MODULE 1  
Department Policies and UB PVMGO
Learning Outcomes
 
1.1 Class orientation
1.2 Recite the UBPVMGO
1.3 Reflect on the relevance of UBPVMGO on
the attainment of personal and professional
goals
 
INTRODUCTION
         
          This module introduces you the UB
PVMGO, wherein it is clearly states the aims,
goals and the norms and standards of the
University. You will witness the significance of
University’s PVMGO and its message in the
course of achieving your professional plans and
dreams.
 
      This module also consists of three (3)
learning outcomes. Each learning outcome
contains learning activities with instructional
sheets. Read the instructional sheet then
proceed to the activities. Your performance in
each activity will ascertain that you have
acquired the knowledge and skill necessary for
the learning outcomes provided.
 
      Upon completion of this module, report to
your teacher for your assessment regarding the
knowledge and skills requirement for this
module.
      We welcome you in the University of
Batangas, University of Choice and University of
Future. YOU BECOME, WHAT YOU BELIEVE!
 
 
CONTENT
Department Policies and UB PVMGO
Philosophy
 
The University of Batangas, a stock non –
sectarian, private educational institution, believes
in the pursuit of knowledge, values and skills
necessary for the preservation and improvement
of the Philippine society. It has faith in the dignity
of the human person, in the democratic process,
in the reward for individual excellence, and in the
freedom of a person to worship God according to
his conscience. Thus, the institution believes that
the development of the individuals as a person
and a worker is an effective means in building a
better family, community and nation, and a better
world.
 
 
 
Vision
 
We envision the University of Batangas to
be the center of excellence committed to serve
the broader community through quality
education.
 
 
Mission
 
The University of Batangas provides quality
education by promoting personal and
professional growth and enabling the person to
participate in a global, technology – and
research driven environment.
 
Core Values
 
Faith in God (Spirit)
Love of Wisdom (Intellect)
Service to fellowmen (Purpose)
 
Institutional Objectives
 The University of Batangas aims to:
 Pursue academic excellence through a
continuing search for and application of
truth, knowledge and wisdom via
traditional and alternative modes of
instructional delivery;
 Promote moral and spiritual development
through integrated educational process
that will enhance human character and
dignity;
 Develop cultural, economic and socio -
civic conscience through an educational
content relevant to national development
needs, conditions and aspirations;
 Strengthen involvement in community and
services through varied economic projects
and extensive research;
 Attain institutional self – reliance through
responsive programs for staff, facilities
and systems development;
 Ensure financial viability and profitability;
 Adopt the internalization to meet the
shifting demands in the national, regional
and global environment; and
 Increase the University’s productivity and
innovation in research, scholarship and
creative activities that impact economic
and social development.  one of the big five international sports, and the
 
MODULE 2
Introduction to Team Sports; Volleyball
 
Learning Outcomes
 
2.1 Learn the history, basic terms, equipment,
facilities, and basic rules of volleyball
 
INTRODUCTION
         
          This module introduces you the
introduction to team sports; Volleyball, wherein it
is clearly stated and covers the knowledge and
skills required to identify and perform the
volleyball attack hit and blocking. Completion of
this module will help you in preparing for the
succeeding modules.
 
      This module also consists of one (1)
learning outcome. Learning outcome contains
learning activities with instructional sheets. Read
the instructional sheet then proceed to the
activities. Your performance in each activity will
ascertain that you have acquired the knowledge
and skill necessary for the learning outcomes
provided.
 
      Upon completion of this module, report to
your teacher for your assessment regarding the
knowledge and skills required for this module.
 
