Chesapeake Region Volleyball Beach High Performance Program Beach Coaching Training Guide This document was based on USAV Beach-HP, BCAP, and National Team Training and will be used to standardize beach volleyball training across the region. Produced By: Irv Rodrigues Cameron Rodrigues Hudson Bates Copyright Chesapeake Region 2017
The Methodology s Core Principles include:... 3 Aggressive Play... 3 Additional Terms... 4 Principles of Offense... 5 Setting... 6 Communication... 8 On Defense... 10
Chesapeake Region Beach High Performance Program: Beach Coaching Training Guide Background: The highly optimized systems USAV has selected are based on extensive research and methodologies. These systems are utilized by the Team USA Olympic coaches, professional athletes, and collegiate training programs. As new training methods are found to be successful, USAV s High Performance Program will continue to update and optimize its training for the development of the USA Olympic pipeline. Objective: The Chesapeake Region Beach High Performance Program is aligned with the USAV National Beach-HP program which trains National team athletes. The region chose to align with the Beach-HP national program to ensure quality training, consistent systems, and similar terminology for all HP regional coaches and athletes. Purpose: The purpose of this document is to provide our region s coaches with a guidebook to be used in conjunction with CHRVA s other coaching resources. Overview: The CHRVA Beach Coach s User Guide will introduce coaches to the terminology used in the optimized systems USA Volleyball has selected for National Team beach player development. This document is focused on the beach / outdoor game. It assumes coaches already have standard beach volleyball knowledge and can coach fundamental skills and mechanics. If a beach program s coaches need to cater to young or novice players, it will be expected for coaches to make adjustments to incorporate fundamental skills and concepts. The Methodology s Core Principles include: Aggressive Play Aggressive play is important for all aspects of the beach game. To compete at the national level, athletes must have the mentality to win every point and make every play. Aggressive play is critical to force opponents out of system and control the court. This mindset allows for players to push their limits and improve their game. Aggressive play must adjust and persist through all weather and competitive conditions that may occur. Quick, Explosive Transitional Movements A fast and intelligent defense is the key to success; it does not allow opponents the opportunity to read the movement and adjust their offense. Timing is critical for an effective defense that is able to pick up a variety of shots. It is important for players to have their feet set before contact, allowing them to be in a ready position to react.
Hit-First Mentality (establish the hit then shoot) We want to train players who are able to play aggressively with confidence. Establishing a hit-first mentality forces defenses to respect the hitters and draw a block. Drawing the block opens up offensive options. Serve aggressively Serving is the first opportunity to force opponents out of system. Using the serve as a weapon limits an opponent s ability to attack and their shot options. Placement of serves can throw a player from their rhythm, test opponent's communication, their ability to pass hard-driven balls, or prevent opponents from running certain plays including the option (hit on 2). The goal is to keep opponents out of system When a point cannot easily be scored, keeping opponents out-of-system allows for another chance to score. It s difficult to score at every opportunity, so keeping opponents out-of-system prevents them from attacking and may force errors. Ball placement, strategy and controlling the pace of the game can force a team to fall out-of-system. Additional Terms Apex Defined as the top of the curve of a set or pass. A forward-pass with a good apex is always a setter s preference. The apex of a set is used to time the defenders movement while the hitter has to take eyes of the court to track the ball. Shoot the gun or thumb in the pie ( Thumbs up or Thumbs down ) When hitting a ball, the hitter can show the angle of their arm-swing and redirect the ball at the last second using a flip of wrist with the thumb up or down to alter the angle of the shot. 3-Step Read Vision is key to the doubles game. A player should take at least 3 looks when attacking: 1. After the pass- look through net while transitioning to approach 2. After the set- start the approach and look through net on the first step 3. The setter provides the last read and communicates the best open shot to the hitter while they are looking up at the ball 4-Step Read - This is traditionally used by more advanced players and requires a higher set so the hitter has more time to make reads and view defensive positions before hitting. 1. Pass and read the defense 2. Transition to the hit-approach base position and read the defense 3. Start the approach to hit, swing arms back, then and read before the jump 4. The setter provides the last read and communicates the best open shot to the hitter while they are looking up at the ball. Top hitters may have enough hang-time to make the last read while in the air to find a clear shot.
