Red River Infinity Volleyball Coaches/ Player

Blue Book

4 KEYS TO WINING VOLLEYBALL

1.ATTITUDE (unconditional effort) 2.Make plays (Bettering the ball) 3.First contact (Serve & Pass) 4.Outwork them defensively

These will give us an opportunity to

WIN any match we play!

Team Rules

General: 1. Accountability: Take responsibility for yourself on and off the court. Remember that everything you

do represents Red River Infinity Volleyball, your coaches, and most importantly, your teammates. 2. The rule of acknowledgement: in practice, in matches, and when given any instruction by the coaches

or teammates, you should give noticeable acknowledgement. This simply means that you heard them. In some cases, you may not agree with it, you may not understand it, but you must acknowledge that you heard it with a verbal and physical cue.

3. Any text message or email coming from the coaching staff needs a response. 4. Social Media: Please be aware of what is added to your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram accounts and how

it represents Red River Infinity Volleyball. 5. All team meals will be eaten as a team. We will be dismissed as a team from a coaching staff member at

the end of the meal.

**Abuse of these rules will be handled at coaches’ discretion. Each athlete will be treated fairly, not equally, in order that each athlete and this team reach our full

potential. * Travel:

1. To, from and during any trip or competition, you are representing Red River Infinity Volleyball and our volleyball program. Your conduct and behavior should always reflect those obligations.

2. Bring your own game uniform, kneepads, and shoes in neat appearance to every match. Cell Phone Policy:

1. No cell phone zones: a. During team activities and meetings, practices b. All team meals

Equipment:

1. You are responsible for your ball. If lost or misplaced it is your responsibility to replace the ball.

PLAYING TIME

1. It is likely that at some point you will disagree with my decisions regarding playing time. This is to be

expected at this level of competition. Your responsibility is to control your emotions and resist the urge to complain to teammates or parents.

2. You might jump to wrong conclusions about why you are not playing. Don’t guess. See me directly if you have questions or if you want to make a case for increased playing time.

3. The coaching staff will not answer questions from parents concerning playing time. Make sure they understand this.

4. Communicate any concerns to Coach after 24 hours, this allows a cool down period.

Chain of Communication

Solving problems as a team and with the coaching staff and teammates are essential to success.

Any issue or problem you may have over which the coaching staff has control, such as playing time, training styles, teaching techniques etc., should be discussed directly with the coaching staff within 24 hours.

All conversations must take place FACE to FACE (no texting, Facebook, Twitter, etc.…).

The following Chain of Communication will be utilized by ALL players with any issue or concern and should take place within 24 hours: 1. Go directly to your teammate and speak with her about your concern, do not involve other teammates If you do not feel resolution: 2. Speak with a coaching staff member If you do not feel resolution: 3. Set up a meeting to speak with the Staff and Ethan Grefsrud or Carey Christopher

If you do not feel resolution: 4. Set up a conference call or in-person meeting with the Staff and your Parents

The staff will not take calls from parents concerning any team issues until the player has followed the appropriate protocol.

As a staff and a team, we will ALWAYS want to work quickly and thoughtfully toward resolution in any matter of dispute. All disputes/conflicts need to be handled within 24 hours, no

matter how small we feel they are at that time.

ON COURT COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

COMMUNICATION PHILOSOPHY

A communication system is put into place so that all six players on the court are always on the same page. Communication needs to be loud and effective. All on-court communication needs to have a purpose and used with the intention to help us win the point and matches. This system is non-negotiable.

