Every coach asks for new drills to make their kids better, searching the web, attending clinics and by reading drill books. After decades of coaching, creating and collecting, here is a list of the top 166 drills.
Since basically you want to play the game of volleyball, part of the way to provide the fun and variety for practice needed to emphasize an area of the game, focus on improving weaknesses and such, is to simply change the scoring. Here then is my list of scoring variations I have come up with over the last 30 years. There are many other variations of wash and X/Y scoring you can come up with, so get creative!
The research is clear that the game teaches the game, few drills teach the game. Gamelike training is the BEST way to get the skills in practice to transfer to the matches you will play. The idea is to increase the opportunities to respond, those chances for the players to TOUCH the ball, not watch someone touch it. Of course, the kids want to play, but this does not mean that you will stop teaching proper technique or skill performance as they play. Indeed, too often kids can perform with the technique you seek in a non-game like drill, but not in the game. Players must perform the skills in competition, in the games you develop, not in drills. This teaching games for understanding skills is used for kids in their first experiences of the sport, and by the USA national teams.
Scoring and Game Ideas (PDF)
Top 166 Drills
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Monarch of the court
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Scored like football
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Scored like softball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Scored even wash
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Scored 3-2 wash
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- 6vs3
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Started by scored pull out of a hat
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Sitting volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Frying pan scoring
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- With a golden ball worth doubles points
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- 6vs1
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Golf serving
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Scored bucket of balls
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Scored by hoops
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Four group passing triplets scored by passers vs servers
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Doubles on sand
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- M&M chair target
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- One-minute serving
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- One-minute serving to hit a flat target, the coach
- Volleyball
- Reverse coed six person
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- 4vs4 deep court exchange
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Sibling doubles
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Mother/daughter volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Triples on any service
- Volleyball
- Front back spiking off pass at 3-meter line
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Corner to corner alternating four-person pepper
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Reverse coed doubles
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Father/daughter doubles
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Volleyball
- Father/son; mother/son doubles
- VOLLEYBALL
I will share a classic example of “always teaching” as they play volleyball games in practice. Most coaches want their right and left back row players to go from a “base” position, waiting for first ball over then the setter dump shot on two, to a deeper/more perimeter position before the third contact/spike. This base to back to base forward and backward movement is expect in EVERY rally as the team goes from offense to defense. Yet in drills, like pepper, this movement is not emphasized. Moreover, in the game of Monarch of the court, where it is the game, this base to back movement, and return, is again NOT emphasized. Get them to move in the games as you want them to, or else stop complaining when they don’t in the game, for you get what you teach/emphasize. At the same time, you should be teaching them to read/anticipate by sharing with them “why you knew that would happen” moments, and “where would a better place to put the ball have been” questions. Help them learn what you know, for it is not what you know that matters in the match, it is what your players know.