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Team Blocking - Part 1

When three players are blocking, the center player blocks straight ahead. This means he is trying to have his hands parallel to the net in line with the probable direction of the spike. The players on either side angle in to keep the ball from deflecting off their hands and out of bounds. The total result is a concave barrier of six hands which attempts to intercept the spiked ball and, at the same time, keep it from skewing off to one side. These six hands must be close together to prevent a ball from going through.

There are several patterns for the three-man block. The better teams employ more than one pattern in a game, taking into consideration a player's blocking ability, height, ability to cover the court, and physical condition.

The standard method of nine or ten years ago consisted of front-line players blocking from their normal positions. The three players simply moved together at the point of spiking and executed a block. When setters learned to set over the head and to the side lines, this style of blocking became obsolete.

Teams soon found that by moving a back-line player to the net, they could usually get up a three-man block regard­less of the point of spiking. Variations of this plan are now used by all the leading teams.

The simplest is moving the center back to the front line between the center and right forwards. The center back be­comes the center of a three-man block to his right, and the right of a three-man block to the left side of the net. In this pattern the center forward and center back block constantly, while the left and right forwards block on their side of the net only.

The timing of the block is accomplished after the center back moves toward the net. He moves into position to the right of the center forward. Then these two men shift quickly to the right or left as the occasion demands.

First Move

Second Move

NET

Related terms include club volleyball and volleyball bikini.