The Basics of Volleyball for Kids

The Basics of Volleyball for Kids

Many of us have fond memories of summer sports on the beach. Two teams, tossing the ball over the net and having a grand old time in the sun and surf. Volleyball is a fast-paced, exciting sport, which makes it perfect for kids of all ages. Children who play volleyball from a young age can build coordination, learn the value of teamwork, and practice regular physical fitness while still having a blast! There are several ways to engage your kid in the sport, as well. They could choose to play it for fun or join a school or local team for the season. In either case, the first step of any such undertaking would be for your child to learn basic skills, rules, and techniques of the game.

In this guide, we will help you to get your child to that first step, by introducing kids and parents to the fundamentals of volleyball. The following article will cover all the essential rules, positions, basic techniques, and tips that one might need to get started. By the end of this article, you and your child will have a clearer understanding of what makes volleyball such a fantastic sport for young athletes. Who knows, you might even have a leg-up on the competition.

What Is Volleyball?

Readers who aren’t avid beachgoers might not be familiar with volleyball, but even if you have never dabbled yourself, volleyball is relatively easy to understand. Volleyball is typically played with two teams of six players, separated by a net. The objective of the game is to score points by sending the ball over the net. The ball is hit into the opposing team’s court, where players hit the ball with their hands, trying to get it back over the net. The goal is to make the land on the other team’s side of the court in a way that they cannot reach it. The first team to reach a certain number of points wins the set, and the team that wins the most sets wins the match.

Why Volleyball is Great for Kids

Volleyball offers many physical, mental, and social benefits for young athletes, including:

  • Teamwork: As volleyball is a team sport, young players need learn how to work together to score points and win the game. This helps children to develop important social and communication skills.
  • Coordination: Volleyball also helps improve hand-eye coordination and reaction time, as players need to track the ball and make quick decisions in the moment.
  • Fitness: Players need to run, jump, dive, and hit the ball to get it across the net, so volleyball provides great physical exercise. It also helps kids build up endurance, strength, and agility.
  • Fun: Volleyball is a fast-paced, competitive game to play. This makes for an exciting and enjoyable sport for young athletes who are looking for a fun and challenging experience every time.

Now that we understand why volleyball is such a great sport for kids who are getting started in athletics, we’re gonna serve up some basic rules so you can understand the flow and setup of the game.

The Basic Rules of Volleyball

Understanding the basic rules of any sport is the best way to teach kids how to play. Volleyball is pretty straightforward, though there are one or two variations out there. Those variations change depending on the level and type of volleyball being played, but even they aren’t very complex. You can find the most important rules every young player should know listed below.

Team Setup

  • Number of Players: As we mentioned earlier, the average volleyball team has six players on the court, though more can be on the bench. The players rotate positions as the game progresses and this rule ensures that every player gets a chance to serve, hit, and block.
  • Positions: Player positions are generally divided into front-row and back-row positions. The front row is responsible for attacking (spiking) and blocking. Players in the back row, meanwhile, are more focused on defense and setting up plays.

The Volleyball Court

  • Court Dimensions: A standard volleyball court is 18 meters long and 9 meters wide (around 59 feet by. 29 feet), with a net that divides the court into two equal halves. Younger athletes might play on a smaller court, however, and the net height can be adjusted to match the players.
  • Net Height: Children under the age of 12, the net height is usually set at around 7 feet. Older kids may play with a net height of 7.4 feet for girls and 7.11 feet for boys.

Serving

  • Objective: A volleyball game begins with a serve from one side to the other. The player holding the ball hits the ball over the net into the opponent’s court. The goal of this is to make it as difficult as possible for the other team to return the ball.
  • Serving Rules: The serve has certain rules attached. Players must serve from behind the end line, and the ball must go over the net and into the other team’s court. A serve can either be underhand or overhand.

Ball Handling

  • Touch Limits: Players can’t just toss the ball around to one another on their team indefinitely. A touch limit describes the fact that each team is allowed up to three touches of the ball before it must be sent over the net. Typically, the first touch is a pass, the second touch is a set, and the third touch is a spike, which sends the ball over the net to a place and in a way where the other team can’t return it.
  • No Catching or Holding: There are some other specific no-nos attached to the way players handle the ball. Players are not allowed to catch, hold, or throw the ball during play. The ball must be hit with clean, continuous contact using the hands or arms.

Scoring

  • Rally Scoring: Volleyball uses a rally scoring system, meaning that a point is scored on every single play, regardless of which team serves. The first team to reach 25 points, with at least a two-point lead, wins the set.
  • Winning the Match: Matches are usually played as the best of three or five sets. The team that wins the most sets in the lineup wins the match.

Basic Volleyball Skills for Kids

To play volleyball successfully, children need to master a few basic skills. These key techniques form the foundation of the game and will help young players develop confidence and competence on the volleyball court.

