A front-row setter on the wrong side of the court
Volleyball · Set piece · 6 of your players and 1 opponents
With the setter in zone 4 they start at the net on the left and have to slide across to set. The outside hitters and the libero take the serve, and the opposite waits deep behind the right-side passer.
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Who stands where
Serve receive, setter in 4 is the rotation where the setter begins as far from the target as the front row allows. Our players carry their zone numbers. The setter (4) is front left, 2.4 m in from the left sideline and a metre off the net. The middle blocker (3) is beside them at the net, 4.2 m across, and the front-row outside hitter (2) has dropped back to pass on the right, 7.2 m across and 5.6 m from the net. Behind the passing line the back-row outside hitter (5) passes on the left, 1.8 m in, the libero (6) takes the middle 6.2 m back, and the opposite (1) waits in the back right corner, 8.4 m across and 7.6 m from the net. Their server stands on their end line.
The overlap rule in this rotation
Across the front row the order must be 4, 3, 2 from left to right at the serve, so the setter cannot simply start in the middle of the net: they must stay left of the middle blocker. They can stand right next to them, though, which is why the setter is drawn at 2.4 m rather than on the sideline. The opposite in zone 1 has to be deeper than the passer in zone 2 in front of them, so they hide in the corner. All of it is checked by our tests, with half a metre to spare on every pair, on the same rule the FIVB, USA Volleyball and school rule books use.
Coaching it
- Slide on contact. The setter leaves for the target, between zones 2 and 3, the instant the serve is struck. Animate the slide so the player sees how short it really is.
- Two hitters, three options. With the setter in the front row only the middle and the left side hitter can attack at the net; teach the back-row attack from the opposite as the third.
- Keep the passing line flat. The three passers stand at nearly the same depth so nobody backs into a teammate.
Build all six rotations with names in the volleyball rotation maker, or draw the setter's slide in the volleyball play designer.
Also known as
- serve receive
- rotation 4
- setter front row
- two hitters front
- overlap rule
Shapes to look at next
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A right-side corner: taker on the flag, runners at the near and far post, a target on the penalty spot, a short-corner option and three held back for rest defence. Ten outfield players — the keeper is in the other half, off screen. The nine defenders show a zonal set-up to attack against.
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Put the Serve receive, setter in 4 on a pitch
It opens with the shape already drawn. Move the players your team does differently, drag the runs, and send your squad a link that animates.
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