warm Up

Dig

The dig is a defensive shot played when the ball is driven hard towards the waist or below of a player.The ball has a lot of energy and pace so the defender does not need to put energy into the ball like a forearm pass, but ensure that they are still when the attacker contacts the ball and they contact their defense with their forearms and angle the ball upwards to a target of the middle of court.

1 Techniques

Matchlike Spike and Dig

2 players stand on either side of the net. One player overhand passes to their team mate who sets the ball back for a spike down the line. On the other side of the net, one blocker stands at the net and attempts to cover a cross court shot, while a digger is at the back of the court, and has to attempt to dig the ball either to their team mate or back over the net.

11 Spiking

Defensive Drill 6v6 - Volleyba...

3 players stand in a line just off court. Two feeders at the net set the rhythm for the defenders to move using appropriate footwork and then play defence. The defender then moves back off the court and goes the other way and this repeats for either a set time or number of good contacts.

General

2 V 2 Mini Match 5 Drills - Vo...

Play a 2 v 2 mini-match, on which setters and spikers play their roles throughout. Spikers dig and take kills while setters only set. All attacks go crosscourt.

General

Zone 1 5 Drills - Volleyball D...

Player 1 starts by serving from the base line and then enters the court. <br /><br /> He/she then runs into the correct zone (zone 1), where player 2 (standing in zone 4) hits the ball to him/her around waist high. Player 1 then has to dig up the ball, and return it to player 2 as if setting up a spike. <br /><br /> Player 1 then returns to their zone, where player 3 (from zone 2) hits the ball to them short in the middle of court. Player 1 then has to dig up the ball back to player 3. <br /><br /> Player 1 then returns back to their zone and steps two to three are repeated.

General

2 Player Defensive Dig Drill 4...

Player 1 pushes a high ball for player 2 to defensive dig back to Player 1.

General

4 player Passing Drill 5 Drill...

4 Player passing drill, with first time set to each other in routine.

General

Shuffle Passing 4 Passing Dril...

The coach loops the ball into the air, slightly to the left or the right of the blue cone, and the first player runs out and bumps the ball back into the coach's hands.The player then continues in the direction they were moving and touch the red cone. They then shuffle back towards the middle where they receive their second feed from the coach which they bump pass back.Finally the player shuffles across the other wide cone, touch it and then return to the middle to play the third and final bump pass.

General

Scissors 2 Warm Up - Volleybal...

Two balls per player, who is laid on his/her back. One ball is kept in his/her hands which are held with straight arms behind/above their head, the other ball is kept between the ankles. The player then brings his/her legs up as vertical as possible, keeping their legs straight and the ball in control between their ankles. Once a player lifts his/her legs to around 90 degrees to the hip joints, he/she reaches to touch the ball in their hands with the other ball. After that goes back to laying flat on the floor.

General

Triangle Passing 4 Passing Dri...

Three players make a triangle while another joins one of the corners with a ball. The player passes the ball to another corner of the triangle before following the pass and standing behind the receiver, who continues the drill.

General

Crab Steps 2 Warm Up - Volleyb...

<BR>Crab steps from side to side, with arms swinging to retain balance</BR>

General

One Leg Passing 4 Passing Dril...

Players work in pairs with a ball between them. They underhand pass the ball to each other but while standing on one foot only. Players can move but can only do this by jumping on one foot, with the other in the air.

General

Poor Technique of Dig 1 Techni...

An example of a defensive dig with a poor technique and several common mistakes.

General

Pass and Tip 4 Passing Drills ...

Players stand opposite each other with a ball each. They pass the ball high before tipping the ball to their teammate, who will be doing the same thing.

General

Passing Pattern - Dig, Pass an...

Players start this passing pattern with a defensive dig to themselves, followed by a push into the air and then set the ball across the net to player 2 who repeats this pattern. Dig - (self) Pass - Set

General

Advanced Smash Drill 6 Advance...

A slightly more advanced drill involving a pass to set and smash.

General

Dig The Kill 5 Drills - Volley...

2 players stand on either side of the net, and the receiver starts with the ball by overhand passing it across the net. This player then passes to their team mate who overhand passes it back for the spike.The spiker places the ball crosscourt. On the other side, the receiver's role is to step back from the net to the attack like and try and dig the ball back across the net.

General

Baseline To Zone 6 Advanced Dr...

Three players stand on one side of the court with a receiver on the other. One setter stands near to the net while another is one the baseline, and a spiker is on the wing. The receiver passes the ball to a setter who sets the ball up to the other setter and runs back to the baseline. The other setter now passes to the player on the wing and runs back to the baseline, while the spiker now hits a winner over the net before returning to the baseline.

General

Run And Step Warm Up 8 Block D...

Players start on the attack line and run forwards towards the net. Upon reaching the net, they take two steps sidewards before running backwards to the attack line. From here they repeat the test, all the way across the court.

General

Set, Dig and Smash Drill 6v6 -...

