The Volleyball Block:
Improve Defensive Skills With Tips on Blocking

Improve your volleyball block and front row defensive skills by focusing on good footwork movement along the net and great body control when blocking. 

Knowing how to put up an effective volleyball block will keep the opposing team from scoring points from their front row while they are on offense.(Matt Pendleton photo)

The block is your squad's first line of defense against an opposing team’s outside hitters or any attack hits by their players in the middle blocker position.

The block in volleyball is one of the most dynamic and most exciting parts of this crazy game we love to play.

The volleyball block is your squad's first line of defense against an opposing team’s outside hitters or any attack hits by their players in the middle blocker position. (Matt Van Winkle)

After serving every front row player on your team should be focused on keeping your opponent from spiking the ball down onto your court's floor. (Ralph Aversen)

At the beginning of a rally, after the whistle blows and your team serves the ball into the opposing team's court, every front row player on your team should be focused on keeping your opponent from spiking the ball down onto your court's floor.

Watch what "BSBH" means! 

Once the ball hits the floor or hits a blocker's hands and goes out of bounds, that's a point for the opposing team, and you don't want that to happen.

Knowing how to put up an effective volleyball block will keep the opposing team from scoring points from their front row while they are on offense.

Florida Gators Volleyball block (Matt Pendleton Photo)

At the beginning of a rally, if your team is on defense, after the referee blows their whistle and your team serves the ball into the other team's court, the players in zone 2, zone 3 and zone 4 on your side should be laser focused on keeping your opponent from spiking the ball across the net and into your court.

In order to do that the front row players need to start by checking their upper and lower body blocking ready position so that they can be as efficient and as fast as they can.

So that when they move along the net also known as moving laterally, which means from side-to-side along the net before jumping to block a ball their opponent is trying to hit, they are in a well balanced position to stop the ball.

Before jumping to block a ball their opponent is trying to hit, blockers should be in a well balanced position to stop the ball.

As a blocker, you need to position yourself in a way to create a barrier using your arms and hands to deflect any hit or spike attempts from an opposing team's spiker back into their court.

Volleyball Block: You need to position yourself to create a barrier using your arms and hands to deflect any hit or spike attempts from an opposing spiker back into their court. (Aversen)

You are in fact trying to make yourself into a human wall, and that wall should prevent an outside hitter or middle hitter or back row attacker from the team on the other side of the net from hitting the ball onto your side of the court.

As a blocker you want to start in a balanced position with your feet so that they are parallel to each other. (Ralph Aversen)

As always when I coach volleyball skills to players, I like to start at the bottom, with what you're supposed to do with your feet.

What should your feet be doing and where should they be positioned?

• You want to start in a balanced position with your feet so that they are parallel to each other.

• They should be perpendicular to the net so that you can maintain a balanced position that will allow you to move quickly to your right, to your left or backwards off the net to get back in defense or to transition so you can begin your spike approach if necessary.

You want to be in a position to be able to move laterally along the net quickly, which means your knees should be in a slight squat.

This is also called a "loaded" position. 

You want to be in a position to be able to move laterally along the net quickly, which means your knees should be in a slight squat.

The ideal position for your lower body is to have your hips, midsection and upper body “squared to the net.”

When you hear the phrase squared to the net, it means that your body is completely parallel to the net. When all parts of your body are facing the net then your body is squared up to the net.

Thanks for visiting. Be sure to check out more of my volleyball passing articles by clicking one of the links below! (April Chapple)

Follow me on Instagram @coach_apchap to improve your game even faster!

I share alot of individual, partner and easy-to-do volleyball serving drills we do in class with my followers.

Many of these volleyball practice drills you can do at home by yourself or try at your next practice with your teammates.

If you're a B team or JV player trying to make varsity next year...your goal should be to complete 1000 reps a day of at least three of the basic skills on your own...volleyball passing, serving and setting should be at the top of the list. 

ShareFacebookXPinterestTumblrRedditWhatsApp