When in a fiddle, go deep middle -Deep middle serves will test the opponent s communication and opponents will often make the most receive errors down the middle. Deep middle shots during volleys may also force opponents to make errors. Principles of Offense Shot Selection (line, middle, cross, cut, high-line, jumbo cross, short line) It s always good to be proficient with a variety of shots and be unpredictable. If opponents are able to detect tendencies, defenses will take away any preferences. An athlete should be able to accurately hit shots from both the left and right side, as well as have a variety of shots from off the net. Select area to hit from Pick an area to hit from which provides your team offensive options that best take advantage of an opponent s defense. Key considerations include where the hitter is on the court, the angles of approach available to them, and a location from which the hitter has the most options to get a kill. Pass Forward A player s goal should be to always pass forward so the setter can easily provide the hitter a good set. Passing forward with a controlled spin can also negate or minimize the influence of wind affecting the pass, and subsequently the set. The passer should: pass on the half of the court which they are on, any environmental conditions, and take into account where their partner is and where they would like to hit from. Wind / Environmental Adjustment - Coaches should cover mechanical variances for various wind directions including footwork, passing, setting, blocking, and serving. It s also important for players to use the environmental conditions as offensive tools. Topspin is more effective into the wind while adding backspin to passes helps them reach their intended target. Players can play more aggressively into the wind but may need a more arc to prevent the ball diving into the net. The sun can also be used as an offensive weapon. Servers can force opponents to look into the sun to receive serves. Sky-ball serves or free balls are an effective way to use the sun and wind. It s also important for players to be trained to remember to adjust their serves and hitting into the wind, and adjust when serving or hitting with the wind. Serving and hitting angles may need adjustment with side winds. Sidespins can be added during wind as an offensive tool and advantage. Blocking patterns can also be adjusted to account for wind. POH & Adjustment (footwork) The Point of Hesitation (POH) allows the setter to adjust to the pass. Therefore, if the pass trajectory is not toward the intended target, the setter can more easily adjust to the location from which they have to set. Being in motion allows for quicker changes in direction that way a player has time to move their feet to square with the target of the set. The goal is for the setter to have their feet set and balanced, so the ball can be set forward to the target. Middle attack - vs - Pin attack Current players prefer attacking from the middle so the back defender can only cover one side. A cut shot is also almost always available. Pin setting allows for more angles for hard driven attacks, while also opening up line shots.
Option (over on 2) The option is a great play allowing the team s primary hitter to attack a good pass on the second contact rather than set the shorter player. The option can be used to catch opponents off-guard, in transition, or to allow the team s best offensive player to hit. The option is used often in co-ed events. To best execute the option, the pass must be high with a great apex tight on the net. Tall players with good verticals can hit from off the net making it more difficult to block. Bump-Dump This is a great play for a setter to use. Lining up like they plan to bump-set, the player bumps over to an open spot as an option to catch opponents off guard or in transition. Bump-Kill The bump kill is best used to direct an over pass to find open court when opponents are down or out of position. This play is best to run on the first touch. The bump kill to deep corners or deep middle is also more effective than a free ball over in a broken play. Square-shoulders over-set or back, over-set Shoulders must be square with any over-set or set-dump. Three plays can be run from a setter s stance with minor differences in foot positioning (i.e. A traditional set, an over-set, or a back, over-set. Setting In the beach/outdoor game, the environment may come into play. Changes include passing lower (but with apex) and taking the set closer to the 10 line in the middle verses tight to the net. This offers the setter a shorter release and the ability to adjust to winds affecting the pass. Most importantly, passing off and in the middle provides the setter an angular target towards the net which allows better vision of the opponents and their movements. Passes that are too tight can drift over due to wind and offer opponents an easy block or offensive play. Break to POH The player that does not receive the first ball becomes the setter and should initiate releasing forward as soon as possible. However, rather than going directly to the net, the should stow down at the POH to evaluate where the pass will go based off the passer s body language, then adjust their path to make a direct line to where the ball is passed. This process allows setters to adjust to a less than perfect pass. Stay behind the ball The setter should move their feet to get around the ball to face the target of the set. Shoulders and hips should face the desired direction of the set. The foot closer to the net should be the lead foot for better directional control (helps minimize the ball drifting over the net). Be long on the ball - Setting should be one continuous upward motion. Unlike indoor volleyball which uses quick hands and a quick release, beach sets should be slow, deliberate, and use an upward extension of the arms to maintain better ball control even in windy conditions. Beach sets should derive all of their power and direction from the legs.
Bump sets should have some forward spin Balls with forward spin are less affected by the wind. Hand sets must be one continuous upward motion with minimal spin. The rules are changing to be less strict on doubling the set but emphasizing quicker release. Give calls as soon as possible The setter should call hands or setter up as they release to POH, so they confirm readiness to set. The setter also provides the hitter a final read while the hitter jumps to hit the ball. Down and ready to cover Immediately after giving a call, the setter should be in the ready position to cover for any blocked balls (if applicable). After the ball crosses the plane, the defender must get back to base ASAP to be ready to defend the next play. If the setter stays up, too much court is left open for an opponent bump dump or other deep, first/second ball.