Player 1 sets the ball to player 2 who sets the ball back to player 1 then defensive digs the ball up in the air to player 3 who sets to player 2 to smash back to player 1.

General

Shuffle and dig 4 Passing Dril...

In pairs, the players stand on the service line facing each other. Player 1 has two balls. Player 1 then throws a ball to his/her partner. Player 2 has to return the ball using an underhand pass to player 1 who has shuffled sideways toward the net. Both players repeat this action until they reach the net, whereby they continue the action back to the service line.

General

defense SESSIONS

View All

Floor Defense To Offense

Get your players down and digging the ball, quickly turning defense into offense!

Blocking Skills - Technique and Timing

Hands up! Use the block to strike when they spike and use your defence as an offensive tool - blocking the ball back into their court!

Floor Defense To Offense | Vol...

Get your players down and digging the ball, quickly turning defense into offense!

defense ANSWERS

View All

My daughter is in 8th grade and has made the team this?

My daughter is in 8th grade and has made the team this year as she did last. We have a new coach this year who doesn't allow the girls to use their knee pads. What is the purpose of this? Does it help at all with development of the sport? It seems sadistic to me and I can't understand how causing the girls pain will help them to "dig" a ball or encourage them to dive for anything. Thank you

Archived User Coach

Defensive passing drills when moving from base to defense

Does anyone have any suggestions to improve the transition from base to defense?

Linda Eleftheri Coach, United Arab Emirates

strengthen my team's service reception

I'm really finding it hard to strengthen my team's service reception and the over all defense. They can't retrieve hard balls, drop balls and balls going to the corners. Can you help me out? Thanks!

Archived User Coach

Volleyball newbie, please help

What is floor defense and hitting in volleyball?

Archived User Coach

Defense positioning.

Has anyone heard of middle middle 2 by 2 defense? If yes, do you like it?Thanks.

Steve Batten Coach, Canada

defense

how is the best way to teach transition to defence

Dennis Warren Coach, Canada

triangle defense

how do you defend properly against triangle passing .. any drill suggestions

Brittany angelica Coach, United Arab Emirates

Volleyball newbie, please help...

What is floor defense and hitting in volleyball?

Archived User Coach

JOIN SPORTPLAN FOR FREE

search our library of 300+ volleyball drills
create your own professional coaching plans
or access our tried and tested plans

SIGN UP WITH EMAIL

or

Volleyball

LATEST FROM THE BLOG

Should Aaron Smith's World Cup Final try have stood?

Should Aaron Smith's World Cup Final try have stood?

World Rugby has reportedly conceded Aaron Smith's disallowed try in the World Cup final should have stood.

November 14th, 2023

Sportplan Spotlight: Vary Your Sessions

Sportplan Spotlight: Vary Your Sessions

"It is not only useful for staff who are experienced but a valuable tool for those subject staff who have to take teams."

January 25th, 2023

Sportplan Spotlight: Save Time Planning

Sportplan Spotlight: Save Time Planning

The variety of sessions across sports - sometimes we steal session ideas from one sport and use them with another.

January 17th, 2023

VISIT THE BLOG TO READ MORE

What our users have been saying...

Coaches from around the world look to Sportplan for coaching confidence.

I've found this resource invaluable and of huge benefit to both my players and myself. Thanks for helping me to improve my coaching.

Kashif Pakistan

Very useful format and descriptions of drills. I am using Sportplan to update and formalise my trainings.

Tony Miller Australia

As a brand new coach I have found the drills to be of amazing help.

Joan De Petra New Zealand

Wow what a great website, I have found sportplan an important tool for me when planning my netball sessions with my netball team. There are alot of very helpful tips/ideas/skills that I can learn and teach to my team. Thank you sportplan I hope to continue to use your helpful tips and to learn more about improving my teams netball skills. Thanks again....keep it up....

Monique New Zealand

I have been using Sportplan now for 3 years and can honestly say that I have never repeated the same session twice. My girls are always focused and are improving every year. Thanks Sportplan.

Debbie Cross Australia

What a fantastic tool. The Chalkboard and session tools make an unbelievable difference in making training plans in both time and organization. I will be instructing all of my assistant coaches that this tool must be used for all sessions during the season, so that we may build a club coaching resource library.

Wes Campbell Rugby Coach Canada

I can't get enough of the Sportplan, It has given me back the enthusiasm i was starting to lose. My girls are so keen and are ready at 14 to take the next up in their game. Sportplan will help no end.

Cornel Basketball Coach, South Africa

SIGN UP NOW FOR FREE

search our library of 300+ volleyball drills
create professional volleyball coaching plans
or access our tried and tested volleyball plans

SIGN IN WITH EMAIL

or

Volleyball

Sportplan App

Give it a try - it's better in the app

YOUR SESSION IS STARTING SOON... Join the growing community of volleyball coaches plus 300+ drills and pro tools to make coaching easy.

LET'S DO IT