Coaching Tip: Tooling

Jim McLaughlin, University of Washington Head Women's Volleyball Coach

"Tooling" your shot can be quite useful and should be included in every hitters "bag of tricks." To "tool" a shot, the hitter should make contact on the side of the ball opposite of where they want to hit it. Once contact is made, the hitter hits partially into the block and then follows through with their hitting arm (usually out of bounds). If the shot is performed correctly, the ball bounces off the block and either out of bounds on the opponent's side or just inside the three-meter line.

Courtesy of "The Volleyball Coaching Bible," edited by Don Shondell and Cecile Reynaud.

Drill for Success: Block-Counterattack

Don Hardin, University of Illinois Head Women's Volleyball Coach

Purpose: To train players to block the opponents' serve-receive offense and, when unsuccessful, to transition off the net for offense

Setup: It's very important to train blocking with the distraction of transition offense. Serve-receive patterns are set up on one side of the court, opposite three blockers and a back-row setter (or one of the blockers can be the transition setter).

Execution: The serve-receive team is served, and the blockers attempt to stuff-block the opposing attackers. If the block is successful, blockers remain at the net, and another serve is immediately introduced. If the ball is attacked by the block, the coach immediately tosses a transition pass to the setter. This simulates a very fast dig and transition requirement for the blockers. The attackers on the other side attempt to block the counterattack of the blockers, but without digging so that the drill can be controlled (figure 5.21).

To provide goals for each blocking group, points may be scored. Two points are awarded for a stuff block. One point is awarded for a successful counterattack kill. If the block creates a deflection, resulting in a "free-ball" and then get a kill from the counterattack, two points may also be rewarded. However, if the deflection doesn't result in a successful counterattack, no points are scored. This promotes finishing the point. Ten points per blocking group is a suggested starting goal, before a new blocking group comes in.

Rules Trivia

By Marcia Alterman, NCAA Women's Rules Interpreter

FACT or FICTION? Team A attacks the ball, and it is headed out of bounds on Team B's side As she ducks to avoid the ball, a Team B player's pony tail is touched by the ball, which then lands out of bounds The officials should rule that the ball was touched by Team B.

FACT! NCAA Rule 14.1.2 states: "If the ball is clearly touched only by a player's hair, it is not considered a contact by that player". This ruling would be the same for NFHS rules.

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