Passing and setting the ball

25 min

From reception to attack in two touches

After a good reception, the second touch, usually an overhead pass called the set, places the ball where a team-mate can attack it. In sitting volleyball the setter cannot jump or step, so every set comes from the arms, the hands and the trunk, and the timing between setter and attacker matters even more than in the standing game. This lesson refines the overhead pass from a seated position, shows how the height of a set changes the time the defence has, and covers the rules that apply to the second touch under the World ParaVolley Official Sitting Volleyball Rules 2025–2028.

Definition

Overhead pass: playing the ball with the finger pads of both hands above the forehead, used for high, slow balls and for setting.

Set: the pass, usually the second team hit, that places the ball for an attacker.

Setter: the player whose main job is to set; usually placed at the net, right of centre.

High set: a set with a high, slow arc that gives the attacker time to prepare.

Quick set: a low, fast set that reaches the attacker before the blockers can move across.

Double contact: a fault in which a player touches the ball twice in succession, or the ball touches different parts of the body one after another, except at the team's first hit (Rule 9.3.4).

Technique of the seated overhead pass

Position: slide under the ball so it comes down just above your forehead; sit upright, facing the target.
Hands: hands up early, about a ball's width apart above the forehead, thumbs and index fingers forming a triangle (a "window") you can see the ball through; fingers spread and relaxed; elbows out.
Contact: play the ball on the pads of the fingers and thumbs, both hands at the same moment, with a short give as it arrives.
Push: extend the arms and wrists towards the target, adding a lift from the trunk.
Follow through: finish with the arms extended and the hands pointing at the target, then move to cover the attacker.

Rules on passing and setting (Rules 9, 13 and 14, summarised). The ball must be hit, not caught or thrown: a set that comes to rest in the hands is a catch. Apart from the team's first hit, two touches in succession by the same player, or the ball rolling from one hand to the other, is a double contact. The player must keep the part of the body between the buttocks and the shoulders on the court: setting while lifting the buttocks off the floor is a fault, except in a defensive action with the ball no higher than the top of the net. Each team has three hits; the block does not count as one.

Worked example

Worked example 1: how long does a set take? A seated setter plays the ball from 1.2 m to an attacker 3 m away who hits it at 1.35 m (illustrative heights). Take $g = 9.81\,\mathrm{m\,s^{-2}}$ .

High set, peak 2.2 m. Rising 1.0 m takes $t = \sqrt{\frac{2 \times 1.0}{9.81}} = 0.45\,\mathrm{s}$ ; falling from 2.2 m to 1.35 m (0.85 m) takes $\sqrt{\frac{2 \times 0.85}{9.81}} = 0.42\,\mathrm{s}$ . Total 0.87 s; horizontal speed $\frac{3}{0.87} = 3.5\,\mathrm{m\,s^{-1}}$ .
Quick set, peak 1.6 m. Rising 0.4 m: $\sqrt{\frac{0.8}{9.81}} = 0.29\,\mathrm{s}$ ; falling 0.25 m: $\sqrt{\frac{0.5}{9.81}} = 0.23\,\mathrm{s}$ . Total 0.51 s; horizontal speed $5.9\,\mathrm{m\,s^{-1}}$ .

If a blocker needs about 0.7 s to slide 1.5 m along the net (illustrative), the high set lets the block arrive in time and the quick set does not. The quick set is harder to execute, so beginners use high sets first and add quick sets as setter and attacker learn each other's timing.

Worked example

Worked example 2: whom should the setter choose? Over two matches (illustrative figures):

Attacker	Attacks	Points won	Errors	Efficiency $\frac{\text{points} - \text{errors}}{\text{attacks}}$
Uwera (left)	30	12	6	$\frac{12 - 6}{30} = 0.20$
Hirwa (middle)	15	8	2	$\frac{8 - 2}{15} = 0.40$
Ingabire (right)	20	7	5	$\frac{7 - 5}{20} = 0.10$

Hirwa, attacking quick sets in the middle, is the most efficient, yet she received the fewest sets. The setter should give her more balls, but not all of them: if every set goes to the middle, the blockers will wait there. Good setting balances efficiency with surprise.

Video: "USAV Para Skill Video Overhead Passing", USA Volleyball. As you watch, check the shape of the hands above the forehead, the contact on the finger pads and the follow-through to the target.

Tip

"Under it early, window up, push to the target." Slide under the ball, show the window of thumbs and fingers above your forehead, and push through to where you want it to go.

Warning

Common mistakes. Hands too low, so the ball is played from the chest. Stiff fingers that slap the ball. One hand touching before the other (double contact). Holding the ball in the hands (a catch). Lifting the buttocks to reach a set.

Safety. Warm up the fingers and wrists. Keep the fingers spread and relaxed to avoid jammed fingers; a jammed finger is cooled with a cold pack wrapped in cloth for no more than 10 minutes, and a deformed finger is not pulled straight. Players sit close together near the net: call for the ball so two players do not collide.

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Practice

Describe the hand position for a seated overhead pass.
Explain the difference between a high set and a quick set, and when each is used.
Calculate the time for a set that rises from 1.2 m to a peak of 1.8 m and falls to 1.35 m (g = 9.81 m s⁻²).
For question 3, the attacker is 2.5 m from the setter. Calculate the ball's horizontal speed.
A setter's second touch rolls from her right hand to her left. What is the ruling?
Why can't a seated setter add power by extending the legs, and what does she use instead?
An attacker wins 9 points with 3 errors from 20 attacks. Calculate her efficiency.
A setter always sets the attacker with the highest efficiency. Evaluate this strategy.

Show answersHide answers

Hands up early above the forehead, about a ball's width apart, thumbs and index fingers forming a triangle, fingers spread and relaxed, elbows out.
A high set has a high, slow arc and gives the attacker time; it suits beginners and balls from a poor reception. A quick set is low and fast and beats the blockers, but needs exact timing between setter and attacker.
Up 0.6 m: √(1.2 ÷ 9.81) = 0.35 s; down 0.45 m: √(0.9 ÷ 9.81) = 0.30 s; total 0.65 s.
2.5 ÷ 0.65 = 3.8 m s⁻¹.
A double contact (fault): on the second hit the ball may not touch different body parts in succession.
She must keep her buttocks on the floor and cannot stand, so the legs cannot push; she uses the arms, wrists and a lift of the trunk.
(9 − 3) ÷ 20 = 0.30.
Predictable. Blockers soon learn where the ball will go and wait there, and that attacker's efficiency will fall. The setter should favour efficient attackers while still using the others, to keep the block guessing.

Quick check

Where should the hands be for a seated overhead pass?

Remember

Overhead pass: under the ball early, window above the forehead, finger pads, push with arms and trunk, follow through.
No catching, no double contact on the second hit, and no lifting the buttocks while setting.
A high set (about 0.9 s) gives time; a quick set (about 0.5 s) beats the block but needs exact timing.
Set by efficiency, but keep the blockers guessing.

1From reception to attack in two touches

2Technique of the seated overhead pass

From reception to attack in two touches

Technique of the seated overhead pass