CONTENT
 
         Volleyball has come a long way from the
dusty-old YMCA gymnasium of Holyoke,
Massachusetts, USA, where the visionary
William G. Morgan invented the sport back in
1895. It has seen the start of two centuries and
the dawn of a new millennium. Volleyball is now
FIVB, with its 220 affiliated national federations,
is the largest international sporting federation in
the world.
         Volleyball has witnessed unprecedented
growth over the last two decades. With the great
success of world competitions such as the FIVB
World Championships, the FIVB World League,
the FIVB World Grand Prix, the FIVB World Cup,
and the FIVB Grand Champions Cup as well as
the Olympic Games, the level of participation at
all levels internationally continues to grow
exponentially.
        The beach volleyball phenomenon also
continues to amaze. The overwhelming
spectator and television success of beach
volleyball since its introduction to the Olympic
Games at Atlanta 1996 and the stunning
success of the FIVB World Tour, the World
Championships, and the Continental Cup has
opened up volleyball to a completely new circumference was not less than 25 and not
market. more than 27 inches (63.5 cm and 68.6 cm,
respectively), and its weight not less than 9 and
THE ORIGINS
not more than 12 ounces (252 gr and 336 gr,
William G. Morgan (1870-1942), who was respectively).
born in the State of New York, has gone down in
Morgan asked two of his friends from
history as the inventor of the game of volleyball,
Holyoke, Dr. Frank Wood, and John Lynch, to
to which he originally gave the name
draw up (based on his suggestions) the basic
"Mintonette".
concepts of the game together with the first 10
The young Morgan carried out his rules.
undergraduate studies at the Springfield College
Early in 1896, a conference was
of the YMCA (Young Men's Christian
organized at the YMCA College in Springfield,
Association) where he met James Naismith who,
bringing together all the YMCA Directors of
in 1891, had invented basketball. After
Physical Education. Dr. Luther Halsey Gulick,
graduating, Morgan spent his first year at the
director of the professional physical education
Auburn (Maine) YMCA after which, during the
training school (and also executive director of the
summer of 1895, he moved to the YMCA at
department of physical education of the
Holyoke (Massachusetts) where he became
International Committee of YMCA's) invited
director of physical education. In this role he had
Morgan to make a demonstration of his game in
the opportunity to establish, develop and direct a
the new college stadium. Morgan took two
vast program of exercises and sports classes for
teams, each made up of five men (and some
male adults.
loyal fans) to Springfield, where the
His leadership was enthusiastically demonstration was made before the conference
accepted, and his classes grew in numbers. He delegates in the east gymnasium. The captain of
came to realize that he needed a certain type of one of the teams was J.J. Curran and of the
competitive recreational game in order to vary other John Lynch who were respectively, mayor
his programme. Basketball, a sport that was and chief of the fire brigade of Holyoke.
beginning to develop, seemed to suit young
Morgan explained that the new game was
people, but it was necessary to find a less violent
designed for gymnasia or exercise halls, but
and less intense alternative for the older
could also be played in the open air. An
members.
unlimited number of players could participate,
At that time Morgan knew of no similar the object of the game being to keep the ball in
game to volleyball that could guide him; he movement over a high net, from one side to the
developed it from his own sports training other.
methods and his practical experience in the
After seeing the demonstration, and
YMCA gymnasium. Describing his first
hearing the explanation of Morgan, Professor
experiments he said, "In search of an
Alfred T. Halstead called attention to the action,
appropriate game, tennis occurred to me, but
or the act phase, of the ball's flight, and
this required rackets, balls, a net, and other
proposed that the name "Mintonette" be replaced
equipment, so it was eliminated, but the idea of a
by "Volley Ball." This name was accepted by
net seemed a good one. We raised it to a height
Morgan and the conference. (It is interesting to
of about 6 feet, 6 inches (1.98 meters) from the
note that the same name has survived over the
ground, just above the head of an average man.
years, with one slight alteration: in 1952, the
We needed a ball and among those we tried was
Administrative Committee of the USVBA voted to
a basketball bladder, but this was too light and
spell the name with one word, "Volleyball", but
too slow. We, therefore, tried the basketball
continued to use USVBA to signify United States
itself, which was too big and too heavy."
Volleyball Association).
In the end, Morgan asked the firm of A.G.
Morgan explained the rules and worked
Spalding & Bros. to make a ball, which they did
on them, then gave a hand-written copy to the
at their factory near Chicopee, in Massachusetts.
conference of YMCA directors of physical
The result was satisfactory: the ball was leather-
education, as a guide for the use and
covered, with a rubber inner tube, its
development of the game. A committee was
appointed to study the rules and produce The "spike" is when the ball is hit or
suggestions for the game's promotion and smashed across the net. It is the most powerful
teaching. shot in volleyball – and the most effective way to
win a rally.
A brief report on the new game and its
rules was published in the July 1896 edition of  
"Physical Education" and the rules were included
BLOCK
in the 1897 edition of the first official handbook of
the North American YMCA Athletic League. This is the first line of defense in
Volleyball. The objective of the "block" is to stop
BASIC TERMS
the spiked ball from crossing the net or to
SERVE channel the spike to defenders. The three front-
court players share blocking. Teams usually opt
A serve begins each rally. A player must
