Teaching Volleyball Players How to Move Their Feet for Passing
One of the biggest challenges for young volleyball players is learning how to move efficiently to the ball while maintaining good passing mechanics. Footwork is the foundation of a great passer, and if players learn to move early and correctly, their passing will become more consistent under pressure.
This drill follows a progression-based approach where players start with controlled movements before transitioning to reading and reacting. The goal is to build confidence in moving to the ball while reinforcing good passing habits.
The Footwork Passing Drill
Setup
One coach tossing or hitting to a passer
One target (setter or another player)
Players pass, then become the target, then shag the ball and return it to the coach or ball cart, then enter the line again
If possible, set up another coach on the opposite side of the net with half the team to increase reps and movement
Phase 1: Controlled Movements
📍 Goal: Train fundamental footwork with predictable ball movement. 4-5 times through each round per passer.
Stationary Pass – Toss a high freeball directly to the passer. They must focus on a balanced stance, platform angles, and finishing their pass to the target.
Lateral Movement – Toss to the passer's left or right (choose one for the whole team), requiring a shuffle step before passing to the target.
Forward Movement – Toss the ball short in front, forcing the passer to move forward before passing.
Diagonal Movement – Toss the ball diagonally, requiring a combination of lateral and forward movement.
Phase 2: Read and React
📍 Goal: Players must recognize the toss location and react with correct footwork.
The coach randomly tosses to any of the four previous locations (directly to the passer, to the side, to the front, or diagonal).
Players must adjust their movement to get to the ball and execute a strong pass.
This teaches reading ball flight, reacting quickly, and reinforcing muscle memory.
Variations
📍 Goal: Prepare players for realistic game situations with added movement and decision-making challenges.
1. Pass from Different Positions – Players perform the drill from different spots on the court:
Left Back (Zone 5) – Mimics receiving serves and free balls from the left side.
Middle Back (Zone 6) – Helps players track balls coming from different angles.
Right Back (Zone 1) – Trains players to adjust to serves targeting the right side.
2. Replace Tosses with Downballs – Instead of tossing freeballs, the coach hits a controlled downball, increasing the difficulty of reading the ball’s flight and movement.
3. Player-Initiated Downballs – If players have enough control, let them take turns hitting downballs to each other rather than relying on the coach. This adds an element of player responsibility and improves ball control skills.
4. Add Backward Movement (Pass) – Have the coach toss the ball behind the player, forcing them to shuffle backward while still executing a controlled pass to target. This simulates deep serves and out-of-system passing.
5. Add Backward Movement (Overhead Pass/Set) – Instead of passing with their platform, players must track the ball, move backward, and use their hands to set the first contact. This is helpful for when a ball is coming in hot (and high!).
6. Multiple Passers, Calling the Ball – Add two or three passers to the drill, forcing them to communicate and decide who takes the ball before moving to pass. This adds an element of real-time decision-making and emphasizes loud, clear communication before movement.
Note: Adding multiple passers makes the drill the most game-like and presents the biggest challenge. Before running this variation, take a few moments to discuss:
Seams & Who Takes the Ball – Decide who should take balls that fall between two passers. Generally:
The Libero should take seam balls if they are on the court.
If no Libero, decide whether the left-side or right-side passer has priority.
Reinforce that the player who calls it first and loudest should take it when there is hesitation.
What to Do When the Ball Doesn’t Go to Target – If they’re not passing, they’re not out of the drill! The players next to the passer should:
Open up and be ready to handle a pass that goes off-target.
Anticipate where the ball may deflect and adjust their body accordingly.
This variation increases decision-making speed, teamwork, and reaction skills—all critical for real-game scenarios!
Coaching Tips
Encourage players to stay low and balanced while moving.
Remind them to beat the ball to the spot instead of reaching last second.
Focus on small, quick steps rather than large lunges.
Reinforce platform discipline—good footwork is wasted if the pass isn’t controlled.
In multiple-passer drills, emphasize early, loud communication to avoid hesitation.
Why This Works
This drill builds confidence in footwork by starting with predictability before shifting to game-like unpredictability. Adding different court positions, downballs, player-initiated movement, backward passing, hand setting, and multiple passers makes the drill more dynamic, realistic, and challenging.
By implementing this drill consistently, you'll see improved footwork, balance, and passing accuracy—key ingredients for a reliable first contact! 🏐🔥