3 Volleyball Passing Drills

These three coaching drills can help give your team a strong passing foundation and set them up for easy scoring chances this season.

Shuffle Steps

This drill, designed for beginners, emphasizes the fundamentals of 'shuffling' a player's feet. Although, shuffling is not a motion that can always be executed in competition, it is a good way to teach young volleyball players body control and a smooth approach.

Drill Description: One player tosses the ball at another who passes it back. The tosser lobs the ball high in the air, at least ten feet away from passer who must get to the ball.

Passer must shuffle step to get to the ball without crossing their feet. Try to get to the spot before the ball does.

Vary to which side the ball is thrown so the passer does not cheat to the anticipated side. After five tosses, switch so that the tosser now passes, and the passer now tosses.

3's and 2's

Drill Description: Two players (No.1 and No.2) stand on the opposite side of the net as the third. Player No.2 stands where the setter would line up (front middle preferably) and player No.1 stands in a back row position on same side.

Player No.3 lines up on opposite side of the net as No.1 and No.2 and tosses ball over the net to player No.1 who passes it to setter (No.2). Setter bounce-passes ball under net back to player No.3.

Meanwhile player No.3 throws the second ball immediately after player No.1 passes the first ball. The drill is fast-paced and designed to get a lot of passing done in a short time period.

Note: Player No.3 should toss the second ball before No.2 has caught the first. That way the drill is executed rapidly.

Toss Catch Drill

Drill Description: One player tosses the ball at another who passes it back. The idea is to develop consistency in basic passing skills and to make sure passer is correctly using legs not arms and wrist when they pass.

To develop correct fundamentals, this drill requires one player to simply catch the ball and throw it back.

Body Position: Wait with arms at a 90-degree angle from your upper body. Bend at the waist so that your shoulders are forward and hips are back (but maintain 90-degree angle between arms and upper body). Legs should also be bent.