At lower levels of play, the block is much less important because hitters don't attack the ball as hard. But blocking remains important nonetheless. The goal, however, is not to stuff every hit; rather, it is to keep balls from being hit hard into the center of the court. A good double block will defend 75% of the court from a hard driven attack, which allows the four players not involved in the block to cover just 25% of the court.

Basic blocking mechanics
Ninety-five percent of blocking is watching and positioning. First, watch the opponent's pass; it will tell you a great deal about whom the setter will set. Second, watch the setter before he/she contacts the ball. Again, there will be clues about where the ball will go. Meanwhile, using your peripheral vision, watch the hitters; their positioning will tell you the planned location and height of the set.

After the set is made, watch the ball long enough to know where it will come down, then turn all your attention to the hitter. Generally, though not always, the outside blocker should position himself directly in line with the hitter's approach. The middle blocker "closes" the block by moving to the outside blocker's shoulder.

As you position the block, focus all your attention on the hitter, noting the angle and speed of his/her approach. Go up after the attacker. Jump as high as you can, and the moment any body part -- fingers, palms, wrists, forearms, etc -- gets above the net, push it into the opponent's air space. Keep your arms perfectly straight and try to squeeze your shoulders into your ears. Spread your fingers, point your thumbs toward the ceiling, and watch the hitter's swing.

As you reach the peak of your jump, push your hands toward the center of the opponent's court; this action angles your hands and arms so that ball deflects downward and toward the center of the court. If you fail to do this, you will get "used" or "tooled" repeatedly -- meaning, balls will go off your hands and out of bounds. (*Don't close your eyes, because you won't be able to see the hit, and don't flail your arms, because your diggers won't be able to position themselves behind you.)

When two blockers go up in unison, both executing proper blocking technique, their four hands create a "shadow" into which no ball can be driven.

As soon as you land, turn toward the center of your court and prepare to play offense: if you're the setter, prepare to set; if you're a hitter, sprint, (don't back-pedal) to the start of your approach.

Blocking footwork
To move along the net effectively and efficiently, blockers should use one of two types of footwork. If the opponent's set is falling within 5' or 6' of you, you should use a simple "step, close" pattern. If, for instance, the set is falling 5' to your right, take one big step with your right foot, then close with your left foot and prepare to jump. If the set is falling to your left, step with your left foot and close with your right.

When you must move more than 5' or 6', you should use the "running" (aka "step, cross-over" method. If the set is falling 10' to your right, for instance, you step with your right foot, cross-over with your left, then plant your right foot and go straight up. When executed quickly and correctly, you can see how the "running" method got its name. Turn your shoulders and hips in the direction you want to go, drop your hands, and take two quick running steps, starting with the appropriate foot. Then square your shoulders to the net and block.

Blocking strategies
Most men's and women's teams use three blockers. They should space themselves evenly, stretching or compressing themselves, accordian-like, depending on the location of the opponent's hitters. If the opponent has one hitter on each sideline, for instance, then you should have one blocker near each sideline with the third blocker in the middle. If the opponent has only a middle hitter and a left-side hitter, then your blockers must compress themselves, placing one blocker in the middle, one on the outside, and one half-way in between.

In a three-blocker scheme, the outside blocker's job is to correctly position (or "set") any outside block. Most lower-level outside blockers choose (for good reason) to position the block slightly inside the set, which takes away the cross-court hit and leaves the line open. Most upper-level outside blockers, because they face more experienced hitters, vary their blocking strategies.

The middle blocker's job is to block all middle sets and to close to the outside blocker on outside sets. If the middle blocker is repeatedly late and/or jumps laterally to close the block, someone is going to get hurt. To avoid such injuries, middle blockers should either go straight up whereever they are, leaving a hole in the block which the middle back player can fill, or not go up at all.

Hints for better blocking
1. After the set is in the air and you know where it's coming down, turn all your attention to the hitter. Position yourself in line with the hitter's approach.

2. When the set is really tight, keep your eyes focused on the ball and ignore your blocking assignment. Go up as hard as you can and wrap your hands around the ball. If any part of the ball is on top of the net, you don't have to wait for the attacker to contact it . . . just slap it to the floor.

3. If a set is 5' or 6' off the net, jump later than you would for a set that is 1' or 2' off the net.

4. Penetrate, penetrate, penetrate.

5. If you realize the hitter cannot take a good swing at the ball, yell, "Downball," and don't block. At the most levels of play, your team is better off trying to dig weak hits than trying to block them.

6. A "soft block" -- which deflects the ball upwards into your own court and gives your team an easy ball to pass -- is almost as good as a stuff block. Acknowledge teammates for good soft blocks.

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