Serving

In volleyball, players live to serve. Yes, we know, bad joke, but not entirely off-base here. Serving is one of the most important skills in volleyball. The serves starts each rally and there are two main types of serves that young players should practice often:

  • Underhand Serve: The easiest serve for beginners to learn is the underhand serve. To perform an underhand serve, players hold the ball in one hand and use the other hand to hit the ball from underneath. Players should hit the ball with enough force to get it over the net and into the other team’s court.
  • Overhand Serve: The overhand serve is a more advanced technique, and also a powerful one. To perform an overhand serve, players toss the ball into the air and hit it with an open hand, aiming to send it over the net with a more focused speed and accuracy.

Passing (Bumping)

There’s no I in volleyball, and players can’t succeed without learning to pass the ball. Passing, or bumping, is used to receive the ball from a serve or attack and pass it to a teammate. This defense skill is crucial for keeping the ball in play.

  • How to Pass: The passing player forms a platform with their forearms by bringing their hands together. The ball is then directed using the forearms, towards either the setter or another teammate. Kids should focus on keeping their body low and use their legs to generate power. The final and most important element is to maintain control of the ball.

Setting

The setter is the player who keeps their team’s attacks organized. The best setters do this by putting the ball in the perfect position so that a teammate can spike it over the net.

  • How to Set: To set, a player uses their fingertips to push the ball into the air, aiming for an attacker. The goal is to place the ball in a high enough position for the attacker to jump and spike it over the net. Good setting requires a solid grasp of timing and precision.

Spiking (Attacking)

If you’ve ever watched volleyball, you know that there are few moves more exciting that a good spike! Spiking involves jumping and hitting the ball with force to send it over the net into the opponent’s court.

  • How to Spike: To spoke, a player takes a few steps toward the net, jumps, and strikes the ball with an open hand, aiming to direct it into the opposing team’s court. Spiking requires a mix of strength, timing, and accuracy.

Blocking

Blocking, as it is with most sports, is a defensive skill. In volleyball, blocking is used to prevent the ball from crossing the net into your team’s court. Front-row players jump and extend their arms above the net to block their opponent’s spikes, serves, and attacks.

  • How to Block: To block effectively, players must time their jump perfectly. The goal is to time it exactly with their opponent’s attack and to reach as high as possible. Blocking is all about timing, positioning, and reading the opponent. If you know where and how they are going to spike it, you can block it more easily.

Drills and Fun Games for Young Volleyball Players

We all know that kids learn best through practice, but that practice does not need to be boring or tedious. Parents and coaches should endeavor to keep training sessions fun and engaging so that their players can be motivated rather than encumbered by their newfound knowledge. Here are some beginner-friendly drills and games to help kids develop their volleyball skills while enjoying the sport.

Ball Control Drills

  • Ball Taps: Parents should have their kids practice tapping the ball lightly in the air using only their fingertips. This helps improve control and hand-eye coordination.
  • Bump, Set, Spike: Coaches can create a simple drill where children practice passing (bumping), setting, and spiking in a sequence. This drill helps young players become comfortable with transitioning between different volleyball techniques.

Serving Drills

  • Target Practice: Coaches should begin by setting up targets on the opposite side of the net and have their players practice serving the ball to hit the targets. This will help with accuracy and control.
  • Serving Relay: Coaches can divide kids into teams and have them compete in a sort of serving relay race. Each player takes turns serving the ball. The team that hits all the targets first wins.

Teamwork Games

  • King of the Court: This is a fun, competitive game that coaches can use to improve teamwork. Teams rotate playing on a half-court. If a team wins a rally, they stay on the court. If they lose, they switch with another team waiting to play. This helps young players practice working together and improves strategic thinking.

Tips for Parents to Help Their Kids Excel in Volleyball

Parents, as always, play a crucial role in helping their kids enjoy and succeed in sports. Volleyball is no different and parents who are struggling can use the tips below to give keep them and their child in their volley ball journey.

Encourage Practice

As with any skill-based sport, practice makes perfect. Regular practice is key to improving and parents should encourage their children to practice the essentials during their free time. Serves, passes, blocks, spikes, and other techniques are all vital parts of the game that need to be mastered if a young player wants to succeed. Parents can even set up a makeshift net in the backyard to practice and can even practice with them.

Focus on Fun

As always, the important aspect of playing sports is having fun. As important as those aforementioned skills are, parents must avoid putting too much pressure on winning or mastering every skill right away. Instead, they should emphasize the value of learning new things, making new friends, and staying active.

Provide Positive Reinforcement

Coaches and parents should endeavor to celebrate a player’s achievements, no matter how small. Whether they’ve improved their serve, made a great pass, or simply had fun during practice, positive reinforcement can boost a child’s confidence in a meaningful way and will keep them motivated to continue.

Cultured Athlete Says…

Volleyball is a fantastic sport for any child that wants to stay active and have fun. It’s exciting, challenging, and easy to learn, if not to master. Kids who play volleyball can build important life skills, master new sports tactics, and make new friends, while parents support and encouraging them. So try your kids out on volleyball and serve up some fun this coming season!


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