Your Yes I Can VB Gold Gift Message
February 14th, 2008 at 6:38 amAttacking the 6-Up Defense
-By Tom Houser
A Question for Coach Houser:
I'm doing some research on the 'person-up'
defense. The head coach where I'll be coaching
this fall is going to use it, and I'd like to get
a better understanding of it. Also, I'm trying to
find out the best way to defeat it, so we can be
aware and cover accordingly.
Coach Houser's Reply:
I'm sure there are some advantages to the 6-up
defense. However, I've used the 6-back defense
exclusively for nearly 20 years.
Disadvantages of a 6-up:
(a) There's more traffic and more confusion.
Therefore, teams that play a 6-up will have more
balls fall and more balls being fought over by
adjacent players.
(b) There is more screening during the hits.
Therefore, fewer digs will be made. For example,
if your "up" person is behind her MB teammate
while the opponents are setting their MB, then not
only can she not see the opposing hitter, but she
can only dig the tips, making her a
one-dimensional defensive player.
(c) When the opponents set the antenna set
(especially if they also run a quick fake!), the
up person has an extremely hard time getting over
and digging the short line. If she doesn't get
over, then her team is not only susceptible to the
line tip, but she's also screening her defensive
teammates who are playing deeper.
Advantages of the 6-up:
The short middle tip never falls. Also, the setter
"flip dump" never falls. This is the only
advantage I have ever been able to think of. If
you have more, please email them to me at
coachhouser@yahoo.com . When I read your email,
I'll probably say, "Oh, yeah, I'd forgotten about
that! That's a great point!"
Why I Play a 6-Back:
I inherited a team in 1985 that played a 6-up. I
was a green, rookie coach, so that's the defense I
accepted. I continued to play it for 4 + ½
seasons, then switched to a 6-back perimeter half
way through 1989 and have never switched back. JV
or varsity, middle or high or club. I've never
taught a team a 6-up since. Why? For all the
reasons I stated above.
I expect my 6-back defense to pick up the tips and
setter dumps. I don't need a girl standing there.
(Personally, if my players can't pick them up,
then either my kids are too inexperienced, they're
in the wrong position or they're too
slow/unathletic.) If the opponents set the middle
or left, then my front row OH takes the tip over
the block. If the opponents set their right, then
my front row right takes the tips over our MB. I
also expect my short left digger to cheat in to
take the flip dump away from the opposing setter.
Yeah, we may get beat by the flip dump once, but
that's about it. And I'll trade getting beat once
for having my diggers in proper position for the
97% of the opponent's 2nd hits that are set to
their spikers. Furthermore, the opponent's setter
dump is very hard to execute without my blockers
seeing it or without a lift/double being called.
And I'll guess that 50% of setters don't ever
dump; so, why have a defense player wasting her
time standing there?
I play a 6-back and I expect my diggers to:
(a) Never screen each other. So almost never will
a digger on my team reach for a ball that another
digger could have easily played. Why? Because my
diggers are taught, "If a teammate is between you
and the opponent's spiker during the opponent's
attack, then someone's out of position. Fix it
immediately whenever you see it happening. Don't
wait until the next play after a spike falls
between the 2 of you."
(b) Be out of the blockers' shadow. I don't want a
digger standing behind my blockers because the
only thing she can dig is the tips and the hits
off the blockers hands. I want all my diggers to
be able to dig big hits AND dig the tips in front
of them. Indeed, as my girls get older, our
perimeter defense will play further away from the
block, making our defense even better!! "But Coach
Houser, the tips will beat you." Maybe once. Maybe
twice. But my defenders would a whole lot rather
you try to beat us tipping than by hitting. Come
on! Tip against my defense. See how successful you
are.
But, I Realize That Athletes WILL Play Defense!
I'm not saying that a 6-up defense is inferior.
I'm saying that I don't prefer it and don't see
the logic to it.
Athletes with proper training can play about any
kind of defense and win. Even more surprising,
some teams can play no specific defense and still
win. Here's an example: In 1993, a team here in
Virginia won the AA state championship. They
weren't in our conference during that season, but
we thought we might have to play them at
Regionals. After scouting them for several matches
and watching video of our matches with them, I
finally determined that their back row was playing
no type of disciplined defense at all. One
rotation they'd have 3 girls straight across. Next
rotation the defense looked like 6-up. Next
rotation it looked like 6-back. I knew the coach
well and this wasn't her strategy! Believe me, the
girls were doing this on their own. My coaches and
I finally determined that their players just tried
to read the opponents and take whatever ball they
could get to. And they went 24-2 doing it.
Incredible.
How My Teams Attack the 6-Up:
My teams get easy points vs. the 6-up in three ways:
Easy Point #1: Our setter dumps to the right or
left of the opponent's "up" person. About every
5 minutes, my setter will take a perfect pass and
direct the ball so that it hits close to where the
opponent's spiking line touches their right
sideline. If the opponents front row player picks
that dump up, then our setter will dump the next
one deeper along the opponent's side line. For
most setters this dump is easier than the flip
dump over the opponent's MB.
