Beach Volleyball California E-Drillbook: 7 Great Beach Volleyball Drills To Get You Started
Beach Volleyball California E-Drillbook: 7 Great Beach Volleyball Drills To Get You Started
Beach Volleyball California E-Drillbook: 7 Great Beach Volleyball Drills To Get You Started
E-Drillbook
7 Great Beach Volleyball Drills To Get You
Started.
Page 6/7
The SERVE including outside the heart drill
Page 8/9
The PASS including the alternating passing drill
Page 10/11
The SET including the set and look drill
Page 12/13
The ATTACK OR SPIKE including the spike exhaustion drill
Page 14/15
The BLOCK AND DEFENDING BEHIND THE BLOCK including the block and transition set drill
Page 16/17
The GAME SITUATION and the game like drill called 3 in a row = 1 big point
Although Beach Volleyball is growing in popularity it is still a small sport, and because of this, there is little
in the way of beach volleyball coaching or drill instruction literature out there.
As an international beach volleyball instructor for the F.I.V.B. I travel to countries where the game is in its
infancy and more often than anything else the individuals I come across request beach volleyball drills.
With this in mind Beach Volleyball California set out to create a resource of great drills for beach volleyball
coaches.
We know there are people out there who are as passionate about the game as we are, and some of them
want to share it with others in the form of coaching. This book is for you!
This e-drillbook will not go over the rules of the game for that you can go to www.fivb.org, and the
technical details on how to perform each skill will not be covered for that we recommend that you
purchase Beach Volleyball - a comprehensive book written by Karch Kiraly and Byron Shewman.
This book is not designed to repeat what has already been written - this book is a trial e-drill book
something we have not managed to find anywhere out there.
We want to know what you think of it and if you believe that an e-drillbook full of beach volleyball specific
drills would be a useful tool for your coaching.
Email us and let us know.
Happy training!
LEGEND
Movement of ball with target (dashed line)
Hard attack
Beginners
Improving beginning players ability to maintain a rally and enjoy the game will be largely related to
the athletes (young or old) ability to move through the sand and correctly anticipate where the ball
will need to be played considering the wind conditions.
Obviously teaching them the basic skills of the serve, pass, set, and spike is important but this
should not be at the detriment of the athletes learning about general game concepts and how the
environment affects the ball.
With this in mind, drills or games where the ball is tossed and caught or passed over certain
distances / heights are great for developing body awareness in the sand and will enable the
development of the skill of anticipating ball movement in the wind.
The feedback from a bad throw or pass to a partner is not as clear and fast as the feedback that
you receive from not being able to catch your own pass, so invent some fun ball related
challenges that provide the player instant feedback on their success (many of these fun activities
are featured in our complete e-drillbook soon to be released).
Games using a larger and lighter ball which exaggerates the effects of the wind may help to
promote quicker learning and are a fun way for younger players to be introduced to the game.
The more opportunities beginning players get to become students of the environment the better.
Remember 1 training in the wind is worth 3 in the calm!
Intermediate
Assuming that intermediate players have the basic skills of the game and have developed an
ability to adjust to the wind, warm-ups could move towards focusing on the development of
specific skills.
The warm-up drill described on the page to the right is one such drill. It involves constant
movement but also develops ball control at the net and the skill of moving back to prepare for the
spike approach.
Advanced
Preventing Injury is important at all levels of the game but perhaps it takes on even more
significance at the professional level where staying healthy is vital to the livelihood of the athlete.
Some aspect of the warm up should be dedicated to paying special attention to those areas of the
body that are tight and have a potential to flare up.
DRILL NAME:
The W passing Drill TEACHING POINTS:
1. Make sure that when the ball is being passed the
Level of difficulty (intermediate/advanced) outside leg is forward. Another way to think
about this is to have the leg closest to your
EQUIPMENT: partner back - this way the ball is more likely to move
towards the middle of the court or towards your partner.
Ideally: 2 or 3 balls 2. Keep your arms as close as possible to
perpendicular to the net as possible when
playing the ball this way you are in a better position to
retreat quickly in preparation for your spike approach. If you want
PARTICIPANTS: to pass towards your partner then tilt the arms slightly.
3. Keep facing the net while moving around the
Minimum: Athlete plus coach cone this way you never lose sight of the opposition.
Ideally: 2 athletes per side (+ coach observing)
Max: 8 athletes per side (+ coach observing)
DRILL OBJECTIVE:
Great drill for reinforcing correct
passing technique on the free ball
and retreating back to prepare for the
spike approach.
DRILL DESCRIPTION:
Beginner
For beginners an important concept to reinforce is the act of transferring weight from the back foot to the front
foot. Initially to encourage this you can get a server to lift up their front foot prior to serving to ensure that all
their weight is on the back foot. Reinforcing the correct motor pattern regularly by completing a significant
number of serves will be beneficial. Just be aware that repeated serving with poor technique can exaccerbate
a rotator cuff injury caused by a weak or imbalanced shoulder.
Intermediate
Because the game does not consist of repeated serves (unless you get on a sizable roll) practicing small
numbers of serves regularly will be more beneficial and more game like Try to break up serves with a run to
the net to block or a defensive play of an attack before returning to the baseline to serve again.