for a "read and react" block (whereby they try to
hit the ball with his or her hand over the net to
react to the ball leaving the setter's hands) or for
land inside the lines of the court. Players may
a "commit" block (whereby they decide before
serve underarm or overarm (hardly anyone at
the point whether to jump on the quick middle
the elite level would offer an underarm serve). A
balls).
popular service is the "jump" or "spike" serve:
the player jumps and serves the ball while The key to good blocking is penetration –
airborne. the best blockers reach well over the net and into
the opponent's court rather than reaching
Each player gets only one chance to
straight up when the block can be easily
serve. The serve can touch the net and continue
penetrated by quality hitters.
into the opponent's court. Before this rule was
introduced, a net touch on service ended the THE BALL
rally and the point was awarded to the receiving
After testing many colors, the FIVB
team. When the serving team loses a rally, it
introduced a ball with yellow, blue, and white
loses the right to serve. The receiving team then
panels at the World Championships in Japan in
rotates one position on the court.
1998. It replaced the traditional all-white ball.
DIG
THE RALLY POINT SYSTEM
The "dig" is a forearm pass that is used to
In 1998 the FIVB also tried some different
control the ball and pass it to the setter at the
scoring systems. At its World Congress in
net. It is usually the first contact by the team and
October 1998, the FIVB ratified the "rally point
an effective shot to use in defense, such as
system." Every rally would now earn a point. The
when receiving a spike. The "libero" handles
first four sets are played to 25, but the winning
much of the team's serve reception and is pivotal
team must be ahead by at least two points. The
in backcourt defense.
fifth set is played to 15 – and again the winner
SET must have a two-point margin. The system was
designed to make the scoring system easier to
The "set" is an overhead pass used to
follow and games faster and more exciting.
change the direction of the dig and put the ball in
a good position for the spiker.  
It is usually the team's second contact. THE LIBERO
The setting is the tactical center of Volleyball. A
The FIVB introduced a new specialized
setter must be good enough to keep the big
defensive player, the "libero", in 1996. The libero
blockers from dominating the net. The setter
can perform only as a backcourt player and may
must feed his or her best hitters while also
not play an attacking shot (when the ball is hit
looking for the opponent's blocking weaknesses
back across the net), serve or block. If the libero
(such as a short player on the front line or a slow
makes an overhead set of the ball in front of the
center blocker).
3-meter attack line, the ball may not be spiked
SPIKE over by the team. If the libero makes the same
action behind the front zone, the ball may be
freely attacked.
The libero must wear a jersey with a
different color or design than those of other team
members.
ROTATION
Each of the six players on an indoor team
rotates a position after winning back service from
the opponent. This is the key to the tactics of
indoor Volleyball – you cannot simply keep your
best blockers and spikers at the net or your best
defenders in the backcourt.
After serving from position one, players
rotate to position six (middle back), then position
five (left back), position four (left front), position
three (middle front), and position two (right front)
before returning to serve.
A team must be in correct rotation order
before the serve is put into play. Once the ball is
served, the players can move positions but
backcourt players cannot move to the net to
block or spike. They must make all attacking
actions from behind the attack line (hence the
advent of the backcourt attack to have great
spikers participating in all six rotations). The
rotation rule explains why a setter often appears
to be "hiding" behind his or her players before a
point. The setter must be in proper rotation order
before sprinting to the net or a point is given to
the opposition.
EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES
Court and Equipment The volleyball court
is 18 meters from endline to endline and 9
meters from sideline to sideline (figure I.1). The
centerline (below the net) divides the court in
half. Each team’s attack line is three meters from
the centerline. A back-row player must stay
behind the attack line when jumping to contact a
ball that is above the height of the net. Players
may initiate the service from anywhere along the
endline.
For women’s volleyball, the net is 2.24
meters (7 feet, 4-1/8 inches) high; for men’s
volleyball, the net is 2.43 meters (7 feet, 11-5/8
inches) high. The net should be strung tightly to
avoid any sagging and to allow a ball driven into
the net to rebound cleanly instead of dropping
straight to the floor. Antennae are connected to
the volleyball net just above the sidelines (figure
I.2). The volleyball must always pass over the
net and between the antennae on a serve and
throughout a rally. Safety rules require that the
poles and the referee stand must be padded.
Most beginning volleyball players think of each
side of the court as two zones: front row and
back row. Help your players discover right from
the start that there are six zones (figure I.3): right
back (zone 1), right front (zone 2), middle front
(zone 3), left front (zone 4), left-back (zone 5),
and middle back (zone 6). What do you need to
play? Begin with volleyball shoes, knee pads,
and a volleyball. Choose an indoor or outdoor
court. Talk to a local volleyball coach for sound
advice on what type of ball to purchase. The
proper uniform includes matching T-shirts and
shorts, appropriate volleyball shoes, and knee
pads. If you are starting a new team, you will
need to purchase T-shirts with numbers on the
front and back; then select team shorts. The
color and brand should be the same for all
players, with the exception of the uniforms worn
by liberos, who are required to wear a shirt of a
contrasting color.
 
