TW's Volleyball Files

In their rush to run offensive combinations like the national- and international-caliber indoor teams they see on TV, many players fail to grasp the underlying principles that form the basis for that style of play. These players think deceptive offense is about running lots of shoot sets, double quicks, crosses and tandems while the setter is using all sorts of squat sets, head fakes and back jump sets. The results are usually bad - weak approaches, bad swings, egregious setting errors. And without an understanding of what offense is all about, they go back to the gym and practice doing all the wrong things better.

If these players (and their coaches) wish to move up the volleyball food chain, they must realize that offense is not about trickery and setting speed. It is about creating as many powerful opportunities as possible for your team each time the ball is on your side of the net, which forces the opposition to make all sorts of blocking and digging decisions in a very short period of time. While accurate passing, consistent, unreadable setting mechanics, and good setting decisions are the foundation of a sound offense, the responsibility for creating numerous and powerful attack opportunities rests on the hitters. Quick set attackers are responsible for dragging blockers to (or away from) certain zones, depending on the play called; other hitters are responsible for hiding their play sets as long as possible while employing long, powerful approaches; still other hitters must be prepared to mount strong "outlet" attacks. If all the hitters do their jobs, the setter is free to think about only two things: 1) make the right choice; and 2) put up a hittable set. She does not -- nor should she -- have to think about being deceptive.

To create a variety of strong options for the setter -- and confuse the blockers in the process -- hitters must master three basic footpatterns: the break point, the slide, and the step-away. They can then use their approaches in unison with each other to accomplish tactical goals (winning the current rally) and strategic goals (winning the match).

The most important and most commonly used footpattern involves a "break point." A break point is not an approach in and of itself, but rather a turning point in a standard three- or four-step approach. In a regular approach for a right-hander, the last step before the two-footed plant is with the left foot, on or behind the attack line. At this point - on the left foot, near the attack line - the hitter breaks to her right or left to hit her assigned set.

The first key to a good break point is its location. Depending on the size and athletic ability of the athlete, she should make her break three to four meters off the net (even the smallest, weakest athletes should break no less than three meters from the net). For many players, the step from "left-to-plant" is already too short, with the left foot contacting the ground well inside the attack line. When you, as a coach, suggest that they use a break point for a particular set, their initial inclination is often to put their left foot even closer to the net. If they make this mistake, they lose jumping power because they do not have enough time between "left" and "plant" to get into a good jumping position. They also lose hitting power and court vision because the sets will almost always be on top of their heads. So, when teaching the break point, emphasize the need to keep the break point a long way from the net, thus maintaining (in some cases, increasing) power and vision.

The second key to a properly executed break point is a strong "lead knee drive." As a right-handed hitter passes over her left foot on the attack line, she must drive her lead knee - her right knee - towards her set while keeping her hips and torso low to the ground. This knee drive elongates the "left-to-plant" step, which allows the hitter to hide her set until the last moment while also generating speed into her plant for a powerful jump and swing. When done well, a break point provides what some coaches call "closing speed." A combination hitter with excellent closing speed can create the illusion of a screw-up whenever her team runs plays. That is, when the blockers see the set go up in the air with no one near by to hit it, their first thought is, "Who in the world is she setting?" As the hitter comes gliding in from her break point to thrash the ball, the blockers' second (and belated) thought is, "Oh, her."

The second type of footpattern hitters must master is the slide. This approach involves three steps -- left, right, left -- with a one-footed takeoff, like a basketball lay-up. The biomechanical principles to effective slides are similar to those of a regular approach. First, the last step (from right to left) must be long and low to get the center of gravity behind the takeoff foot, which puts the athlete in an excellent jumping position. Second, a strong double-arm swing and vigorous free knee lift at the moment of takeoff will add several inches to the jump. Lastly, the hitter should always plant and jump at least 1.5 meters from the net, which keeps the set in front of her and ensures good power and vision.

After the hitter has mastered the fundamentals of the slide, she should begin practicing its various applications. Specifically, she should work on using the slide to hit a quick set directly behind the setter (a 71), a quick set 1-1.5 meters behind the setter (an 81), and a slightly higher set at the right antenna (a 92). Depending on the sets that the hitters around her have and what her team is trying to accomplish tactically, the slide hitter may or may not incorporate a break in her slide approach. If, for instance, the right side hitter has a 71 and the middle hitter has a 92, the middle should approach directly in front of the setter (showing a 51 and holding the blockers in the center of the court) before breaking sharply off her left foot and taking two quick steps to the antenna for her 92. If, on the other hand, a team wants to isolate its left-side attacker one-on-one, the middle/slide hitter should approach to her back set, whatever it is, in a relatively straight line, dragging her blocker(s) with her.

