Defending exercises: blocking, digging and the perimeter defence

1Turning their attack into yours

When the opponents spike, your team has less than a second to react. A well-placed block either stops the ball dead or slows it so that your diggers can keep it up, and then your setter turns their attack into your counter-attack. In Senior 2 you met blocking and defensive systems; here you refine the techniques and rehearse them as a unit, with the libero, in game-like exercises.

2Blocking, step by step

1. Ready position: facing the net, about an arm's length away, knees bent, hands at shoulder height, palms forward.
2. Footwork: a slide step to move 1 m; a crossover step to move 2 to 3 m, finishing square to the net.
3. Timing: against a high outside set, jump just after the hitter does; against a quick attack, jump with the hitter.
4. Hands: fingers spread, thumbs up, arms straight. Reach over the net (penetrate) and angle the hands down into the opponents' court; keep the outside hand turned in so the ball is not tooled out.
5. The double block: the outside blocker sets the block on the line; the middle blocker closes beside her so there is no gap between their hands.

3Digging, step by step

1. Low and still as the hitter contacts the ball, weight on the balls of the feet.
2. Read the hitter's arm and shoulder to judge line or cross-court.
3. Get the platform under the ball and angle it towards the middle of your court, about 3 m off the net, not straight back over.
4. For a tip, run in and play the ball up with one or two hands.

Figure: perimeter defence against an attack from the opponents' left side, which is your right. Each defender stands on one of the attacker's likely shots.

4Rules that shape defence

• A team has three hits plus the block; the first hit after a block may be made by any player, including a blocker.
• Only front-row players may complete a block. Back-row players and the libero may not; blocking the serve is forbidden.
• Blockers may reach over the net, but not touch the ball before the opponents' attack hit.
• The libero plays only in the back row and replaces back-row players without it counting as a substitution. She may not serve, block or attack a ball that is completely above the net. If she sets with her fingers in the front zone, a teammate may not attack that ball above the net.

Rules as in the FIVB Official Volleyball Rules 2025–2028.

5Game-like exercises

• Block shuffle: pairs move along the net with slide and crossover steps, jumping together at each antenna.
• Dig the coach: the coach hits from a table on the other side; three diggers in positions 1, 6 and 5 dig to a target near the setter.
• Six against six "wash": a team must win the first rally from a served ball and then a second from a free ball to score one point.