Hitting a hoop helps you see the direction. But a hoop does not receive serve, arrive late in its approach or ask for a different ball after coming off the block. When the whole session focuses on a stationary target, an important part of setting disappears: the relationship with someone who needs to use that ball.
The aim here is to build a session for players who can already make basic contacts and want to become more consistent in different conditions. The starting point is a concrete difficulty: the set is acceptable from a comfortable pass, but loses height, direction or timing when the origin changes.
For an explanation of the skill, see the guide to setting in volleyball. In this article, we will organise the practice and show what to observe when deciding on the next adjustment.
Define the ball that needs to improve
‘Practise setting’ is still a broad objective. Before getting the equipment ready, complete this sentence: when a particular situation happens, our delivery creates a particular difficulty.
For example: when the reception comes from the back left and pulls the setter away from the net, the set to the left side falls short. The attacker stops the approach and pushes the ball over to keep the rally going.
Now there is something to investigate. The setter may be arriving late, choosing a difficult trajectory for that origin or losing control at contact. Asking for fifty repetitions without distinguishing between these possibilities simply adds more attempts.
Separate choice from execution
Before each short sequence, agree on the target and what the ball should allow the receiver to do. Does that player need time to prepare? Are they already available? Is the aim to set to the left side or change direction to the right side?
If the intention was to give the attacker time but the set came out low, investigate the execution. If the player delivered exactly the quick ball they chose, but the attacker was still recovering from reception, investigate the choice. The two situations can end the same way and call for different corrections.
Correcting the trajectory does little when the choice has already taken away the time the attacker needed.
Agree on a criterion everyone understands
For this session, consider a delivery usable if it allows the teammate to carry out the agreed action without an emergency adjustment. Adapt this to the group's level: a beginner may return the ball with control; a more experienced attacker may complete an approach and attack.
Record the origin of the ball too. A usable delivery from a comfortable pass and one from a reception away from the net are not the same task. Separating the situations helps locate where consistency breaks down.
Build the session around three people and one question
One possible arrangement has a feeder, a setter and a player at the target. The feeder sends the ball; the setter sets it; the third player reports how it arrived. Swap roles so everyone experiences what the delivery produces.
Use an area clear of through traffic and keep spare balls out of the way. A net helps put the trajectory in context; a visual reference also allows work on direction, provided nobody tries to attack over an improvised obstacle.
The session's question is: what needs to change in the delivery when the incoming ball changes? The sequence below is an editorial proposal from the R17 Team. The number of attempts and the breaks should preserve attention and quality; the blocks are not a physical training load prescription.
First block: identify the delivery that works
Choose a predictable ball origin and a target. The feeder tries to repeat a situation the setter can handle. The player at the target receives the ball and reports whether they had to move forward, move back or wait longer than agreed.
Do not let that player chase every ball and say they were all good. If they have to leave their attacking position to rescue the delivery, that is information from the drill. It is also useful to distinguish a normal small adjustment from one that disrupts the whole action.
Complete a short sequence, discuss the most common deviation and repeat. If the balls vary greatly even with stable feeding, stay in this block. If direction and height become recognisable, add the next change.
Second block: change the origin, keep the target
Feed balls from different backcourt areas, initially one area at a time. The setter keeps looking for the same attacker. This arrangement lets you observe whether the difficulty appears in reaching the ball, orienting towards the target or delivering it.
Ricardinho works with passes from positions 1, 6 and 5 and adjusts the ball's speed to the attacker's possibilities. The reasoning matters: the same attacking intention has to be achieved from different incoming trajectories.
In this proposal, start by announcing the origin. Then alternate without a fixed order. This stops the athlete moving simply because they have memorised the sequence and makes them use the trajectory as information. Keep the balls reachable; throwing them further and further away is not the only way to increase difficulty.
Third block: involve the attacker's preparation
Now the player at the target takes part in a simple preceding action, such as controlling a ball and reorganising. The set needs to meet someone who is moving.