You may be asking, "How does she dump the other
way?" Yes, that dump is more difficult, but I've
had setters who could face their OH teammate, then
flip the ball over the net and onto the opponent's
spiking line behind the opponent's OH. It will
often fall untouched, especially if my setter is
in the back row, thus forcing the opponent's left
side blocker to stay at the net respecting our
back set.
Easy Point #2: Have your MB's slam/jam
tip to either their right or left; and, the lower
the set is, the more likely the slam/jam will
fall. In other words, have your MB slam in that
same area where we want our setters to dump
against the 6-up. If the tip to her left doesn't
fall, have her tip it deeper, like we instructed
the setter, or have her tip the other way.
I can hear a few coaches right now going, "Hit the
ball, Coach Houser!!" Of course, you want your
hitters to hit the majority of the sets they get.
Don't let your players or setters fall in love
with tips; unless, of course, the opponents aren't
digging them! Haha Then tipping for kills it
easier on the shoulder than hitting.
In 1994, my first place team traveled to Danville,
Va. to play the 2nd place team who ran a 6-up
defense. My setter had 9 dump kills that night and
of my MBs' 34 total kills, 14 of them were tips to
their left and right. As the match went on, the
opponents got more and more upset, the parents
were hollering, the coach made a lot of subs. I
also remember the opponent's speaking captain
begging for lifts to be called. Then as the
defense tried to take away our tips, my MB's would
hit the ball, zipping it by the ears of the
defenders. We won in 4, the final game being 15-5
(side-out scoring) and we were in their head the
entire rest of the season; and, the next season
also.
Easy Point #3: Have your OH's tip line.
The "up" person may be quick enough to rotate over
there and pick it up, but if your MB is faking the
quick, the up girl will have a very, very hard
time picking up the line tip from your OH. In the
match above, I also remember my OH's having a few
easy kills with tips down the line.
Once again, I'm not saying if you run a 6-up, then
you're mistaken. I'm just saying I don't prefer
it. I've been coaching long enough to know that my
preferences are just that: Preferences.
Plus, I'm married. And whenever someone asks, "Are
you sure," I jokingly say, "No, I'm married. I'm
not sure of anything." Well, sometimes I think I'm
joking. Sometimes I think I'm not! Haha
-Tom Houser
Head Coach, 2007 Roanoke Juniors 15's Open
Director, STAR Volleyball Camps Author, "I Can't
Wait" Drill Collection and Ebooks
www.coachhouser.com
-By Tom Houser
A Question for Coach Houser:
I'm doing some research on the 'person-up'
defense. The head coach where I'll be coaching
this fall is going to use it, and I'd like to get
a better understanding of it. Also, I'm trying to
find out the best way to defeat it, so we can be
aware and cover accordingly.
Coach Houser's Reply:
I'm sure there are some advantages to the 6-up
defense. However, I've used the 6-back defense
exclusively for nearly 20 years.
Disadvantages of a 6-up:
(a) There's more traffic and more confusion.
Therefore, teams that play a 6-up will have more
balls fall and more balls being fought over by
adjacent players.
(b) There is more screening during the hits.
Therefore, fewer digs will be made. For example,
if your "up" person is behind her MB teammate
while the opponents are setting their MB, then not
only can she not see the opposing hitter, but she
can only dig the tips, making her a
one-dimensional defensive player.
(c) When the opponents set the antenna set
(especially if they also run a quick fake!), the
up person has an extremely hard time getting over
and digging the short line. If she doesn't get
over, then her team is not only susceptible to the
line tip, but she's also screening her defensive
teammates who are playing deeper.
Advantages of the 6-up:
The short middle tip never falls. Also, the setter
"flip dump" never falls. This is the only
advantage I have ever been able to think of. If
you have more, please email them to me at
coachhouser@yahoo.com . When I read your email,
I'll probably say, "Oh, yeah, I'd forgotten about
that! That's a great point!"
Why I Play a 6-Back:
I inherited a team in 1985 that played a 6-up. I
was a green, rookie coach, so that's the defense I
accepted. I continued to play it for 4 + ½
seasons, then switched to a 6-back perimeter half
way through 1989 and have never switched back. JV
or varsity, middle or high or club. I've never
taught a team a 6-up since. Why? For all the
reasons I stated above.
I expect my 6-back defense to pick up the tips and
setter dumps. I don't need a girl standing there.
(Personally, if my players can't pick them up,
then either my kids are too inexperienced, they're
in the wrong position or they're too
slow/unathletic.) If the opponents set the middle
or left, then my front row OH takes the tip over
the block. If the opponents set their right, then
my front row right takes the tips over our MB. I
also expect my short left digger to cheat in to
take the flip dump away from the opposing setter.
Yeah, we may get beat by the flip dump once, but
that's about it. And I'll trade getting beat once
for having my diggers in proper position for the
97% of the opponent's 2nd hits that are set to
their spikers. Furthermore, the opponent's setter
dump is very hard to execute without my blockers
seeing it or without a lift/double being called.
