Volleyball Serving Techniques

Volleyball Skills

• The most important factor for a successful serve involves athletes developing a repeatable routine to build confidence

Serving Techniques

• Underhand serve: feet shoulder-width apart, perpendicular to the endline, toss the ball 0.3 meters (1 foot) up

• Swing dominant hand with a closed fist across the body, hitting the bottom third of the ball toward the net

• Force needed is determined by the distance the serve needs to travel

• Overhand serve: face the net, feet staggered shoulder-width apart, off foot slightly forward

• Hold the ball at arm's length in front of the body with the off hand, dominant arm above the shoulder ("thumb in the ear")

  • Toss the ball 1 meter (3 feet) in the air in front of the dominant shoulder
  • Shift weight, rotate the dominant arm, and strike the ball with an open hand above the net, following through the arm swing

• Roundhouse serve: similar to underhand, position with ball at shoulder height, then toss the ball overhead and swing the arm to contact the ball above the head

Passing Technique

• Passing involves facing the oncoming ball with feet staggered shoulder-width apart, knees bent, upper body leaning forward, hands loosely in front

• Clasp hands together with thumbs even, elbows locked straight, thumbs pointing toward the floor 1 meter (3 feet) ahead

• Move feet to contact the ball on the forearms above the wrist without reaching off balance

Setting Technique

• Setting is usually the second of three contacts on the team’s side of the net

• The athlete moves to a position under the ball, similar to passing

• Extend arms upward to contact the ball on the finger pads, pushing the ball toward the intended target

Attacking/Spiking Techniques

• Standing Attack:

  • Positioned a short distance from the net, the athlete faces the target area on the opposite court
  • The off arm points toward the ball, and will drop as the dominant arm reaches toward the ball
  • Weight shifts from the back foot to the front foot, swinging the arm into the ball and snapping the wrist for topspin

• Jumping Attack:

  • It involves the same mechanics as a standing attack, but with a jump
  • A 3- or 4-step approach is used, with the last two steps being the jump (step-close) and a strong upward arm swing

Blocking Technique

• Stand facing the net, feet slightly less than shoulder-width apart, hands in front of the chest with palms facing the net

• Bend deeply with the knees and jump straight upward, reaching both hands as high as possible over the net without touching it

• Outside blocker aligns with the inside shoulder of the attacker, positioning the arm to block an angled attack

Digging

• Digging prevents the ball from touching the court after an opponent's attack

Volleyball Equipment

• Volleyball:

  • Size of the ball no larger than 81 centimeters (32 inches) in circumference and weigh no more than 226 grams (8 ounces)
  • Spherical shape made of flexible leather or synthetic leather with a bladder inside made of rubber or a similar material.
  • The inside pressure shall be 0.30-0.32 kg/cm2 (4.26 to 4.61 psi)

• Court:

  • Regulation size 9 meters x 18 meters (29 feet 6 inches x 59 feet)
  • The Special Olympics modification allows for the service line to be moved closer to the net, but no closer than 4.5 meters (14 feet 9 inches).

• Nets:

  • Men's net height of 2.43 meters (7 feet 11 5/8 inches) is used for regular and Unified Sports.
  • Women's net height of 2.24 meters (7 feet 4 1/8 inches) is used for Women's and Modified Team Competition.

• Official net dimensions: 1 meter (39 inches) wide and 9.5 to 10 meters (31 feet 6 inches to 33 feet) long

• Antennae: 1.80 meters (5 feet 11 inches) in length, with the top 80 cm (32 inches) marked with alternating 10 cm (4 inch) stripes.

Volleyball Attire

• Required attire includes a shirt (jersey), shorts, socks, and shoes.
• During practice, athletes should wear a shirt that is comfortable and allows freedom of movement in the shoulder
• During competition, all players should wear shorts that are similar in appearance; this includes striping, color and logos.
• It is recommended that athletes wear socks to help absorb the foot moisture during activity.
• It is recommended that athletes wear shoes that are specifically designed for volleyball with cushioned insoles, arch and heel support
• Warm-up suits and knee pads are recommended for cooler environments and to protect the knees

Player Positions

• Front row players (attack/blocker): Attack the ball and block opponents.
• Back row players (passer/digger): Pass the ball from opponents serves, and dig balls from spikers.
• Setter: Sets spikers after receiving a pass from a teammate.
• Spiker (attacker): Attacks the ball over the net, usually from the front row.
• Passer: Passes the ball up to the setter, improving the quality of the set.
• Digger: Defensive player skilled at digging hard spikes and off-speed shots.
• Server: Puts the ball into play to start the rally.

Volleyball Rules

• It is important to teach the rules of volleyball during practice by using real life scenarios

Court Dimensions

• Regulation size court: 18 meters by 9 meters (surrounded by a free zone of a minimum of 3 meters wide on all sides)
• Modified Team Competition court: 7.62 meters (25 feet) wide and 15.24 meters (50 feet) long

Net Heights

• Men's and coed competition: 2.43 meters (7 feet 11 5/8 inches)
• Women's competition: 2.24 meters (7 feet 4 1/8 inches)

Officials and Their Roles

• 1st Referee (R1): In charge of the match with final authority.
• 2nd Referee (R2): Controls the net, assists with ball handling calls, and oversees the scorekeeper.
• Scorekeeper: Keeps score and ensures the visual scoreboard is accurate.
• Line Judges (LJ): Assist the R1 with calling the ball in/out and touches.
• Libero Tracker: Tracks Libero replacements.

Common Violations

• Illegal Alignment
• Line Violation.
• Illegal Hit
• Delay of Service
• Over-The-Net
• Net Foul or Net Service
• Legal Back Row Attack
• Back Row Attacker
• Illegal Blocker – Screening
• Ball Touched
• Four Hits
• Double Hit
• Ball Lands In-Bounds
• Out-of-Bounds/Antenna Violation

Pre-Match Meeting

• The R1 meets with team representatives to clarify warm-up procedures, explain rules, and determine which team serves first

Start of the Match and Set

• Players line up on the end line and move onto the court in the proper rotation
• The R1 signals the server to serve the ball with a whistle and arm motion

Service Rotation in Special Olympics Modifications

• Unified competition: Serving team rotates after scoring three consecutive points
• Modified Team Competition: Three-point or five-point serving rule with automatic loss of possession

Scoring System

• Volleyball uses rally scoring
  • A point is awarded each time the ball is in play unless a replay is directed
  • Teams do not need to be serving to earn a point

Time-Outs and Winning

• Each team has two 30-second time-outs per set.
• Teams need to earn 25 points to win a set, with the deciding set played to 15 points
• A two-point lead is required to win

Protests

• Procedures are governed by competition rules, and it is important to understand and follow it

Types of Protests

• Eligibility and rules of the game
• Protests must be made by the playing captain before the next serve, regarding misapplication of a rule
• Judgment calls are not protestable
• The competition manager and/or Chief Referee will make a ruling on the protest, which are final