Beginner teams improve fastest when practice is organized, reps are purposeful, and the game is simplified without being “dumbed down.” The goal isn’t perfection—it’s building enough control to play real volleyball quickly, then raising the demands.
Use this page to find plans, progressions, and beginner-friendly drills you can run right away.
Start here: the fastest path
If you only click one thing first, start here:
- 10 Beginner Volleyball Drills Every Coach Needs: https://coachingvb.com/10-beginner-volleyball-drills-every-coach-needs/
- Teach the Overhand Serve to Volleyball Beginners: https://coachingvb.com/teach-overhand-serve-volleyball-beginners/
- Getting Started with 13–14 Year Olds: https://coachingvb.com/getting-started-with-13-14-year-olds/
Step 1 — Set realistic priorities for the first two weeks
For most beginner groups, early progress comes from a short list:
- Serve in more often (and learn a repeatable routine)
- First contact up (platform control + movement)
- Simple setting solutions (even if it’s not “hands” yet)
- Free ball organization (getting three contacts when possible)
- Basic spacing and communication (avoid collisions and confusion)
Useful starting points:
- Training Plan: First Practice Back: https://coachingvb.com/training-plan-first-practice-back/
- A 1-Hour Practice Plan: https://coachingvb.com/a-1-hour-practice-plan/
Step 2 — Teach skills with progressions (not random reps)
Beginners need progressions that scale difficulty in small steps. A simple pattern:
- Control (can they do it at all?)
- Repeatability (can they do it 5–10 times?)
- Movement (can they do it while adjusting?)
- Pressure (can they do it while competing?)
Serving (early priority)
If you can’t run offense because you can’t start rallies, everything stalls.
Start here:
- Teach the Overhand Serve to Volleyball Beginners: https://coachingvb.com/teach-overhand-serve-volleyball-beginners/
Passing / first contact
You don’t need perfect passing—just enough control to keep rallies alive.
Start here:
- 10 Beginner Volleyball Drills Every Coach Needs: https://coachingvb.com/10-beginner-volleyball-drills-every-coach-needs/
Setting solutions for beginners
Even if you ultimately want hand setting, it often helps to start with “get it up and playable,” then refine.
Related (system choice matters for beginners):
- Best Offensive System for Young Players: https://coachingvb.com/best-offensive-system-for-young-players/
Step 3 — Use beginner-friendly games to create learning pressure
Games give you the “why” and create repetition without constant coach prompting. The key is choosing games where beginners can succeed often enough to learn.
Look for games that:
- Start the rally easily (coach toss, free ball, or controlled serve)
- Have simple scoring
- Keep most players active
- Reward the skill you’re teaching today
If you’re dealing with uneven ability levels:
- Handling Mixed Player Levels in Practices: https://coachingvb.com/handling-mixed-player-levels-in-practices/
Step 4 — Keep practices simple and repeatable
Beginners benefit from consistent structure. A default 90-minute template:
- 10 min: warm-up with ball (simple and fast)
- 20 min: today’s priority skill (progression)
- 20 min: second skill (short)
- 30 min: game that forces the priority skill
- 10 min: finish / reset / notes
If you’re short on time:
- A 1-Hour Practice Plan: https://coachingvb.com/a-1-hour-practice-plan/
Wave 1 pages coming next (links will be added here)
As these are published/refreshed, they’ll become the primary “Start here” links above:
- Beginner Practice Plan: First 2 Weeks (day-by-day options for 60/90/120 minutes)
- Teach the Overhand Serve (refreshed with a simple decision tree + error fixes)
- Beginner Drills by Objective (serve/pass/set/attack/defend + “how many players” variants)
FAQs
What should I prioritize first: passing or serving?
If your group can’t start rallies reliably, prioritize serving early. If rallies start but immediately end on first contact, prioritize passing. Many teams need both, but you’ll make faster progress by picking one “main priority” each practice.
Should beginners hand-set right away?
If they can do it with reasonable consistency, yes. If not, start with a playable second contact (controlled bump-set) so you can run three-contact volleyball sooner, then layer in hand-setting as they gain control.
How do I run practice when half the team is brand new and half has played before?
Use constraints that scale: give the experienced group harder targets (serve zones, movement, scoring handicaps) while beginners focus on basic control. See the mixed-level practices link above.
Back to Start Here: https://coachingvb.com/start-here/
