Defense - Part 2

Articles In This Section:

· Defense - Part 1

· Defense - Part 2

· Defense - Part 3

· The Westside JCC Defense - Part 1

· The Westside JCC Defense - Part 2

· The Westside JCC Defense - Part 3

· The Westside JCC Defense - Part 4

· REFERENCES

The position of the players as described and diagramed in Figure #21 is most desirable, but many teams wish to use an alternate formation, placing the setter about two steps short of the net to receive the first pass, as shown in Figure #22. This pattern should be used only when the roundhouse or a similar serve is being used and when the setter is too slow to get in position after he sees the ball is not coming to him. Regardless of what the plan is in the form of a shift or change in position, the rule is to receive the service and then shift. A player should never move out of the way of a service and expect the back player to get it. Likewise, he should not begin shifting to his offensive spot until he sees the serve is going to another player. Moving out of the way of a serve or shifting too soon invariably causes the ball to be mishandled or even fall to the floor untouched.

The reason for lining up the receiving team as diagramed in Figures #21 and #22 is statistically sound. About 75 per cent of all services will land within one step of some player as they stand. About 15 per cent will go to the back of the players and about 10 per cent will land in front of the players. The players in the three back positions can take two or three steps backwards and play any ball that will land in the court. The same is also true for the front-line players.

The second basic principle is always to strive to receive the serve with the hands just about shoulder high or directly in front of the face. A few of the outstanding players make a practice of passing from chest level, but the safest method is from shoulder level or in front of the face. From this position one can move to recover a low ball or a high ball much faster and much more accurately than with the hands and arms hanging at the side.

In receiving a hard serve, the player should make every effort to get under the ball as fast as possible directly in line of its flight. The fingers should be well spread with the hands tilted back slightly. The hard serve will hence bounce off the hands without injury to the fingers or loss of control. Most hard serves are missed because players fail to move to the ball. They play the ball from an off-balance position, and a poor pass or thrown ball results. Body and court position is probably the most important single factor in defense.

The third basic principle is to take an active position as opposed to a passive or dead position. This is to say, be slightly on the toes, have spring in the legs and be ready to move in the direction of the ball the moment it is in flight. This does not mean that everyone goes for every service, but starting to move with the flight of the ball will enable one to play the ball more accurately.

This leads to the fourth basic principle in receiving the service, which is the principle of concentration. Each player should constantly keep his eyes on the ball, visualizing the play to be made should the ball come to him. In addition to constantly watching the ball, one should watch the position of his team mates and the position of the opposing team. Every player should constantly think that the next ball is coming to him and should keep in position to play the ball properly. This type of thinking and concentration comes with experience and diligent practice on the part of every man that plays this great game of volleyball.