Every offense should be designed so that a team can get the ball as often as possible to its highest percentage hitter. What does that mean?

 

First of all, as coaches, we need to know what are our strengths and our opponent weaknesses. When we know that, next step is to exploit that by setting to our hitter that have highest attack percentage or setting to hitter that is matched up against opponent weakest blocker. This hitter then hits the ball into the zone that is least likely to be defended adequately by the opponent.

Second, hitters should share in the decision regarding which attack pattern to run in a particular situation. Hitters should share the play-calling responsibilities with the setter. Hitters are just as capable as the setters of synthesizing information and making calls.

And third, that offense, particularly transition offense, should be more adaptive to changing situations. An offense should be creative, flexible, and responsive to rapidly changing circumstances as they evolve during each rally. Thought must be given to creating an offense that permits diversity, deception, flexibility, and adaptiveness to enhance a team's scoring ability.

 

Key components in constructing an offense system

 

• The offense must be structured around the passing skills of the team. It is impossible to run a more complex or difficult offense than the passing skills allow.

• The offense must maximize the strengths of the individual players. Specialization is the most likely way to achieve this goal

• The choice of offense must take into consideration the skills of the setter on the team. The setter must be able to technically and mentally master the offense

 

Where should best athletes be?

 

This is question that will draw many different answers from coaches across the country. I believe that every coach have reason to say that setter should be best athlete, or that outside need to be your best athlete. Personally I believe that has to be outside hitter. I did a lot of research in past few years about team composition at NCAA Women D1 level and it shows that teams with best outside hitters have distinct advantage. Especially at mid level D1, where many teams are struggling with serve receive and organization of offense, having 2 very good outside hitters will make team much better. I have to say here that I do not like that this position is named “outside hitter” mainly because it really emphasis hitting, and not passing which should be first responsibility of a outside hitter. Pass first! That will create much more opportunities for team, but for that outside as well. Yes, we can face very often that opponents are serving at our outside hitter in front row, and on that way trying to limit offensive productivity of that player. But there are many ways to prevent that… One of which is – train your opposite to be good passer so that you can put that player in serve receive formation. At the end of this text I will write down some of my thoughts about specialization as well.

 

Tips for creating successful offense

 

• Design offense to deliver the ball to the best hitter the most

• Our offense must be flexible enough to adapt to different defenses.

• Teach hitters to be proficient at attacking a variety of sets.

• A major element in a successful offense is surprise. Give defense what they don’t expecting. Try hitting first or second balls if there is opportunity.

• Motion attracts blockers and can be used to open up a desired hitter. It is a good tactic to have more than one attacker approaching to distract the offense.

• Quick hitters should try to hit so that opposing middle blocker has to move. That will create more gaps

• Quick hitters should be in the air before bal is set

• Setters should jump set as much as possible.

• Hitters must get available

 

Transitioning

 

Transitioning means moving from one stage to another. In volleyball it means moving from offense to defense and from defense to offense. When referring to front row players it usually means from defense to offense. More specifically it is a set number of steps hitters use to move off the net (from a block) to prepare for approach and spike. This is most important way for players to get available, and it is major skill attacker need to develop. The more hitters are available, the more attacking options we will have.

 

The keys to transitioning are:

 

• Players should always turn toward the ball when transitioning

• Instruct players to keep the ball in sight the whole time it is on their side of the court, even as they transition

• The further back the pass is to the setter from the net, the further back the attacker should be

• The deeper in the court attacker is, the faster approach needs to be.

• Left side hitters need to angle out of the court, middles usually angles to the left and right side hitters stay about on the sideline.

• Keep steps low and quick and long. The higher the step, the slower is approach

 

 

Example: My previous volleyball team

 

Offensive System Foundations:

 

• Passing – The better we pass, the better our offense

• Quick hitters should try to hit so that the opposing MB has to move

• Quick hitters should try to be in the air as the ball is set (4th step set). We need to develop timing so that quick hitters are on their fourth step when the ball is in the setters hands. Combinations around the quick should be 2nd step sets. Back row sets should be 2nd step sets. Setters should jump set as much as possible and especially on all perfect passes

 

Team plays                                    Hand signal                                                          OH, MB, RS, BR

 

Play #1 – Regular                           Fist                                                                        Go, 1, C, Pipe

Play#2 – Double Quick                    Flashing 2                                                              Go, 1, A, Pipe

Play#3 – Left inside                         L                                                                            2 or 1, 3, C, Pipe

Play#4 – X                                      X                                                                           Go, Slide, 2

Play#5 – Stack Right                      Fist-left hand with slide sign right hand                   Go, Slide, A or 1, Pipe

Play#6 – Tandem                            Index finger and middle finger together                      2, 1,C  Go, 1, 2

 

Note the following:

 

• Go and Shoot while sets to the outside, don’t go completely to the pin. They typically fall 2 inside. The same goes for Slide, C and Pink on the right side

• 31, 21, 1 A, B and Slide are typically sets to the quick hitter, but can be set at various speeds (2nd step, 3rd step, 4th step)

• Pipe, Red In, red Out, Blue In, Blue Out are back row sets. Speed can vary

• The only non “fixed” sets are to the quick hitters typically in out of system plays. These sets are relative to where the setter receives the pass. These are “floating” sets where the hitter goes to the setter.