Communication To be successful, teams need to give clear commands that provide executable information. There should be some form of communication between partners before and after each touch. Serve-receive Communication Protocol: 1. Before serve: who has middle or call 2. On serve: receiver calls mine or indicates they will receive 3. On pass: set s up as setter breaks up to POH, evaluates pass and adjusts to set ball 4. On set: hitter and setter read defensive scheme, then at apex call the preferred shot or signal to hitter what the defense/block is Serving-side Communication Protocol: 1. Before serve: blocker starts at net or defender in the backcourt to give hand-signals: a. Whom to serve b. Defense/blocking scheme c. Server acknowledges scheme or requests an alternative 2. After serve: Defender approaches POI and communicates readiness to make defensive movement at apex 3. Before/at set: communicate any adjustments needed on block or defense 4. At hit: call any reads made on hitter 5. After hit: communicate play if taken out of system Rally Defense Communication 1. Blocker: Hand-signals blocking scheme 2. Defender: Confirms reading the blocking scheme 3. For split blocking pairs: communicate and confirm who is blocking Team Communication Partners should talk strategy between plays as much as possible Positive encouragement is necessary no matter the outcome of last play Players should always be asking how they could better the set/pass for partner Remember it is a partnership, so there is always something to improve as a team If unsuccessful, talk about how you ll fix it next time Block-Pull Defensive System Under the Block-Pull Defensive System, pairing is optimized with a tall player assigned the task of being the primary blocker and a fast defender assuming the role of defending the backcourt. The system allows the blocker to aggressively play over-passes and block against faster offenses. The defender starts in the middle back of the court, the point of intersection (POI), then breaks into the defensive position based on their team block signal. The defensive move must be a quick burst from the POI to the defensive position at the time the ball is at the set s apex when the hitter has to look up to track the ball. The defender must then make a read based on their opponent s set and hitter s body language. The defender s read must make the
decision to cover a high-line or hard angle on a line block, or the high-angle or hard line on an angle block. Primary Defensive Goal (40-40-10-10) - Under the Block-Pull Defensive System, each player has a responsibility to cover 40% of the court. The Blocker is expected to cover the 40% of the court which they are blocking and the area directly around him or her; the Defender covers an additional 40% of the court opposite of the blocker. For example, the blocker blocks the line covering 40%, and the defender covers 40% of the cross: the system challenges a hitter to hit a cut shot within a 10% segment of the court or a high-line shot within 10% of the sideline and deep corner. Transitional Movements (pulling footwork: open-cross-step-hop) The transitional pull movement is similar to the indoor transition movement between blocking and the approach jump to hit. In both cases, starting at the block position at the net, the player steps to open toward the court, and then uses a cross-step, and hop to align footwork to a defensive stance. During the movement, the player must keep their hands in a ready position and continue to look towards the net, maintaining visibility to what the opponent may be doing. Hand based communication (1=line, 2=cross) - Traditional hand-signals use a (1) or (2) to indicate what the block alignment is for the next block. Additional signals are used to target whom you may want to serve, if the blocker intends to pull on one or both sides, etc. Players can add to or adjust their signaling to enhance communication. Blocking The block-pull system has the blocker start in the middle near the net. Some more advanced players start their opened block stance a step off of the net to best handle dumps/options or to help speed their pull transition to a deeper spot on the court for better coverage. The blocker must maintain an open stance to the court to quicken their pull and place the blocker in the best position for defense. To conceal the pull, a blocker should initiate the pull when the set reaches its apex. The blocker can optimize blocking alignment by using a shuffle for shorter movements along the net, or a cross-step-run and close for a longer movement out to the pins. The blocker then must front their hitter, lining up on their shoulders/arm to take away the part of the court they called. Block timing (waiting longer than indoor) Beach block timing may seem delayed when compared to indoor timing. Since hitters attack from further off the net, the blocker needs to time themselves to be on their way up when the ball is crossing the plane of the net. If the block goes up early, it is easier for hitters to read what is being blocked and adjust their attack accordingly. Some blockers exaggerate their jump by starting with their hands touching the sand then exploding up into their block. The hand position beach block is different as well. Blockers are responsible for taking away a larger section of the court, so hands must start wider then adjust to best block or touch the ball. Patience on defense A block-pull system requires the defender to be patient and disciplined. Defenders must wait until the set is at its apex when the hitter has to take their
eyes off the court to track the ball. Moving too early allows the hitter to read the defense and pick open shots. Defensive Transitional Movements Defenders start from the middle back of the court, also known as the point of intersection (POI). The defensive movement to the pocket should be a quick burst at the set s apex when the hitter has to take their eyes off the court. The defensive stance is optimized when the defender s feet are angled to defend hard driven balls while also staying open to the court to cover the cross or high-line. A defender should be balanced and neutral in the court until they make their read. A read decision is made to pick defending the cross or high-line knowing the blocking scheme and reading the hitter s signs. If the hitter does not offer any tells, it leaves the defender with a 50/50 chance of being in the right spot to defend. In that case, it is better to stay neutral and run-down shots. It is important for the defender to stay low when running so they are able to drive and lift balls. On Defense Serve then run to the POI while reading for potential over on two options Watch the play and when the opponent s set reaches its peak, then break to base defense Be stopped, weight forward, and have your arms extended ready to react
If you can make a read, then react by moving towards the ball and staying low in the chase as to be ready to lay out Pass the ball high and aim for where you want to run your offense from If already tight to the net upon the pass, run a low fast offense Defensive conversions are crucial to winning games In order to most efficiently get the point, a player must use vision