BASIC RULES
Volleyball is a sport played by two teams
on a playing court divided by a net. There are
different versions available for specific
circumstances in order to offer the versatility of
the game to everyone. The object of the game is
to send the ball over the net in order to ground it
on the opponent's court, and to prevent the
same effort by the opponent. The team has three
hits for returning the ball (in addition to the block
contact). The ball is put in play with a service, hit
by the server over the net to the opponents. The
rally continues until the ball is grounded on the
playing court, goes "out" or a team fails to return
it properly. In Volleyball, the team winning a rally
scores a point (Rally Point System). When the
receiving team wins a rally, it gains a point and
the right to serve, and its players rotate one
position clockwise.
Volleyball is a complex game of simple
skills. The ball is spiked from up to 60 cm above
the height of a basketball hoop (about 3.65
meters) and takes fractions of a second to travel
from the spiker to the receiver. That means the
receiver must assess the incoming angle, decide
where to pass the ball, and then control their
pass in the blink of an eye. A purely rebound
sport (you can't hold the ball), volleyball is a
game of constant motion.
A team can touch the ball three times on
its side of the net. The usual pattern is a dig (an
underarm pass made with the forearms), a set
(an overhead pass made with the hands), and a
spike (the overhead attacking shot). The ball is
served into play. Teams can also try to block the
opponent's spike as it crosses the net. A block
into your own court counts as one of your three
touches in beach volleyball, but not in volleyball.
Power and height have become vital
components of international teams, but the ability
of teams and coaches to devise new strategies,
tactics, and skills has been crucial for continued
success.
There are six players on the court in a
volleyball team, who each must rotate one
position clockwise every time their team wins
back service from the opposition. Only the three
players at the net positions can jump and spike
or block near the net. The backcourt players can
only hit the ball over the net if they jump from
behind the attack line, also known as the three-
meter line, which separates the front and back
part of the court.
Volleyball has developed into a very
specialized sport. Most teams will include in their
starting line-up a setter, two center blockers, two
receiver-hitters, and a universal spiker. Only
certain players will be involved with service
reception. Players will also have specialist
positions for attack and defense. Substitutions
are allowed during the game.
Since 1998, volleyball has been using a
new scoring system. Teams scored a point on
every rally (Rally Point System), regardless of
which team served. Formerly, a team could only
win a point if it served the ball. Winning the serve
back from the opposition was known as a side-
out.
Matches are played best of five sets. The
first four sets are played to 25 points, with the
final set being played to 15 points. A team must
win a set by two points. There is no ceiling, so a
set continues until one of the teams gains a two-
point advantage. Previously, all sets were to 15
points, with the first four sets having a ceiling of
17 and the final set requiring at least a two-point
winning advantage.
In 1998, the FIVB introduced a new
specialist role: the libero. This player wears a
different colored uniform from the rest of the
team and can be substituted in the backcourt for
any player on the team. The libero cannot serve,
spike the ball over the net or rotate into the front-
line positions, but plays a vital role for the team
in serve reception and backcourt defense. There
must be at least one point played between a
libero substituting off for a player and going back
on the court for another player – hence he/she
cannot be on the court for the whole game. The
libero has added an extra dimension to
backcourt defense, improving the reception of
teams, lengthening the rallies, and giving a vital
role to shorter players.
MODULE 3
 Volleyball Reception/ Pass
Learning Outcomes
3.1 Identify the basic volleyball reception/ passes
3.2 Perform basic volleyball reception/ passes
 