Start with a known combination. The attacker reports whether they could prepare the action and where they met the ball. The setter describes the intended delivery. If the conversation stays at ‘high’ or ‘low’, add timing: did the ball arrive before the attacker was ready, or after they had already lost the flow of the action?
Once the meeting becomes more consistent, vary the pass. The task moves closer to the game because the athlete must adjust the ball to what they see, not simply repeat the trajectory from the previous block.
Fourth block: let the rally continue
Add a controlled return from the other side and organise the next ball. The player who set follows what happened and prepares to contribute again.
In Ricardinho's sequences, setting does not end the work: there are instructions to react to the continuation, locate the ball and return to the action. That requirement changes the drill. The player must deliver a usable ball and remain available.
USA Volleyball discusses learning in game situations, including the importance of recognising information that entirely predictable repetition fails to provide. Here, the application is direct: after organising one part of the execution, bring back the uncertainty the athlete will face on court.
A correction example: the target improves, but the attack stays poor
Imagine this training sequence. A setter hits the target on several predictable balls. When the outside hitter starts receiving before attacking, the set arrives too early. The setter interprets the complaint as a lack of precision and tries to aim more accurately at the same place.
The target was not the main problem. The teammate needed time to come out of reception and prepare the approach.
Return to a known passing situation and keep the outside hitter involved in the first ball. Adjust the trajectory so they can become available. Then reintroduce pass variation. The correction is only confirmed when the timing works again with the preceding action still present.
If practice returns to a stationary attacker and everything improves, you have recovered an easier condition. You still need to check whether the improvement transfers to the situation that caused the error.
This example is hypothetical. It shows why the record of an attempt should include what the attacker was doing, not just where the ball landed.
Use a short record to choose the next correction
The table below can be used during practice. One person observes a few attempts and then swaps roles. Make brief factual notes; there is no need to stop every ball to write.
| Origin and condition | Setter's intention | What happened | Adjustment for the next sequence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Predictable pass; attacker ready | Set to the left side with the agreed timing | Short ball; attacker stopped the approach | Repeat the condition and investigate the delivery |
| Pass away from the net; attacker coming out of reception | Maintain the previous speed | Attacker arrived after the ball | Review the available time before insisting on speed |
| Variable origin; known target | Deliver a usable ball | Good direction, but the setter stood watching | Add responsibility for the continuation |
| Condition for the next sequence: ______ | I intend to: ______ | I saw: ______ | I will adjust: ______ |
The three completed entries are editorial examples. The final row is for your group. When reviewing video, pause before contact and say what you expected to deliver; only then watch the result. This helps separate the decision made from a judgement influenced by the final point.
The article on game reading explores this way of observing in more depth.
When to progress and when to simplify
Progress when the athlete can repeat the objective, recognise the most common deviation and maintain part of the adjustment when one condition changes. A single success among many disorganised attempts calls for more work at the current stage.
Simplify the variable that is getting in the way of observation. If two origins, two attackers and a preceding action were added at the same time, remove one demand. Preserve the session's central question.
There is also a difference between a difficult task and a sequence that has lost quality because the group can no longer concentrate. In the second situation, a break and a short conversation are more useful than feeding balls faster.
Progress appears when the adjustment keeps working after the situation changes.
To place this session within a broader plan, use the volleyball training guide. For individual ball-control work, see what to practise at home with a wall.
FAQ — questions about setting practice
Should players who are not setters do this practice too?
Yes. A teammate may need to take the second ball when the setter digs or cannot reach the play. For beginners, prioritise a controlled delivery and recognising responsibility. Specialisation can develop later without leaving the team dependent on one person.
Do I need to practise jump setting from the start?
Jump setting is a technical solution that should be introduced with a purpose and the conditions to execute it. This session can begin with grounded contacts. Add the jump when it is part of the task and the athlete can coordinate arrival, contact and continuation; the appearance of speed alone does not justify the change.
How many times a week should I practise setting?
Frequency needs to take account of the training you already do, the intensity of the tasks and your recovery. Record what you intend to correct and agree on the practice with the person responsible for your training. Copying a frequency without knowing the rest of the week can increase repetition without improving learning.
