Volleyball
Ball-Control Practice
A compact 60-minute practice for keeping the ball playable and connecting controlled contacts with teammates.
Today's goals
- Control the ball upward and toward teammates.
- Communicate before contact.
- Build toward three organized touches.
Equipment checklist
- 1 volleyball per group
- 1 volleyball per pair
- Volleyballs
- Net
Run of show
Minute-by-minute plan
| Time | Activity | Purpose and cues |
|---|---|---|
| 0:005:00 | Ball-control warm-up5 min | Start touching the ball immediately. Control first. | Talk before contact. |
| 5:0017:00 | One-Ball Cooperative12 min | Keep a shared ball alive with control. Give your teammate time. | Stay balanced. |
| 17:0029:00 | Two-Touch Control12 min | Improve the first touch before sending the ball on. First touch up. | Second touch to a teammate. |
| 29:0039:00 | Window Setting10 min | Create a high, useful second contact. Window early. | Finish tall. |
| 39:0055:00 | Three-Contact Challenge16 min | Organize contacts in a game-like setting. First ball up. | Second ball helpful. | Third ball safely over. |
| 55:0060:00 | Three-contact recap5 min | Reinforce the purpose of each contact. Playable is progress. |
Courtside detail
How to run each block
Ball-control warm-up
5 minutes
- In pairs, alternate easy tosses, passes, and sets.
Say this: Control first. | Talk before contact.
One-Ball Cooperative
12 minutes
- Run the linked drill.
Say this: Give your teammate time. | Stay balanced.
Two-Touch Control
12 minutes
- Run the linked drill.
Say this: First touch up. | Second touch to a teammate.
Window Setting
10 minutes
- Run the linked drill.
Say this: Window early. | Finish tall.
Three-Contact Challenge
16 minutes
- Run small-sided games and award a bonus for three contacts.
Say this: First ball up. | Second ball helpful. | Third ball safely over.
Three-contact recap
5 minutes
- Have the team say what each of the three contacts should accomplish.
Say this: Playable is progress.
Coach throughout
- Favor cooperative goals before competition.
- Do not demand perfect technique at the expense of movement and communication.
- Give players a clear purpose for each contact.
Make it fit
- Allow one catch per rally for new players.
- For advanced groups, require directional third contacts.
- On half a court, run all cooperative drills across the width.
"Ball control means making the next touch easier. Our goal is not perfection-it is helping the team stay organized."