Email Campaign Archive

An Idea For Improving Tip Coverage

-By Marc Pogachar


Communication in volleyball is obviously very
important. If the defense knows to "call the ball"
and the hitters know what type of set or play is
coming, the team plays more effectively.

Recently, in practice, I noticed that my defense
wasn’t quite moving in fast enough to play tips or
balls off the block. The first part of the problem
was that they weren’t saying anything, and the
second part was that they weren’t moving to play
the ball. After a drill to get them to see and
react, I realized an answer to their slow reaction
was being said all along.

The origin of this idea came to me during the
summer. I was showing the players that a reaction
can be spontaneous and could generate movement by
training. I pushed my hand abruptly in front of
one of my assistant’s face, and the team watched
her recoil and blink. I told the team that this is
a response to a stimulus…she moved to avoid
contact with my hand.

On our team, we use one-syllable words to
communicate. For example, instead of saying “I GOT
IT”, we say “MINE”. Our offense is also based on
one-syllable sets and plays. Why one-syllable? It’s
easier to say repeatedly and with excitement…ie:
“MINE, MINE, MINE”. It’s also more of a command,
rather than an obvious observation. (We also use "PLAY"
instead of "IN".) I believe that the command-like words
are much easier to process for the players.

I got the idea from that demonstration and the
fact that we use one-syllable words to help our
defense cover tips. We no longer call “TIP!”…we
now say “MOVE”. The word MOVE is a command that
relates more closely to what is needed to cover a
tip. By loudly calling MOVE, I’ve seen my defense
become much more effective when a tip is played
into our defense. We don’t even call them tips
anymore. We call them MOVES!

To get this idea across to my team, I asked them
about the word TIP. If someone in the bleachers
says, “TIP” would that mean anything to them? It
states the obvious…that the opponent is going to
TIP. I believe that the players had to process
that word, and THEN react. By using the word MOVE
instead, I believe that eliminates one process in
their mind for them to play the ball.

I’ve changed our vocabulary, practiced covering
MOVES, and drill it in run-throughs and drills
like that. It took about two practices, but now my
defense calls MOVE, and they definitely get to the
ball much more quickly. Try it with your team.


-Marc Pogachar
Head Coach, Westlake H.S., Ohio
Assistant Director, Coach, Spirit VBC