INTRODUCTION
         
          This module introduces you to the
Volleyball reception and passes wherein it is
clearly stated and covers the knowledge and
skills required to identify and perform the
volleyball attack hit and blocking. Completion of
this module will help you in preparing for the
succeeding modules.
 
      This module also consists of two (2)
learning outcomes. Each learning outcome
contains learning activities with instructional
sheets. Read the instructional sheet then
proceed to the activities. Your performance in
each activity will ascertain that you have
acquired the knowledge and skill necessary for
the learning outcomes provided.
 
       Upon completion of this module, report to
your teacher for your assessment regarding the
knowledge and skills required for this module.
 
CONTENT
 
The three-contact rule is unique to
volleyball. It was not one of the original rules of
the game but appeared early in the sport and
was first developed in the Philippines. Let’s look
at these contacts one at a time, beginning with
the first contact or touch by the receiving team.
One of the primary skills used to receive
the service is a forearm pass, an action
commonly referred to in our sport as “passing.”
Just as volleyball rules continue to change, so
too our jargon has changed. At one point, using
the forearms to pass the ball was more
commonly referred to as “bumping.” Certainly in
the 1970s and 1980s, at most levels of
volleyball, if a player attempted to receive a
service with an overhead setting motion, the
whistle would blow accompanied by a hand
signal for a lift or double contact. The exclusivity
during that time period of using a forearm pass
to receive the serve created one of the first and
toughest challenges for those teaching the
game: helping new players gain some
competency in developing a skill that felt foreign
in every way. A significant rule change allowing
double contacts (including the use of hands) on
any first-team contact created, in the minds of
many, a more user-friendly game.
This rule change led to a significant shift
in ball control tactics by coaches. A second
technical and tactical option, now commonly
employed to receive a service, can be described
as overhand passing. In either case, the
objective of the first touch in a serve reception
system is to control the ball and redirect the
server to a target.
Receiving the service is often considered
the most critical skill in the game. Without an
effective pass, it is very difficult to execute your
offense. As you begin to practice passing skills,
it’s important that you always practice passing to
a target (whether that is a designated setter or
area near the net) and use communication skills
(“mine” or “ball”) at the same time.
 
Forearm Pass
To receive a service and execute a
forearm pass successfully, you need to move
your feet in response to the serve, create a
platform with your arms (keeping your arms
away from your body), and contact the ball while
in a relatively low athletic stance. Having said
that, and while the following description can
assist you in developing your passing skills,
perhaps a disclaimer is in order.
One of the volleyball basics related to the
tension between teaching fundamentals and
allowing the game to teach the game. If we
watch the greatest players on the planet receive
a serve with their forearms—and, in fact,
compare freezeframe photos of their body at ball
contact throughout a match—we are likely to see
a variety of body and arm positions. Mastery of
this and many fundamental skills will be
enhanced as you get to respond to experiential
learning opportunities.
The keys for passing include;
(1) move feet to ball,
(2) create platform,
(3) contact on forearms, and
(4) freeze to target.
 
Prior to the serve, players on the receiving
side of the net need to be in a ready-to-move
position with feet at least shoulder-width apart,
knees bent, and hands apart. You need to move
the moment the ball is served and react to the
direction and speed as it travels toward your side
of the net. A common phrase you’ll hear from
coaches is “feet to ball.” Even though the serve
is intercepted with your forearms, moving your
feet is often the key to success in passing.
Keep your shoulders forward and arms
out in front of you as you move to receive the
serve (figure 3.1a). Do not move with your hands
together. You will discover that you will be able
to move more quickly and efficiently with your
hands apart. Use shuffle steps in all directions in
response to the serve while remaining in a
slightly staggered stance with both knees bent
comfortably and shoulders forward.

As you complete your movement, bring
your hands together with thumbs and wrists
touching to create a platform (figure 3.1b).
Simply grab one hand with the other and
straighten your arms to prepare to contact the
ball. The key is for the arms to work as a
platform, rebounding the served ball to the
target. When first learning, you may struggle to
have the ball contact your arms consistently
above the wrists and below the elbows (figure
3.1c). Be patient. Some sports refer to hand-eye
coordination; passing requires the development
of arm-eye coordination.
In most cases, the legs remain stable
throughout the contact, although with soft or
short serves, some leg drive will assist in
pushing the pass toward the target. In this
scenario, it is helpful to imagine the amount of
leg drive needed to stand up from sitting on the
very front edge of a folding chair.
Use every cue possible to predict where
the server will direct the ball. The server may
look to a zone of your court, or the server’s foot
may point in that direction.
Your objective when you pass the served
ball is to guide the ball to the target, a
designated setter who is responsible for setting
to available attackers. Through trial and error,
you will discover that if you contact the bottom of
the ball and swing your arms with a lot of force,
the ball will rebound high to the rafters. Focus on
getting your platform to contact the back of the
ball to correct this error.
“Freeze to the target” is our final
fundamental key to emphasize that you need to
finish with your platform aimed at your target
(figure 3.1d).
In one way, having four or even five
players with first contact responsibility may
increase a team’s chances of not letting a serve
hit the floor, but it also creates a lot of seams
between players, and for each seam, teammates
need to decide quickly who is taking the ball.
If fewer players on the court are assigned
to receive the serve, there are now fewer seams
but more ground for each of them to cover. As
your court space responsibility increases, it is
much more likely that you will contact many balls
outside of your body line (figure 3.1e). Game-like
drills and activities will enable you to learn what it
takes on any given serve to make adjustments
with your platform to successfully push that first
team contact to your designated setter.
 
Setting / Overhead passing.
 
When asked to describe the necessary
traits of a setter, coaches are likely to offer a
variety of responses, including golden hands,
nerves of steel, thick skin, leader of the pack,
team quarterback, or better yet, a coach on the
floor. They will also tell you that setters must
develop and possess great vision, reaction, and
instantaneous decision-making skills. You will
discover that all of these are important as you
gain a greater understanding of the complexities
of attacking options within a team’s offensive
system.
Although it is most common to have a
designated player perform the role of setter, it is
important to recognize that all players will find
themselves in circumstances where they need to
use their hands. As mentioned in the previous
topic, setting, or overhead passing, as it is
commonly referred to, can be used as a team’s
first touch to receive serve or free balls from an
opponent.
Let’s start with the premise that at the
moment of serve, one player on the receiving
team has been predetermined and designated
within an offensive system to receive the first
team contact from a teammate and deliver it to
an attacker. If you are the designated setter, you
first need to move, if necessary, to the agreed-
upon target area for your team’s service
reception. Let’s split the net into nine zones,
numbering them from left to right (figure 4.1).
You want to establish your position as a target
for the passers in zone 6, just to the right of the
center of the net. You should arrive at the target
with your right shoulder near the net, but you
should be ready to chase down an inaccurate
serve receive contact.
Your communication as the designated setter
is crucial. You have a few key responsibilities in
terms of effective communication. First, provide
a visible target for passers (right hand in the air)
and then add a verbal signal (“here”).
 You will soon realize that a good percentage
of passes will not arrive at the target.
The execution of most volleyball skills
requires effective movement of players prior to
contacting the ball. This is certainly true of
setting. You must react to the pass and decide
immediately if you can get to the ball and
execute a set. If you decide to travel to the ball,
the next key communication skill is to say “mine”
as you move. Teammates need to give way
when you call “mine” since you are claiming
responsibility to get to the ball.
Coaches will train designated setters to move
quickly and assertively in all directions to chase
down a less than perfect first contact and to
make the next play on the ball whenever
possible. Your ultimate goal as the designated
setter should be to get an available attacker a
jump and a swing. If and when you determine
that getting to the poor serve receive contact is
not possible, you need to call for help. In this
scenario, teammates need to be ready to step in
and use their hands to set the ball to available
attackers. The bread and butter drill (figure 4.11)
allows you to work on this exact scenario.
Technical Setting Keys
 
Once the ball has been passed to the target
either with the hands or the forearms, we can
refer to the set as the second touch. Since the
goal is to control the ball using only three
contacts and ultimately smash the ball into the
opponent’s court, accuracy and consistency will
obviously play an important role in setting.
When executing a set (let’s use net zone 1 as
your target), focus on moving your feet to the ball
(figure 4.2a), and upon arrival, your hands go up
quickly. This idea of feet first and then hands will
be reinforced constantly with verbal reminders of
“feet [pause] hands.” To be able to square your
shoulders to the target, arrive at the spot where
the ball is heading before it gets there. It is
preferable to have your right foot forward,
especially if a serve reception forces you near
the net.
Next, as shown in figure 4.2b, form your
hands in the shape of the volleyball. It is critical
to have your thumbs pointed at your eyes.
Practice this without a volleyball and you will be
able to picture the ball settling into your hands
quite nicely. Your goal should be to contact the
ball near the forehead level.
As you contact the ball with your finger pads
(figure 4.2c), be sure to extend with both your
arms and legs in the direction of the intended set
(figure 4.2d).
SPRING IN THE WRISTS
 
The action of the wrists is important in the
execution of a set. With your hands open and in
the shape of the volleyball, your wrists will
naturally give a little as the ball contacts your
finger pads. This can be described as the ball
going to the hands. Think of your wrists as a
spring and be sure that the ball doesn’t stop in
your hands (figure 4.3a). This would result in a
held ball violation. Use the natural spring of your
wrists (figure 4.3b) to assist in pushing the ball
back out of your hands.
 
THE BACK SET
As a setter, you are not always limited to
setting to teammates in front of you. You can
also send the ball to eligible attackers behind
you with a back set. While the back set may be
challenging for new players, the technical keys
presented above in regard to the body, arm, and
hand position also relate in the execution of the
back set.
Take another look at figure 4.1, and
imagine yourself as the setter near-net zone 6. A
teammate has just passed the ball to you, your
hands go up in the shape of the ball, and you
decide to set to a teammate who will attack in
net zone 9. You need to contact the ball near
your forehead, but then as you slightly arch your
back and drive with your arms, push the ball high
to your target behind you (figure 4.4). This full-
extension should finish with your biceps near
your ears. With experience and practice, you will
gain confidence in setting to a player that you
cannot see.
It is quite common for new players to
learn to back set to significantly arch their backs
before contacting the ball as a way of helping get
the set to a teammate behind them. When I train
new setters, I use the setter neutral drill (figure
4.12) to help them keep a neutral body position
prior to contact. As your game progresses, and if
you become a designated setter, you will
discover it is advantageous for your offense
when the opposing blockers and defenders can’t
predict who you are going to set to based on
your pre-contact body position.
JUMP SETTING
As setters gain confidence and develop
solid and consistent contact, jump setting can
take an offense to the next level (see figure 4.5).
Begin by recognizing that driving off the floor
with the legs as part of the full extension
described earlier is no longer available with a
jump set. Now all the strength needed for the
contact and finish will be provided by the upper
body. Your execution of the jump set starts with
all of the same pre-contact reaction and
movement details already presented, but now
your hands get to the passed ball faster because
you are intercepting the ball sooner than if you
remained on the ground. You must use your
arms as you jump, which will naturally allow you
to get your hands in the shape of the ball just
prior to contact. With practice, you will develop
the fine-tuning skills needed to make
adjustments at contact to deliver sets of different
heights to a variety of locations
Jump setting can speed up a team’s
offensive tempo and create a number of
advantages for a team. Teams with a left-handed
player designated as a front-row setter create a
real dilemma for blockers. Lefty setters with their
right shoulder near the net are in a position when
they jump to turn and swing on the second
contact since they are an eligible attacker (figure
4.6).
OVERHEAD PASSING
As introduced in the previous topic, the
rules of volleyball allow double contact on any
first-team contact, including the use of the
hands. The average observer of the sport, who is
unfamiliar with the rules, will often wonder why
the official allows these double hits to go un-
whistled while the next touch by a setter with a
clear double contact is whistled. The only
judgment call allowed by officials on a first-team
contact is a held ball. Players receiving the serve
with their hands need to keep that in mind and
be sure to keep their hands moving toward the
ball throughout the contact.
Receiving the serve with the hands can
be useful on short serves or on high float serves
that don’t travel with a lot of force. Remember,
the force of a jump serve could be so great that
the ball comes to rest in the receiver’s hands
before it can be pushed out. With experience,
you can anticipate, react to the type of serve,
and choose whether to use the forearm pass or
overhead pass to receive the serve and direct
the ball to the setter.
A second common use of the overhead
pass occurs when the designated setter decides
it’s not possible to get to the first touch and
shouts for help. The teammate nearest the errant
serve receive pass should respond to the setter’s
help signal by stepping in and attempting to set
the ball to a teammate near one of the antennae.
This is the essential play for a teammate to
execute when helping a setter. The primary goal
is to get an attacker able to jump and swing on
this play. All teammates must understand their
responsibilities when the setter calls “help”
Finally, when the opponent gives an easy
free ball over the net, this is another time to
contact the ball with an overhead pass if
possible. Precise and accurate contacts on a
free ball are critical for success. Most coaches
favor the use of the hands whenever their team
receives a free ball. The five-person setting drill
is a practice opportunity for using the hands in
several situations during a rally.