QuestionQUESTION: I'm coaching a group of girls that used a 4-2 formation last year. I'm trying to teach them a system with a back court setter either in a 5-1 or 6-2.
I get confused where the setter should be on serve receive when in the back row. I don't want to confuse them but I can't find any diagram that explains it easily to me that I can transfer to the girls.
I'm thinking it would be easier to have the setter push the player in front of them up to the net but I'm not sure when they would be out of rotation . The team is not a great passing team so I thought it would be better for the setter to be close to the net, but also better with 3 attackers in the front row?
I think I might be doing the right thing but when the girls get confused they ask me if they are in the right position and I'm not always sure?
ANSWER: Good evening Coach Mark!
Welcome to www.allexperts.com.
I agree with what you said! You're very astute!!
So is all you want are the serve receive formations when the setter is a back row player?
I can get that to you easily, if you don't mind emailing me at
[email protected], and I'll respond with the formations attached.
Piece Of Advice: Don't try to teach your players ANYTHING by trial and error. Either know it, teach it, and drill it......or don't change anything. If the coach doesn't understand something, how can the players execute it? And how much practice time are you wasting b/c you don't completely understand what you're teaching? You already say your team wasn't a good passing team. OK, do your planning at home, figure out how to teach 5-1 and 6-2 at home, then come to practice to teach what needs to be taught, then work on passing.
Hope you have a great weekend!
Please visit me at www.coachhouser.com!
There are enough smiling faces there to make your day!
Coach Houser
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Hi - I'm just following up on the previous information you sent me about serve receive for 5-1 and or 6-2
I think my girls are grasping the serve receive although trying to get my best passers to pass can get them out of rotation so I think I have to keep it simple. We are not allowed a libero at our age group so everyone has to pass . One of my middles is my best passer while the other can't pass anything . I tend not to hide anyone and either have a 3 man or 4 man serve receive depending on the rotation. Now I'm trying to focus on how they should be lining up when they are serving in a 5-1 and or 6-2 which should be easy ? but in our last tournament we were called out of rotation when doing this. Also my girls forget to switch back sometimes and i know I should see it but I don't always. They are also learning to play 6 back defence as opposed to 6 up last year which is presenting some challenges in 1 and 5.
Do you have any advice about reinforcing these things or by chance do you diagram the serve receive when the team is actually serving.
The previous diagrams were a big help but I'm still not quite there yet.
Despite my uncertainties our team has done very well and is undefeated this season but I'd still like to get them to the next level.
On occasion when we get confused so I go back to the 4-2 which they are comfortable with and play well in but I know they have to become comfortable with the penetrating setter as we play up an age group.
Thank you for your time!
ANSWER: Good evening Coach!
What age group are you coaching? If they're 15's or older, I don't think they should be getting confused.
OK, no libero. But can you put in a DS for your poor passing MB. You CAN'T have her in any serve receive formations, unless your school/conference rules prohibit it. She's probably giving the opponents 2 or 3 points per set.
The 1 and 5 zone challenges are better than having short challenges. This occurs when you only have 1 girl up. During a middle attack by your opponents, your 6-back person must try to dig the 1 and 5 balls. Now if 1 and 5 are causing your problems on frees and/or on opponents antenna sets, then your defense is probably not working right. Next practice, watch how the defense is shifting during the opponents' attacks. Watch your players, not the ball. A few days later do it again. Are the players doing what you taught them? If not, then it must be fixed.
Even after I'd been coaching 10 years, I'd diagram my serve receptions on paper before each match, ESPECIALLY if I'd made any changes in my lineup, or made any changes in my serve reception formations. Then I'd make some red ink marks on each formation as to how my players could shift w/o causing an overlap. I don't have to do it now, b/c I'm entering my 25th year of coaching, and I can better visualize what's happening. But, when you sit there and have a question mark on YOUR face, how can you get your players' confidence? What do the parents think?
Called out of rotation? You get confused? OK, I wasn't clear enough in my earlier answer to you. Getting out of rotation can only occur if your girls forget something b/c of brain cramps#you mentioned that above, and that happens#, some substitutions, etc. You're the leader here. You're the adult. You have to be 101% sure of something before you teach it or expect your players to execute it. NO NO NO, you cannot be teaching your players a serve receive formation that's an overlap. Oh my! If I were only 90% sure of what I'm teaching my students tomorrow, or only 90% sure of what I'm teaching to my players tomorrow night.....I would be looney.....I mean I couldn't sleep!
I hope I don't sound mad or disgusted. I'm not. I just want you to be completely prepared to teach a skill, then to adjust to whatever happens on the court.
I just saw a very good public school team run a 4-2. You have to run what helps your team win. I've run a 4-2 before, but I run a 5-1 or 6-2 most of the time. I especially run a 6-2 a lot in club ball where I normally have several very good setters, and I want them to both stay sharp.
Have you visited www.coachhouser.com? Today is the first day when coaches who didn't host a camp in 2009 can reserve a week in 2010. Let me know at
[email protected] if you have any questions.
Have a great week!
Tom
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thanks for the response . I really do appreciate anything that helps me help the girls . My team is a U14 club team. Our rules only allow for 6 substitutions - so A in for B and then B goes back in and A is finished which doesn't give much flexibility for putting in a DS as you can only do it once in a game.
I would love to diagram my serve receive but as I said I'm not 100% sure how we should be lining up at the net when we are serving so right now its a little trial and error. I'm blessed with some very talented girls but I never played volleyball myself so I can see the concept on paper but when i go to show them it doesn't always work. ( being able to visualize what is happening ) Right now I'm experimenting trying to find the right set up but hard to get the girls to be consistent when I'm not. At times when we are serving I have 4 people lined up in the front middle and this just doesn't seem right when i look at other teams.
The previous diagrams helped a lot for receiving serve. Do you now where i can find diagrams which show where everyone should be when your team is serving. I wish I was more comfortable with the game and if I could find a more qualified coach I would gladly give the team to him or her but for now the girls are stuck with me so I'll just have to do my best. We must be doing some things right as have done well in our tournaments so far but I feel we could be so much better. i also think part of the problem is I have a lot of players ( 15) and I'm trying to get them all playing so i have to shift positions at times.
AnswerHey man!
Welcome back! I'm glad that I haven't run you off!
THANK YOU for explaining the 6 sub rule. Wow.....14's with 6 subs......how do the EXPECT you go get play time for everyone? Do you have to play 6 new girls in the next set? wow.
When one of your players is serving, your girls can bunch up, stand close, stand far away from each other, etc. as long as they're in the 2-3-4-5-6 order that they're supposed to be in. Sure they can stand close to the net, then move to their positions as soon as the serve is touched. Many older teams stand as close together as possible so that as soon as the ball is touched, they can scurry to their base positions. I can draw this up for you, if your girls have specific positions such as OH, MB, S, etc.
However, many 14s teams don't do any switching. Is this your team? When a girl enters the front row (4# then she just stays there until she rotates, then the team rotates and she stays in the middle #3), then rotates over to the 2, then rotates to serve. If this is your team, then where to stand is easy!
OK, in the example you typed for me, can you put C in for A? Then A goes back in? Then D in for A? Then A goes back in? Before you say no, are you 100% sure?
Does this help any? Again, it's great to be in touch with you.
Chat anytime!
Coach Houser
