Synopsis: This is a game which offers the benefit of working on back court attacks and defense against them in game-like fashion with a cooperative element which focuses on control and a competitive aspect which brings in going for points.
Age/Skill Level: This game is suitable for intermediate to advanced players.
Requirements: 6+ players, 1 ball, court
Execution: This game is based on The Hard Drill. Each play begins with a cooperative back court exchange which goes for 3 good pass-set-hit sequences. Once that number has been reached the rally becomes competitive with the teams now going for the kill. The winning team gets a point and a new play begins. Play a game to a number of points which fits the allocated time in your practice plan.
Variations:
- For a wash scoring variation you could make the winner of the rally have to serve for point.
- You can vary the number of good pass-set-hit sequences required base on the level of your team and/or if you want to play for a larger or smaller number of points.
- This can be played with either 3 or 4 people on the court per side, though from a competitive perspective probably is best suited for 4-person teams.
Additional Comments:
- One thing to think about in how you run this drill is how to arrange the players if you’re going to have 4 people on the court with one at the net. Normally in The Hard Drill you would have that person be just the setter. By introducing the competitive element with this game, though, blocking becomes a consideration. As a result, you may want to use middle blockers at the net, which allows them to work on blocking the back row attack and also to work on taking the second ball.
- Obviously, it make sense to first introduce The Hard Drill.
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