At this level you may want to discuss the idea of strategic serves and work on specific serves that in particular
wind conditions will be most effective. Using the wind becomes an important factor in creating opportunities
to win points off serve.
Advanced
At the advanced level serving is all about creating opportunities to score. Because the receiving team has the
first attack and a statistically higher chance of putting the ball down onto the sand winning points off the serve
is extremely valuable. Aces are nice but even the best servers only average about 1 per game. Serving strategy
and creating opportunities often revolves around creating a less than perfect pass and set or influencing the
likelihood of the opposition playing a particular shot. For example, if you serve deep are they more likely to hit
or shoot?... what about if you serve short?
DRILL NAME:
TEACHING POINTS:
Serving outside the heart 1. Be aware of how the wind effects the ball once
Level of difficultly (beginner/intermediate) the ball is in the air and adjust accordingly.
2. Try to always serve into the wind and not with
the wind - the trajectory of the ball will be more predictable
EQUIPMENT: with the wind.
Ideally: As many balls as possible 3. Make adjustments in your ball toss relative to the
wind for example if it is very windy then the ball should be
tossed lower.
PARTICIPANTS:
Max: Up to 4 athletes per side (+ coach observing)
DRILL OBJECTIVE:
This drill focuses on the development
of serves that make the opposition
move away from their starting
positions with the objective of
creating a passing error.
DRILL DESCRIPTION:
Beginner
One important concept to get through to beginners is that they should treat each serve like it is
theirs to pass and always make a movement to the ball. Take 2 steps towards the ball even if not
passing! Also passing forward is a very important concept to reinforce. Many beginning players
pass the ball towards their partners and the ball ends up going backwards or across the court.
Passers should also focus on keeping the ball lower closer and smaller than indoors.
Intermediate
For intermediate players who have the basics of passing down but are not consistent passing
forward and slightly in towards the middle of the court, up and down is a good idea. Imagine two
lines perpendicular to the net made from the two passers - the first two plays the ball should
always be contacted between these two lines. A ball that goes outside of these two lines is out of
control or out of system balls kept inside these two lines are in system
Advanced
As you become a more proficient player you will come up against players with better serves.
These serves will come at you faster and will move you around the court more. As a result of this
any weaknesses in your passing will be exploited. Being able to maintain a good platform when
passing the ball outside of your body becomes vital as the serves become tougher.
DRILL NAME:
TEACHING POINTS:
Alternating passing drill 4. Beginners should focus on passing with the
Level of difficulty (intermediate) moving triangle concept in mind. The ideal pass will
vary depending on the wind and the area that the ball is passed
from but it should go forward and inside and have an up and
EQUIPMENT: 5.
down trajectory that is easy for the setter to set.
Beginners will benefit from being reminded to
Ideally: 5 or more balls pass the ball forward and set the ball forward
6. Try to read and anticipate where the serve is
likely to go as early as possible dont leave
position before the ball is served but be ready to
PARTICIPANTS: move .
Minimum: 3 Athletes plus coach serving
Ideally: 3 athletes (+ coach observing)
Max: 6 athletes (+ coach observing)
DRILL OBJECTIVE:
Basic passing practice.
With an uneven number of athletes
on the receiving side athletes will get
practice passing from both sides of
the court and with an even number
they will end up receiving on the
same side.
DRILL DESCRIPTION:
Beginner
Moving the feet to face the target is the most important concept to get through to beginners on the sand.
Made them aware of the wind if you ask them to throw a ball into a hoop from half court where will they
face?..... most will face directly at the hoop as that will give them the most accuracy. Translate this
understanding to setting.
Setting up and down discuss why a set that goes up and down is so much easier to hit than one that
goes across.
Intermediate
Once a player has grasped the basics of bump or hand setting the next step is to challenge the players by
putting them in positions where they need to work harder to get in position to set the ball. In windy
conditions training athletes to learn to put a little spin on the bump set will give them another asset to draw
upon on windy days.
Advanced
Often off a tough jump serve the ball will come off the passers arms with a lot of spin. An advanced skill is
being able to set these spinning balls with the hands. Training athletes to set a spinning ball will be
beneficial when they come up against the best topspin jump servers.
DRILL NAME: TEACHING POINTS:
Set and look 4. Make sure the setter moves through the ball as it
Level of difficulty (intermediate/advanced) is difficult to get low and turn if the setter is
moving backwards.
5. When the setter turns arms should be open and
EQUIPMENT: forward just in case the ball is blocked.
Ideally: 4 balls 6. If the ball is close to the net (and the block) dont
turn and make the call - focus on saving the play
if the ball is blocked.
PARTICIPANTS:
Ideally: 3 athletes (+ coach observing)
Max: Up to 6 athletes per side (+ coach observing)
DRILL OBJECTIVE:
This drill focuses on developing the skill of
the setter to turn, look and call the open court
after setting their partner.
It also is a valuable motor pattern to make
automatic as it will prepare the setter for
picking up a ball that may come back off the
block.