The least common and least important approach, because it requires extraordinary athletic ability, is the "step-away" or "step-around." A step-away makes it look as though the attacker will hit a quick set (a 31, 51, or 71), but she quickly steps away and hits a slightly higher set (a 32, 52, or 72). As the diagram on the right illustrates, a step-away, in effect, allows an attacker to run one-person combinations. She can show a 51 and hit a 72 (as in the diagram); show a 71 and hit a 52; show a 51 and hit a 32; or show a 31 and hit a 52. You can also use a step-around in combination with a slide.

There are several keys to effective step-arounds. First, the hitter must "sell" the fake attack by making the first plant before the setter gets the ball; if the hitter makes her initial plant after the setter gets the ball, the fake will not fool anyone. Second, the initial plant must be at least 1.5-2 meters off the net, so that she can maintain the proper depth from the net (and forward momentum) for the second plant. Third, if she hopes to jump high enough to give herself some hitting options, the hitter must stay low as she glides from the first plant to second plant. To help hitters execute correct step-aways, have them concentrate on staying low and driving the right knee (for righthanders) from the first to second plant.

Middle hitters, regardless of the set they will hit, should always start slightly behind the attack line and about 3.5-4m from the left sideline. As the middle hitter starts to approach, her left foot contacts the floor on the attack line, near the center of the court. This left-foot position, as mentioned above, is her break point. It allows her to break left for a 31, go straight in for a 51, break right for a 71, or slide wide right for an 81 or 92.

If the middle hitter is involved in a combination -- that is, if either the left or right side hitter is hitting a 2-tempo set near by -- her approach to her assigned set should be straight, loud, and early, so that she draws the attention of the opponent's middle blocker. If the middle hitter is not involved in a combination, she should periodically (though not always) use "fakes": step toward a 31 and cut back for a 51; step toward a 51 and cut out for a 31; step toward a 51 and cut right for a 71, etc.

Middle hitters should not incorporate these "fakes" at random. Rather, they should fit them into a larger game plan that establishes a certain behavior pattern in the blockers that the offense can exploit later on. For instance, a middle might start a match hitting nothing but 31s, then later switch to 51s, which she hits with a break point approach after stepping toward the 31. Later in the match, she might return to 31s for a couple rotations, then finish with "step-in" 52s (plant for a 31, then step in for a 52). This sort of strategic game plan for the middle attack - an example of what Pat Ryan called the "cumulative offensive effect" - makes it possible for undersized, less-talented attackers to consistently beat larger, faster opponents. More importantly, however, it forces the opposing middle blocker to focus almost exclusively on the middle attacker, which creates openings for other hitters.

On most teams, the right-side hitter -- the hitter "opposite" the setter in the rotation -- is the second attacker in most offensive combinations. Consequently, she should be very adept at hiding her sets. Rightside hitters should start their approaches outside the attack line, about 2m inside the sideline. Their break point is near the attack line, straight out from the setter's left shoulder. This position allows them to hit 42s, 51s, 71s, 72s, and 82s with a normal, two-footed plant. It also permits them to hit 92s using a slide approach. (Some right-side hitters, depending on their athleticism and the location of the pass, can hit a 92 with a normal "break point" approach.)

Like middle hitters, rightside hitters should periodically incorporate fakes in their approaches - usually stepping toward a 52 before breaking out to the antenna - when they are not involved in a play per se. And like the middles, these fakes should not be done at random. That is, if your team has not yet established the cross (middle has a 51, rightside has a 42) in a match, the rightside hitter should stay a little wider. But after thrashing a few 42s and forcing the blockers to adjust, the rightside should begin stepping toward the cross before cutting back for an 82 or 92.

In most offenses, leftside hitters are generally less involved in combinations than rightside hitters. But they should be able to hit play sets anyway, and their starting points should always suggest that they might be involved in a combination, which forces the opponent's middle blocker to pay attention to all three hitters. Consequently, left-side hitters should begin their approaches 2m behind the attack line and just inside the sideline, even if they are hitting a high outside set. (To hit a high outside set, the hitter should step out-of-bounds with her right foot and use a standard "left, plant" approach.) If the leftside hitter is involved in a combination, her break point is on the attack line, about 3m from the sideline. This allows her to hit a 31, 32, or 52 with a standard break point approach. This position also makes a slide approach to a 92 possible.

