MOVEMENT AND BALL SKILLS
To be able to play volleyball well the two main important factors are posture and movement without these skills like the
dig or volley would not be performed well.
To play volleyball well you need to be able to be in the correct place at the right
time, and be balanced.
To practice skills in a static position is of little benefit, the coach must always try to introduce pre and
The Ready position
For a good posture the feet should be not wider than shoulder width apart and toes pointed slightly in.
The knees should be pushed forward but not passed the front of the toes.
Arms held in front of the body
When moving, both the center of weight and the eyes should travel parallel to the floor and thus the head does not
move up and down.
THE FOREARM PASS
The forearm pass or dig is used to play a ball that is coming below head height, so it cannot be volley or a ball which is
traveling a a great velocity. This technique is
implemented by bringing the forearms together to make a platform, off which the ball rebounds. The forearm pass is most often
used to receive the service or opponents attacking shot.
Successfully Mastering the Forearm Pass.
As with the volley, you must adopt the ready position. It is important to firstly decide whether to go for the ball and then
call for it and move to the ball. You should then stop before playing the ball.
The contact of the ball takes place in the mid line of the body. The hands are together and the elbows are straightened and
locked. This will enable the player to form a platform for the ball to hit. The ball is contacted on the forearms just above
This is a two handed pass above the forehead. This skill is usually the first to be taught to a beginner because it is
possible to get a game going very quickly with this skill.
The volley is mostly used to set up an attack close to the net - to set the ball - for an attacker to smash the ball over
the net. It can also be used to receive a slow moving ball from the opposition.
HOW TO VOLLEY.
Each player on the court should adopt the ready position, this gives the player the ability to move and respond to where
ever the ball is going to go.
To volley the player should face the direction the ball is going to be played.
The player should be in a position to make contact with the ball slightly above and in front of the forehead. The hands are
ball shaped and about 10cm apart.
As the ball approaches the hands, the player starts to extend his legs and then arms. As the ball goes into the players
arms the arms start to extend and passes the ball in the direction required. This accompanied with a transfer in weight from
the back foot to the front foot will propel the ball forward.