Volleyball Game Situation
Senior 3 · Physical Education
Volleyball Game Situation
Lesson 1 of 3
25 min
The serve is the only skill in volleyball that you perform with the ball completely in your control, and in rally-point scoring every serve that goes into the net hands a point to the other team. A tough, accurate serve also wrecks the opponents' first pass, so their attack becomes predictable. In Senior 2 you learned to set and spike and to use attacking systems; in this lesson you refine the serve as a weapon and the spike as a choice of shots, and practise them in game-like drills.
Definition
Attack hit: every action that sends the ball towards the opponents, except a serve or a block.
Kill: an attack that wins the point directly. Tip: a soft attack pushed with the fingertips just over or round the block.
Tool (block-out): an attack hit deliberately off the blockers' hands so that it lands out; the point goes to the attackers.
Quick attack: a fast, low set to a middle hitter who is already in the air as the ball arrives.
Back-row attack: an attack by a back-row player who takes off from behind the attack line.
| Serve | How | Why it is hard to pass |
|---|---|---|
| Float | Toss low in front of the hitting shoulder; hit the centre of the ball with a firm, flat hand and stop the arm, with no wrist snap | No spin, so the ball wobbles and drops unpredictably |
| Topspin | Toss higher; hit the lower back of the ball and snap the wrist over the top | Spins forward and dives steeply |
| Jump float | Short approach and jump, then a float contact at the top of the jump | Higher contact, flatter path, still wobbles |
Where to serve: into the seam between two passers, at a weak passer, at a player who has just come on, deep into zones 1 and 5, or short in front of the passers. The server must hit the ball within 8 seconds of the first referee's whistle (FIVB Official Volleyball Rules 2025–2028).
Figure: attacking options. The middle's quick attack (from 3) makes the opposing middle blocker jump, so the outside hitter in 4 often faces only one blocker. The back-row player in 6 attacks legally because she takes off behind the attack line.
A team that runs a quick attack in the middle and a high ball on the outside at the same time forces the opposing blockers to choose. A back-row player may attack the ball above the net only if, at take-off, her feet have neither touched nor crossed the attack line; she may land in front of it.
Video: "How To JUMP FLOAT SERVE | Fundamentals & Variations", Elevate Yourself. Watch the toss, the short approach and the firm, stopped hand that keeps the ball from spinning.
Worked example
Worked example: attack efficiency. Coaches judge a hitter by attack efficiency, also called hitting percentage:
Errors include hits out, into the net and blocked for a point. Uwase attacks 30 times: 12 kills, 4 errors, 2 blocked.
Gatete attacks 20 times: 9 kills, 7 errors (including blocks): . Gatete has more kills per attempt, but Uwase is the more effective hitter because she gives away far fewer points.
Tip
See the block, then hit. In the air, glance at the blockers' hands. Hit away from them, off them, or over them with a tip, but never straight into the middle of them.
Warning
Common mistakes and safety. Serving hard but into the net: at school level aim for 9 serves in out of 10 before adding power. Landing on a teammate's or opponent's foot under the net is the commonest volleyball injury, so jump straight up and land on both feet on your own side. Keep balls off the court during hitting drills.
Practice
Remember
Sources and credits
This lesson adapts CC BY-SA material and is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
