Game: Switch & Slide – Coaching Volleyball

Synopsis: This is a variation on Flip-Switch with a competitive element added

Age/Skill Level: This is an exercise for intermediate and advanced levels.

Requirements: 6 players, full-court, balls.

Execution: Divide the players into 2 pairs of passers and a pair of servers and add in a target. Servers are on one side, passers the other. One pair of passers starts on the court in positions 5 and 6. One of the servers serves. The passers pass, then one of the following happens.

• If the pass is a 3-pass, the passers slide over to 1-6, keeping their same relative positions (i.e. 5 goes to 6, 6 goes to 1).
• If it’s a 2-pass, the passes flip positions (5 to 6, 6 to 5)
• If the pass is a 1 or an Ace/Overpass, the passers go off and the pair waiting takes their place.

Repeat with the servers alternating for 5 minutes. Each 3-pass is a point for the passing pair.

Rotate the pairs and repeat such that each pair passes twice and serves once. The winning pair has the highest total score.

Variations:

• You can vary the time of the rounds, or define a certain number of good (over and in) serves to ensure all rounds are evenly distributed.
• If you just want to focus on your primary passers, you can just do one round rather than multiple and have non-passers serve and target.
• You can also count 2-passes as points and/or give the serving team points for Aces/Overpasses.

Additional Comments:

• Having servers going from multiple locations along the end line creates a variety of angles for the passers, and thus differing sets of seam responsibilities.
• You can run two sets of this on the same court going in opposite directions.
• You can run this as a drill with no scoring if you like.