• WE CAN’T DO TACTICALLY WHAT WE CAN’T DO TEHNICALLY!

 

 

The Audible System

 

The next step in the evolution offensive tactics is to move past the above rigid interpretation of offense plays and use the concept of hitter options WITHIN designed plays. For example, the right outside attacker in play 2 above could have the option of hitting a 2-ball or 4-ball off the middle hitter's quick 1 attack. The right outside attacker's choice would depend upon the location of the opponent's middle and left side blockers. If the outside blocker is cheating inside to help the middle blocker stop the middle hitter's quick 1 attack, then the right outside hitter should call for a 4-ball at slot 5. If the outside blocker is lined up near the sideline and the middle blocker looks to commit to the middle hitter's quick attack, then the right outside hitter could call for a 2-ball at the 4 slot.

One necessary component in the execution of the option play is the audible call by the hitter. The hitter's read on the block and the option call must be made while the first pass is in flight to the setter. As explained above, only by the right outside hitter calling out 2 or 4 as the ball is being passed can the setter know which option to set.

The use of audibles creates offensive diversity in the transition game. The use of an audible call permits teams to execute a different attack pattern during each offensive series during long rallies.

Another by-product of the audible system, is the including of the hitters in the decision making process of who to set and what type of set to use. In the play oriented offense scheme, the setter determines the play and the hitters are locked into predetermined attack routes. With the audible system, the hitters take a greater responsibility for choosing their approach routes. The setter still has the ultimate responsibility of choosing which hitter to set. But the hitters, by being able to make reads and initiate audible calls, play a more decisive role in determining the overall configuration of the offense. Thus the task of deciding how to use the offense, how to select the correct offensive tactics to beat a particular opponent is a shared responsibility and not left for one person, the setter, to decide.

 

The Primary Hitter System

 

In each rotation, one hitter is designated as the primary hitter; another hitter is determined to be the secondary hitter and a third hitter is calling an outlet hitter.

The primary hitter should be the highest percentage hitter in that rotation. In this system the primary hitter triggers the offense by making the first call. Looking over the opponent's block and defense, the primary hitter decides which set would provide the best chance to score. The setter picks up the call and, if the first pass is in-system, sets the primary hitter in the desired location.

The secondary hitter in each rotation makes a call AFTER the primary hitter's call. The secondary hitter's call must be complimentary to the first call. "Complementary" in the sense that, together, both audibles are consistent with the principles of good offensive tactics. Good offensive tactics dictate that the offense should be able to keep the opponent from getting two blockers to the point of attack. The possibilities for complementary combinations are numerous. The main point in this system, the secondary hitter has the responsibility to make the next call complementary to the initial call of the primary hitter.

The outlet hitter is the last attack role in the primary hitter system. In each attack sequence, there must be an outlet, a high safety set, available to the setter in case of an out-of-system pass or breakdown in the development of the quicker options. The outlet hitter, normally the left outside hitter, receives a large number of sets during a match. It is not necessary for the outlet hitter to call a set. The outlet hitter is deployed in an outside attack position ready to approach and swing at a high set whenever it comes her way.

 

In serve-receive situations, the hitters make their calls using hand signals. During the dead-ball period before the serve, the setter glances first at the primary hitter to pick up the call. The secondary hitter, also reading the primary hitter's call decides on a complementary set and flashes the second signal to the setter. In transition situations, the plays are called using audibles. In any in-system transition situation, the primary hitter calls the set as the ball is being passed. The secondary hitter processes the first call and quickly audibles a complementary call.

In assigning roles in this system, the following applies. In three-hitter formations, the middle hitter for that rotation is assigned to the primary hitter role. The right-side hitter is the secondary hitter and the left-side hitter will attack the outlet set. In the two-hitter rotations, the middle hitter is the primary hitter. The outside hitter is the secondary hitter. The outlet duties are shared by the outside hitter and the back row hitters

Roles in this system can change during a match. If someone other than the player originally assigned to be primary hitter gets "hot," that player can be made the primary hitter and the setter can continue to set that player. The original primary hitter becomes the secondary hitter, and the system remains intact. The hitters have switched roles, but the concepts are the same.