The point of combination plays is straightforward: they are designed to force the opponents, particularly their blockers, to make lots of decisions in a short period of time. When the opposing middle blocker must decide whether to jump with the 51 before the setter gets the ball or wait for a second hitter on a cross or tandem, then someone is going to face a weak block. If the middle blocker must decide whether to follow a slide hitter or stay in the center of the court, where she can close to a leftside attack or guard against a second hitter in the middle, then (again) someone is going to face a weak block. If the rightside hitter forces the opposing outside blocker to decide between blocking her 71 or waiting for a 92 to the middle/slide hitter, then . . . well, you know the answer. In short, a sound combination attack can generate chaos on the other side of the net by creating "decisional overload" for the blockers.

To create this "decisional overload" in an opponent, a team must approach their combinations with four factors in mind:

Perfect passing. If a team does not serve-receive or pass free- and downballs well, they can not run anything.

Tempo. The first hitter in every combination must be in the air before the setter contacts the ball. If she is still on the ground when the setter gets the ball, she has just made the blockers' job easier by reducing the number of decisions they have to make and by giving them more time to make them. The second hitter should be on her break point and moving forward as the setter contacts the ball. This means she will be planting and jumping while the first hitter is still in the air, which also means the second set in every combination should be relatively low. (Most teams run their quick sets and combo sets way too slow.)

Crossing action and horizontal motion. Every play should involve either some crossing action or a significant amount of horizontal motion. In most defensive schemes, blockers follow the person directly across the net from them, so a crossing action on your side of the net will create a basketball-style "pick" on the other side -- that is, it will cause the blockers to collide. Many teams attempt to solve this problem by switching blocking assignments when hitters appear likely to cross. Consequently, if hitters can show some horizontal motion to make it look like they will cross before cutting back to hit their particular set, then blocking assignments are likely to implode.

Communication. There are a variety of strategies for communicating the plays a team intends to run during the course of a rally. At lower levels of play, the setter should give a hand signal for one or two plays before each rally begins. When her team serves, the setter calls only one play -- a freeball play - and she will run that play only on a freeball (lower level teams should stick with a basic attack pattern in transition and downball situations). When the opponent serves, the setter may call two plays: a serve-receive play, which she will run immediately, and a freeball play, which she will run later in the rally if the opportunity arises.

At higher levels of play, where setters have better vision and court awareness and where defensive ball control is better, a team might consider using audibles -- that is, in downball situations and in transition, hitters have the option of calling for the set they want. To avoid confusion, however, each hitter's choices should be limited. For instance, middles can only call for 1-tempo (quick) sets, rightsides can only call for 2-tempo sets, and leftsides can only call for 14s or 2-tempo sets in the left third of the court.

Of course, the danger of using audibles lies in creating decisional overload for the setter, so be sure your setter can think quickly and make good choices. To facilitate hitter-to-setter communication -- and to confuse the defense, at least for a while -- coaches should develop their own systems of one-syllable names for the sets each hitter requests. For instance, the 1-tempo audibles that middles use might be letters (A, B, C, etc.), while the 2-tempo sets for the rightside hitters might be colors (red, black, blue, etc.). The names themselves do not matter, so long as they are short, quick and understandable.

Lastly, regardless of the communication system employed or the level of play, the setter must cancel the play loudly and early by yelling, "No," or "Outside," if the pass or dig is lousy. In addition, backrow players must know the calls, so that they can stay out of the way while covering the hitters effectively.

To run effective combinations, players must first understand that the goal of any offense is to force the opposing defense to make decisions they do not want to make. With that principle in mind, hitters should then master the three basic approach patterns - break points, slides, and step-aways - so they can better hide their set locations. As hitters become better at hiding their sets, the setter can stop worrying about deception and start thinking about accuracy and good decision-making. When all the tools are in place - i.e., when each hitter is able to execute the proper footwork for every set she might receive - your team can begin building a repertoire of offensive combinations. As the repertoire grows, the coach can begin game-planning with specific short- and long-term goals in mind. With some scouting and a little thought, you will be able to devise strategies that will: 1) take advantage of an opponents' weaknesses early in a match; and 2) exploit any adjustments they make with a pre-planned set of "counter-plays." In short, with the proper mind-set, some foot-work practice, and a little planning, your team will sideout more consistently and win more rallies off freeballs, downballs, and transition digs. And while there have been a lot of changes in the rules lately, the team that scores the most points still wins. . . .