9 Fun Volleyball Drills for Beginners

If you’re just starting with volleyball, you may find that the standard drills can be a bit daunting. That’s why it’s important to incorporate fun volleyball drills for beginners in your training. These drills will help you build your skills and confidence in a way that’s enjoyable and engaging.

Some fun volleyball drills for beginners include the bump drill, the crazy court switch, and the reverse spike. Each of these drills focuses on a different aspect of the game, from passing to serving, and they are all designed to be fun and engaging.
Below are some fun volleyball drills for beginners.

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Bump Juggle Challenge

This fun volleyball drill for beginners is a great way to improve their skills in a fun and engaging way. The idea is to pass the ball back and forth successfully, and each time the ball is passed correctly, the players take a step back to increase the distance between them. The challenge is to see how far apart the players can get without making a mistake while keeping the ball in the air.

Have your players partner up and stand facing each other at a distance of approximately 6 to 8 feet.
One player starts by bumping the ball to their partner, who then bumps it back.
Each time the ball is passed successfully, the players take a step back.
The goal is to see how far they can move away from each other without making an error in passing the ball.
Add in a rule that the ball must be passed a certain number of times before the players can take a step back.
To add a level of difficulty, set a rule requiring the ball to be passed a specific number of times before the players can step back.

Beach Ball Pass

The beach ball pass drill is an excellent way to teach beginners how to pass a volleyball. This drill is played with a beach ball instead of a volleyball, which makes it more challenging to control but also more forgiving if players make mistakes.

Start by using a beach ball instead of a regular volleyball.
Divide the players into a circle and have them stand about 6-8 feet apart facing each other.
Instruct the players to only use their forearms to pass the ball around the circle.
The goal is to keep the ball in the air for as long as possible without letting it touch the ground.
To make it more challenging, add a rule that players must call out the name of the person they’re passing to.

Serving Relay Race

The serving relay race is a great way to work on serving accuracy. It’s a fast-paced and exciting drill that will keep your players engaged and motivated. Plus, it’s a great way to get your team warmed up before a game or practice. This fun volleyball drill for beginners is perfect who are just learning how to serve. Here’s how it works:

Split the team into two groups and position them on opposite ends of the volleyball court.
Each team has a bucket of balls on its side.
The first player on each team serves a ball over the net and then runs to the back of their team’s line.
The next player then serves and runs, and so on.
This drill aims to determine which team can successfully hit all of their balls over the net and into the other team’s court before the opposing team does the same.

Fun Volleyball Drills for Middle School:

Middle school is a great time to introduce new and fun volleyball drills to keep players engaged and motivated. These three fun volleyball drills for beginners drills help improve various volleyball skills.

Hula Hoop Volleyball

By limiting the number of touches allowed, players must learn to work together and make strategic decisions about where to place the ball.

Set up two hula hoops on opposite sides of the net.
Set up two hula hoops on opposite sides of the net and divide your players into two teams.
Have each team line up on their respective sides of the court.
The objective of the game is to pass the ball through the hoop on the other team’s side of the court.
Players can only touch the ball three times before it must go through the hoop, so encourage your players to strategize and communicate to get the ball through.

Crazy Court Switch:

This drill helps players to develop quick reflexes and adaptability. To add more fun to the drill, you can also use a timer and see which team can switch formations the fastest.

You’ll need to divide your players into two teams and have them line up on opposite sides of the court.
Call out a switch command, such as “left,” “right,” or “back,” and both teams have to run to the opposite side of the court and get into the new formation without breaking the formation.
Vary the switch commands to keep it challenging and exciting.
This drill is excellent for improving players’ speed, agility, and teamwork.

Pool Noodle Block:

This fun volleyball drill for middle school can be a great addition to your practice as it improves blocking skills and promotes teamwork in a fun and safe way.

Split your players into groups of three, with one player as the hitter and the other two holding pool noodles.
The hitter hits the ball over the net, and the other players use the pool noodles to block the ball back.
This drill helps players improve their reaction time, blocking technique, and footwork while having fun.
Using pool noodles instead of hands reduces the risk of injury. This drill is great because it helps players concentrate on the basics of blocking.
Motivate your players to communicate with each other and work as a team to successfully block the ball.

Fun Volleyball Drills for High School

As players get older, it’s essential to keep practicing. Incorporating these fun volleyball drills for high school players can help keep practices engaging.

Blindfolded Pepper

This drill is an exciting twist on the classic pepper drill. With players being blindfolded while passing and setting the ball to their partner. This exercise is ideal for enhancing trust between teammates, and improving spatial awareness and focus. Here’s how to do it:

Pair up your players and have them stand facing each other.
Blindfold one player on each team.
The player who isn’t blindfolded tosses the ball to their partner, who must use their other senses to pass it back.
The non-blindfolded player must also be ready to move and adjust to their partner’s positioning.
This drill helps players work on communication, trust, and ball control.

Reverse Spike

This drill is perfect for practicing a challenging but effective attacking move. Players will practice hitting the ball backwards over their head to catch their opponents off guard. This drill helps improve coordination and reaction time. Here’s how to do it:

Divide your players into two teams and have them stand on opposite sides of the net.
The first player on one team tosses the ball over the net.
The first player on the other team then hits the ball back, but they must do so with a reverse spike (hitting the ball with the back of their hand).
The rally continues, with each team taking turns hitting the ball back with a reverse spike.
This drill helps players work on ball control, timing, and attacking technique.

Partner Wall Hitting

In this fun volleyball drill for high school players, they work in pairs to hit the ball against a wall, focusing on hitting technique and accuracy. Here’s how to do it:

Pair up your players and have them stand facing a wall.
One player tosses the ball to their partner, who hits the ball against the wall.
The ball then bounces back, and the player must hit it again.
The rally continues, with each player taking turns hitting the ball against the wall.
This drill helps players work on hitting technique, footwork, and accuracy.

In conclusion, incorporating fun volleyball drills for beginners in your training is a great way to build your skills and confidence in an enjoyable and engaging way. The bump drill, crazy court switch, and reverse spike are just a few examples of drills that can help you improve your passing, serving, and spiking abilities. Remember to have fun while you’re practicing, and you’ll be surprised how quickly your skills improve. With the right mindset and these fun volleyball drills for beginners, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a skilled volleyball player in no time!