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The "Three and Three" (three spikers and three setters in alternate position in the lineup)

X—Spiker; O—Setter;

Path of player;-------- > Path of set

Figure #8 shows the setter in the center forward position and the spiker at left forward. Figure #9 shows the setter at right forward and the spiker at center forward. The center back is generally used as the recovery man for blocked spikes. As shown in the diagram, he drifts in behind the spiker and anticipates the probable line of a blocked ball from the direction of the spike and position of the blockers. The setter, the other front-line player, and the spiker himself are also ready to recover a possible blocked ball. Some teams use the left back rather than the center back as the recovery man when the spiker is at the left front position.

In the pure "Three and Three" with the setter at center forward, his spiker at left forward receives every set even though another spiker is at right forward. When rotation places the setter at right forward he invariably sets to his spiker at center forward.

Until the late forties this system was used almost exclu­sively. It seems the most natural way to line up a volleyball team, and it offers some advantages that the most complicated, modern systems cannot match. The lineup contains three offensive units within a team. These setter-spiker units can work together until they know each other's every reaction and mannerism. The spiker has to learn to hit only the sets of his own setter, and the setter can concentrate on keeping only one spiker happy. The two men can spend hours to­gether in perfecting their teamwork.

The only variation in the pure "Three and Three" system occurs when a left-handed spiker appears in the lineup. He spikes from center forward and right forward positions but otherwise does not alter the pattern of one spiker active at the net. Very effective deception can be achieved in the "Three and Three" pattern by assigning a right-handed setter who can spike to work with a left-handed spiker who can set.

By 1948 rule changes permitted switching court positions after the serve, and several variations of the "Three and Three" began to arise. Strong spikers were switched from right forward to center forward to give them more oppor­tunities to spike. Soon it was discovered that when this switch was made, the inactive spiker at left forward could be used to advantage when the blockers concentrated on the power hitter. Then some spikers became adept at hitting from the right forward position, and the setter at center forward learned to set forward or backward to either spiker at the net. When the 1949 rules permitted three blockers, some or all of the above variations became a necessity, and every good spiker had to learn to hit from the right forward posi­tion. Further liberalization of the rules to allow unlimited blocking had practically eliminated the "Three and Three" system from use by the nation's top teams.

Mexican teams use a variation of the "Three and Three," but their fast style of play is completely different from ours. They use a very low, very quick set with the spiker in motion running parallel to the net and jumping off one foot to hit the ball almost as it leaves the setter's hands. They some­times use the right forward spiker as a setter who sets to the center forward setter or to the left forward spiker for varia­tion. They also have the right forward setter set to the center forward spiker or the left forward setter in the same pattern. This system demands skill in both setting and spiking by every player in the lineup.

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