DRILL DESCRIPTION:
Beginner
The correct spike approach and arm swing which results in a consistent hand contact and wrist snap on
the ball and control in spiking are the first skills that should be worked on.
If a player can develop a correct spike approach to the point that it is automatic (which means that they do
not need to think about it) their success in spiking will dramatically increase.
It seems obvious but it is vital that the athlete is moving towards the net while attacking the ball this way
they are in a better position to see what is happening on the other side of the net and play the ball away
from the opposition.
Intermediate
Assuming that the footwork is automatic, players at the intermediate level should focus on developing the
ability to change the direction of the ball at the last second with the wrist.
Advanced
For advanced players, spiking against different defensive arrangements will be beneficial.
DRILL NAME:
TEACHING POINTS:
Spike Exhaustion drill 1. Players should aim for the corners of the court
when they start to tire as this is the longest line
2. Athletes should try for maximal jump on every
spike and keep a high elbow even when tired.
EQUIPMENT: 3. Athletes should focus on digging the spike
Ideally: 10 balls (advanced) as this will directly affect the quality
of the set they get.
PARTICIPANTS:
Ideally: 2 athletes (+ coach observing)
Max: up to 6 athletes (3 per side)
DRILL OBJECTIVE:
This drill focuses on developing spike
endurance and maintaining a high
elbow on the spike even when tired.
DRILL DESCRIPTION:
Beginner
At a beginner level it is not necessary to do a lot of block training with a defender behind because players
will simply not be at a level of skill (or height) for it to be effective. However, introducing the basic hand
positioning and technique along with the theory of blocking and defense may be useful in the
development of beginners understanding of the game. The technique for retreating should be taught
because even though a lot of young players who are not yet tall enough to be effective will often start up
slightly further in front of their normal defensive positions just in case the ball is bump set or hand set over
the net on the second contact.
Intermediate
Players at an intermediate level will begin specializing in either blocking or defense. From this point on
their training will shift from a broad focus to one that involves a higher percentage of time working on their
area of expertise.
Advanced
Players at an advanced level will develop synchronicity between the blocker and defender including
advanced tactics such as double faking on defense and transitioning after making the dig. Faking
involves trying to show a false defensive arrangement to the hitter and this can be done just by the block
or defender or together.
DRILL NAME:
TEACHING POINTS:
Block and transition set 1 The blocker can turn In the air on the way down
Level of difficulty (advanced) to enable them to get off the net faster however
they must make sure they dont turn to early and
loose form on the block.
EQUIPMENT: 2 Blocker must get around the ball and face the
Minimum: 4 balls net to set. Going in a straight line to the ball will often result in
shoulders that are not facing the target when setting.
Ideally 10 balls 3 The defender should focus on playing the ball up
with some height - this will allow the blocker time
to get to the ball.
PARTICIPANTS:
Ideally: 2 athletes (+ coach observing)
Max: Up to 6 athletes (+ coach observing)
DRILL OBJECTIVE:
This drill focuses on developing the skill of
the blocker to turn after landing and hustling
to get to the ball to make a good transition
set.
The drill also gives the defender practice
digging the hard driven ball, chasing down
the soft shot and converting with a spike.
DRILL DESCRIPTION:
Beginner
Games for beginners (especially youth beginners) should be modified to promote success, extend rallies,
and for maximal enjoyment!
It is often more valuable to teach players a tactical understanding of the game before dealing with the
performance of skills. The players then experience the excitement of actual play and then when they
understand why each skill is important, they learn the individual skills faster and can apply them more
effectively during a game.
Rules can be adapted in a number of ways and below are some suggestions of modifications that could
be made for junior players:
Any shot that goes over the net must be a hit. The ball cant be thrown over the net.
A player can catch and throw the ball to a teammate on the 1st and 2nd contact.
The 3rd contact cannot be caught at all.
Players should be encouraged to throw the ball up into the air rather than flat to their teammates
to give the players more time to move and simulate a volleyball game.
If a catch is dropped you lose the point.
If a player catches and throws they must remain stationary during the action.
Maximum of 5 serves in a row from 1 individual.
Only 1 Adult on the side of the court (keeping score), the rest to sit away from the court
The score is not as important as the enjoyment of the kids
Intermediate
Games can begin to become more regulation as the developing skills of the players naturally lead
towards longer rallies. The effectiveness of wash drills however cannot be understated as they increase
the number of touches on the ball in a specific period of time and are great for learning.
Advanced
Modifications on the rules of the game are not just for players still developing. Many advanced players
use modified wash drills to enhance game endurance or to focus on specific skills that they feel they need
to work on.
DRILL NAME:
TEACHING POINTS:
3 in a row = 1 big point 1. Players must focus on one play at a time.
Level of difficulty (intermediate) 2. When you are tired you must really focus on your
technique. Otherwise errors will creep in.
EQUIPMENT:
Ideally 6-10 balls
PARTICIPANTS:
Ideally: 4 athletes (+ coach participating)
Max: Up to 8 athletes (+ coach observing)
DRILL OBJECTIVE:
This drill is a variation on the game and helps
to develop endurance.
DRILL DESCRIPTION: