Ball control, serve receive, and attacking drills to build confident, competitive players.
Volleyball is a game of controlled touches, and practice time should reflect that — lots of reps on passing, setting, and hitting technique before adding full-speed, competitive play. The drills below move from controlled ball-control work into game-like pressure, which is the progression most volleyball coaches build a session around.
Need a full session, not just one drill? Browse ready-made Volleyball practice plans with the timing worked out for you.
See Volleyball practice plansA full-court 6v6 drill that practices serve receive, transition offense, and defensive coverage to help teams convert serve receive into kills…
This drill isolates the approach footwork that powers an effective attack, building the rhythm and timing players need before adding a set and a live…
This drill links passing to hitting by rehearsing the setter-hitter connection, approach timing, and shot placement under controlled conditions.
Pepper is the classic volleyball warm-up: two players work through passing, setting, and hitting in a continuous exchange, building touch and control…
This competitive game adds pressure and consequence to rally play, motivating players to execute fundamentals under game-like stress while…
Drill focusing on targeting the corners and seams to generate aces or weak receptions for the defense to exploit.
Practice the sequence from serve receive to first-pass, setter decision, and quick attack to sideout the serve.
Slowing the ball down with a balloon gives the youngest players extra time to get their body and platform in the right position, building confident…
An advanced hitting drill that trains attackers to read the block in real time and choose the correct shot — tool the block, hit around it, or go…
Before introducing any hitting motion, the youngest players simply toss and catch a balloon to build hand-eye coordination and comfort tracking…
The first serve every young player learns — a simple underhand motion that builds the basic swing pattern before a jump serve is ever a consideration.
A simple counting game where partners see how many forearm bumps they can complete in a row, turning basic ball-control practice into a fun…
Placing simple targets on the floor gives young players an immediate, visual goal for their tosses and serves, making accuracy practice feel like a…
A wall gives immediate, repeatable feedback for young players practicing their forearm platform, without needing a partner or worrying about an…
Before adding any hitting technique, simply catching and tossing the ball with a partner builds the tracking and positioning skills every volleyball…
A staged progression for the overhead set, building the hand shape and leg drive from a self-toss up through a moving, game-speed set.
Marking the court into scoring zones turns repetitive serving practice into a focused accuracy competition, building the consistency that wins…
Pass, set, hit (or catch) — practicing the full three-contact sequence as a group builds the rhythm and communication that turns individual skills…
Attacking from behind the ten-foot line adds another offensive weapon and teaches hitters the timing and jump technique needed to hit legally from…
The slide is a fast, angled approach that lets a middle attacker hit from a wider position than a standard middle set, creating a difficult…
A setter who can attack the ball themselves on the second contact keeps the block honest and punishes a defense that overcommits to covering the…
Not every pass is perfect — this drill trains a setter to still run an effective offense from a poor first-ball pass, which happens far more often in…
Moving quickly from defense into offense — dig, transition, attack — without losing tempo is what separates a fast, dangerous offense from a slow,…
Advanced servers pick targets strategically — a weak passer, a seam between two receivers, a player out of position — rather than just serving hard…
Work on penetration and hand positioning to close angles and read the hitter's approach.
Focus on low platform control and accurate passes to the setter on hard-hit attacks.
This drill trains passers to read a serve early, move into the ball's path, and deliver a consistent, controlled pass to a target — usually the…
A staged progression that builds the forearm pass from a stationary, self-tossed rep all the way to a live partner feed, locking in the platform…
Good contact starts with good feet — this drill isolates the shuffle-step movement pattern that gets a player's body in line with the ball…
A middle blocker has to move explosively in both directions along the net — this drill isolates the shuffle-and-close footwork pattern that gets them…
A full serve-receive formation has to rotate cleanly through all six positions while maintaining coverage, a coordination challenge worth dedicated…
The libero's positioning has to adjust based on the block's shape and the hitter's tendencies on every single rally — this drill…
Teaches the athletic ready stance every defensive contact starts from, before ever adding a ball to react to.
A gentle, partner-based introduction to digging, building the platform and recovery habit before adding real attack speed.
A first introduction to passing a served ball, focused on getting the platform and footwork right before worrying about accuracy to a target.
Isolates the lateral shuffle and jump timing a blocker needs before adding a live hitter to react to.
Advanced defensive work that trains the back row to read a hitter's approach and shoulder angle to anticipate shot direction before contact.