Volleyball!

We should pass and dig with the forearms because they create a solid, flat surface for controlling the ball.

Never swing your arms wildly. Small, controlled motion is preferred.

Forearms should be flat to provide a ‘good’ platform for the volleyball. The ball should contact the platform made by the forearms, about 2-6 inches above the wrists.

The volleyball should be contacted with the forearms to control its direction (as contact with the volleyball is significant for determining the trajectory of the volleyball).

Arms need to stay together so the forearms stay flat for aiming.

Arms shouldn't be locked, just extended and a bit faraway from the body.

You should not hit a controlled pass with a fist because it doesn’t guide the ball well. When a fast, accurate ball comes at you, you also shouldn't use your fist or any other part of your hand. The forearms are the correct contact point because they give a stronger, flatter platform that lets you control the ball’s direction and even send it back hard to the opponent’s side when the technique is used properly.

“Bumping a volleyball” is very important because it is used to hit balls that are below your head or right at your forearm platform. It is the main technique used for the first touch on a serve or for receiving a hard, driven hit. The body part used for this is the forearm, because it provides a strong and stable surface. A stronger forearm helps with safety and control, and even if a player’s forearms are not strong at first, they can become stronger with practice, which explains how much the player could hurt their arm compared to using any other part of the hand.

First of all, in an overhand serve, the player tosses the volleyball with one hand and hits it in the air with the other hand above their head. So these steps should be followed when describing an overhand serve:

• Use the palm or heel of the hand to contact the volleyball.

• Start with your weight on the back foot and then shift forward as you serve. Feet should be about shoulder-width apart.

• Keep your knees loosely bent to help generate power. Bend them in a way that feels comfortable.

• Toss the volleyball in front of you, about as high as your fully extended hitting arm, and toss it with your palm facing up. Toss it with one hand and hit it with the other.

• After contacting the ball, let your arm follow through naturally to bring it down as part of the motion.

• Pre-determine where you want the volleyball to land in the opponent’s court.

  
  

Second of all, in the underhand serve, follow these steps:

• The exertion of weight should be applied on the dominant foot (back).

• Face the hips toward the net.

• Step with the foot opposite the arm you serve with.

• Since the volleyball needs an upward trajectory and direction, the point of contact is below the volleyball’s center.

• Hit the volleyball with a fist or the heel of your hand, depending on technique.

• The serve should be done with the arm moving in an arc motion like a semi-circle.

• Bring the serving arm back behind the body and swing it forward in a quick underhand motion.

• When you try too hard to hit the volleyball far, the serving hand can lose its intended direction when making contact with the fist, so we should watch out for this.

Compilation of disadvantages and advantages of both the serves:

Underhand serve is rarely used in international/high-level competitions because opponents can easily receive it. This is due to lack of speed and the lower trajectory reached by the volleyball compared to the overhand serve, where you toss the volleyball high (not above your reach), jump or not, and hit it with great power, which should make it go high and far if the technique is done properly. Underhand serve is easy to learn, hit, and control since the motion is simple and the contact is easier for beginners. Overhand serve is advanced, and if it goes wrong, the volleyball may go out of the court, which is a foul. Because of this, overhand serves are not better than underhand serves if you are not accurate enough yet. Also, if the jump is not done properly, the ball can again go out of the court.

It is about wisely placing your feet and tossing the ball. Go ahead and combine your skills to yield an amazing serve! I have been told that it is mostly about tossing, stepping up, and hitting it off. As far as overhand serving is considered, the order can vary.

A ‘set’ is a rapid motion that positions the volleyball for a hit, but beginners may not always understand where the volleyball is actually going. The ability to set the volleyball where it needs to be is not easy without practice. A set is an overhead pass used to change the direction of the ‘dig’ and keep the volleyball in a good position for the ‘spiker.’ ‘Setting’ in volleyball can confuse the opponent about where the volleyball will land. But when setting, you can make the volleyball go higher or quicker to make it harder for opponents to block. If the other team has strong blockers, set in a way that deceives them about where the volleyball will go. Know if the opponent’s blocker(s) are not guarding an area well. Make contact with the volleyball just above the center of your forehead, roughly at your hairline, and try to make contact with all your fingers touching the ball instead of touching each other. Spread your fingers to cover more surface area for better control of the volleyball. Never contact the volleyball with your palms in a way that holds or catches the ball, because that is not allowed.

Based on my experience and research, the rule ‘no attacking a serve’ can feel limiting, but it exists for fairness in the game. Bumping the serve is already permitted, so managing the ball speed is taken care of. A player shouldn’t use excessive force when bumping a fast serve, because using too much force against a fast ball can make the forearms ache. 

I think bumping a ball that travels behind a player within the team can be confusing, because in a hurry to save the ball a player may not position their arms correctly or communicate who should take it. The players behind can also not react in time if no one calls for the ball. Court size or the number of players can remain. It’s best to improve communication within the team and spacing so players don’t collide or miss the ball.

Additional rule is that every volleyball player should know the basics of volleyball, and players should be placed in the positions they play best. This already happens in real volleyball, but players should follow the official rotation order. Rotating can move a good defender into the front row or attack zone, but the team adjusts by switching roles after the serve so strengths are still used.