Attacking Short/deep

Develop the ability to play the ball either short or deep away from the opposition.
This drill also helps develop communication
between teammates.

Set up

# of players : 4-8 players
Ideal : 4 players
Equipment : 4+ balls
Average duration : 15-25 minutes

Description

• Two lines are drawn across the court (as per the red lines in the diagram) one about 4 feet in front of the players in defensive position and one about 4 feet behind.
• The ball then gets thrown over the net to initiate the drill (either by a coach or one of the athletes) and the athletes receiving the ball play out a pass set and spike.
• Immediately after the ball is set the athletes on defensive either drop back together or move forward together. (this should be decided on before the drill is initiated to avoid confusion)
• The attacking team attempt to play a soft shot either deep or short away from the defenders.
• The setter should look after setting and communicate to the attacker as to what shot they should play

Evaluation :
Scoring game

The attacking team would get a point if they managed to play the ball into the area that the defenders moved away from.
There are several options on how this drill could run.
Teams could gain points after alternating on each attack or a rally could be played out after each ball is introduced

Key points

• Attackers may need to be reminded that they should attempt to take a quick look at defenders before spiking.
• Setters should be encouraged to call to their partners where they should play the shot.
• Despite the fact that the athletes are required to play a soft shot they should still maintain strong approach on their spike.