Top 166 Drills From Around the World

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

1. Volleyball
2. Volleyball
3. Volleyball
4. Volleyball
5. Monarch of the court
6. Volleyball
7. Volleyball
8. Volleyball
9. Volleyball
10. Volleyball
11. Volleyball
12. Volleyball
13. Volleyball
14. Volleyball
15. Volleyball
16. Volleyball
17. Volleyball
18. Volleyball
19. Volleyball
20. Scored like football
21. Volleyball
22. Volleyball
23. Volleyball
24. Volleyball
25. Scored like softball
26. Volleyball
27. Volleyball
28. Volleyball
29. Volleyball
30. Scored even wash
31. Volleyball
32. Volleyball
33. Volleyball
34. Volleyball
35. Volleyball
36. Volleyball
37. Volleyball
38. Volleyball
39. Volleyball
40. Volleyball
41. Scored 3-2 wash
42. Volleyball
43. Volleyball
44. Volleyball
45. Volleyball
46. 6vs3
47. Volleyball
48. Volleyball
49. Volleyball
50. Volleyball
51. Volleyball
52. Volleyball
53. Volleyball
54. Volleyball
55. Volleyball
56. Volleyball
57. Volleyball
58. Started by scored pull out of a hat
59. Volleyball
60. Volleyball
61. Sitting volleyball
62. Volleyball
63. Volleyball
64. Frying pan scoring
65. Volleyball
66. Volleyball
67. Volleyball
68. Volleyball
69. Volleyball
70. With a golden ball worth doubles points
71. Volleyball
72. Volleyball
73. 6vs1
74. Volleyball
75. Volleyball
76. Volleyball
77. Golf serving
78. Volleyball
79. Volleyball
80. Volleyball
81. Volleyball
82. Volleyball
83. Scored bucket of balls
84. Volleyball
85. Volleyball
86. Volleyball
87. Volleyball
88. Scored by hoops
89. Volleyball
90. Volleyball
91. Volleyball
92. Volleyball
93. Volleyball
94. Volleyball
95. Volleyball
96. Volleyball
97. Volleyball
98. Volleyball
99. Four group passing triplets scored by passers vs servers
100. Volleyball
101. Volleyball
102. Volleyball
103. Volleyball
104. Volleyball
105. Volleyball
106. Volleyball
107. Volleyball
108. Volleyball
109. Doubles on sand
110. Volleyball
111. Volleyball
112. M&M chair target
113. Volleyball
114. Volleyball
115. Volleyball
116. Volleyball
117. Volleyball
118. One-minute serving
119. Volleyball
120. Volleyball
121. Volleyball
122. Volleyball
123. Volleyball
124. One-minute serving to hit a flat target, the coach
125. Volleyball
126. Reverse coed six person
127. Volleyball
128. Volleyball
129. Volleyball
130. Volleyball
131. Volleyball
132. Volleyball
133. Volleyball
134. Volleyball
135. 4vs4 deep court exchange
136. Volleyball
137. Volleyball
138. Volleyball
139. Volleyball
140. Volleyball
141. Volleyball
142. Sibling doubles
143. Volleyball
144. Volleyball
145. Mother/daughter volleyball
146. Volleyball
147. Volleyball
148. Triples on any service
149. Volleyball
150. Front back spiking off pass at 3-meter line
151. Volleyball
152. Volleyball
153. Volleyball
154. Corner to corner alternating four-person pepper
155. Volleyball
156. Volleyball
157. Reverse coed doubles
158. Volleyball
159. Volleyball
160. Volleyball
161. Father/daughter doubles
162. Volleyball
163. Volleyball
164. Volleyball
165. Father/son; mother/son doubles
166. 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.