And I'll guess that 50% of setters don't ever
dump; so, why have a defense player wasting her
time standing there?
I play a 6-back and I expect my diggers to:
(a) Never screen each other. So almost never will
a digger on my team reach for a ball that another
digger could have easily played. Why? Because my
diggers are taught, "If a teammate is between you
and the opponent's spiker during the opponent's
attack, then someone's out of position. Fix it
immediately whenever you see it happening. Don't
wait until the next play after a spike falls
between the 2 of you."
(b) Be out of the blockers' shadow. I don't want a
digger standing behind my blockers because the
only thing she can dig is the tips and the hits
off the blockers hands. I want all my diggers to
be able to dig big hits AND dig the tips in front
of them. Indeed, as my girls get older, our
perimeter defense will play further away from the
block, making our defense even better!! "But Coach
Houser, the tips will beat you." Maybe once. Maybe
twice. But my defenders would a whole lot rather
you try to beat us tipping than by hitting. Come
on! Tip against my defense. See how successful you
are.
But, I Realize That Athletes WILL Play Defense!
I'm not saying that a 6-up defense is inferior.
I'm saying that I don't prefer it and don't see
the logic to it.
Athletes with proper training can play about any
kind of defense and win. Even more surprising,
some teams can play no specific defense and still
win. Here's an example: In 1993, a team here in
Virginia won the AA state championship. They
weren't in our conference during that season, but
we thought we might have to play them at
Regionals. After scouting them for several matches
and watching video of our matches with them, I
finally determined that their back row was playing
no type of disciplined defense at all. One
rotation they'd have 3 girls straight across. Next
rotation the defense looked like 6-up. Next
rotation it looked like 6-back. I knew the coach
well and this wasn't her strategy! Believe me, the
girls were doing this on their own. My coaches and
I finally determined that their players just tried
to read the opponents and take whatever ball they
could get to. And they went 24-2 doing it.
Incredible.
How My Teams Attack the 6-Up:
My teams get easy points vs. the 6-up in three ways:
Easy Point #1: Our setter dumps to the right or
left of the opponent's "up" person. About every
5 minutes, my setter will take a perfect pass and
direct the ball so that it hits close to where the
opponent's spiking line touches their right
sideline. If the opponents front row player picks
that dump up, then our setter will dump the next
one deeper along the opponent's side line. For
most setters this dump is easier than the flip
dump over the opponent's MB.
You may be asking, "How does she dump the other
way?" Yes, that dump is more difficult, but I've
had setters who could face their OH teammate, then
flip the ball over the net and onto the opponent's
spiking line behind the opponent's OH. It will
often fall untouched, especially if my setter is
in the back row, thus forcing the opponent's left
side blocker to stay at the net respecting our
back set.
Easy Point #2: Have your MB's slam/jam
tip to either their right or left; and, the lower
the set is, the more likely the slam/jam will
fall. In other words, have your MB slam in that
same area where we want our setters to dump
against the 6-up. If the tip to her left doesn't
fall, have her tip it deeper, like we instructed
the setter, or have her tip the other way.
I can hear a few coaches right now going, "Hit the
ball, Coach Houser!!" Of course, you want your
hitters to hit the majority of the sets they get.
Don't let your players or setters fall in love
with tips; unless, of course, the opponents aren't
digging them! Haha Then tipping for kills it
easier on the shoulder than hitting.
In 1994, my first place team traveled to Danville,
Va. to play the 2nd place team who ran a 6-up
defense. My setter had 9 dump kills that night and
of my MBs' 34 total kills, 14 of them were tips to
their left and right. As the match went on, the
opponents got more and more upset, the parents
were hollering, the coach made a lot of subs. I
also remember the opponent's speaking captain
begging for lifts to be called. Then as the
defense tried to take away our tips, my MB's would
hit the ball, zipping it by the ears of the
defenders. We won in 4, the final game being 15-5
(side-out scoring) and we were in their head the
entire rest of the season; and, the next season
also.
Easy Point #3: Have your OH's tip line.
The "up" person may be quick enough to rotate over
there and pick it up, but if your MB is faking the
quick, the up girl will have a very, very hard
time picking up the line tip from your OH. In the
match above, I also remember my OH's having a few
easy kills with tips down the line.
Once again, I'm not saying if you run a 6-up, then
you're mistaken. I'm just saying I don't prefer
it. I've been coaching long enough to know that my
preferences are just that: Preferences.
Plus, I'm married. And whenever someone asks, "Are
you sure," I jokingly say, "No, I'm married. I'm
not sure of anything." Well, sometimes I think I'm
joking. Sometimes I think I'm not! Haha
-Tom Houser
Head Coach, 2007 Roanoke Juniors 15's Open
Director, STAR Volleyball Camps Author, "I Can't
Wait" Drill Collection and Ebooks
www.coachhouser.com