TYPES OF ON-COURT COMMUNICATION You must communicate these words during the play:

1. Passing the ball: “Mine” 2. Call for your set: “Hut”/”5”/” Slide” etc.… (Calls should be made more than once) 3. Digging the ball: “Mine, Up” 4. Setting the block: “Ready, Up” 5. Serve Receive Communication:

a. Address who has short and deep in each seam: “I got your short, I got your deep” with finger points in direction of seam and eye contact.

b. Communicate the type of serve: “Deep Float”/” Jump Top” c. One athlete calls the ball before the ball is passed over the net: “Mine”, while the other two

athletes call “In”/” Out” and player’s name 6. Defensive System Communication (See Blocking-Eye Sequencing and Communication) 7. While serving:

a. Blockers should call out their attacker: “I got #13, watch #11 on the slide, #2 in the pattern.” b. Backrow should call out setter “Front row setter” or “Back row setter”

8. Calling out where teammates should hit: “Line”/” Angle”/” Tip”/”Donut”, etc.… 9. Any defensive system and blocking system adjustments made throughout the match should be

communicated to all athletes, make sure they know what system we are in. 10. Rule of Acknowledgement

Defensive/Ball Control Philosophy

How to Win: 1. First contact 2. Make plays 3. Out scrap our opponents 4. Attitude 5. Discipline-blockers/defenders work as one Rules: 1. Every ball is yours 2. Two people play every ball 3. Be stopped before opponent’s contact 4. Unconditional effort 5. Constant communication and movement 6. Work within the system

Individual Defensive/Ball Control Skill Cues

Passing: Blocking: 1. Ready position 1. Loaded ready position-hands above head,

bend knees 2. Square shoulders to target 2. Proper Eye Sequence 3. Quick shuffles to the ball 3. Penetrate early and fast with big hands 4. Take ball midline or in emergency, create angle 5. Finish to target Defense: 1. Tight/Quiet Posture 2. Step to dig 3. Accelerate shoulders through ball 4. Finish each dig to target 5. Emergency moves: collapse, extension Movement: 1. Starts with shoulders and feet 2. Step and push 3. Two shuffles and take off running

Defensive Mentality

Individual floor defense can be greatly improved with a good attitude and relentless pursuit!

Each player must have the mindset that “the ball is mine”, have the expectation that the ball is coming to you,

and go after it until someone calls them off!

Defense is Attitude • Relentless pursuit of the ball • Every ball is mine • Make the great play • Expect the ball to come to you

Defense is Technique

• Tight, Square, Step, Accelerate Shoulders, Finish Dig • Work hard in partner drills to improve technically (ex: pepper) • Technique in extensions and collapse digs to increase coverage and defensive radius • Get your arms between the ball and floor AS FAST AS POSSIBLE

Defense is Positioning

• Know your position and responsibilities in each defense • Commit to work together as a system: blockers and defenders • Learn to read and react to hitter tendencies within the system

Defense is Ball Control

• Make the best possible play on the ball (up above our setter’s head, middle of court) • Keep the ball on our side

DEFENSE IS RELENTLESS PURSUIT OF THE BALL!!!

Individual Defensive Technique

Basic Body and Foot Positioning Pre-Contact: READ

1. Feet are slightly wider than shoulder width apart with toes pointing in, squaring to the attacker 2. Weight is forward on balls of feet 3. Knees are bent, shoulders are low, butt is up (an even line from the butt to shoulders) 4. Arms away from body and relaxed 5. Both feet on ground, evenly distributed 6. NO MOVEMENT

Pre-Contact: STEP 1. While in read position, step to the ball while remaining toes squared to the hitter 2. Shoulders should still be in front of foot

Contact: ACCELERATE 1. Keeping in read position and square, shoot your shoulders and platform, use your legs to push 2. Create an angle with platform to control your dig

Contact: DRIVE 1. Drive your platform forwards toward the floor and underneath the ball 2. Finish through the ball to target with outside shoulder

a. Finish with a J-stroke if ball is higher than knees b. Finish with forearms to the ground if ball is lower than knees

OVERHEAD DIG: 1. Same posture as above, read * KEEP BUTT BEHIND YOU THROUGH DIG 2. Step to ball as above, in order to get the ball to your forehead while remaining in posture 3. Strong hands ½ inch from forehead to contact ball 4. Step to target as you release the ball finishing with high flat hands

COLLAPSE DIG: 1. From read position, ACCELERATE your head and shoulders to the ball with a strong platform, while pushing off your feet

(butt should be in the air) 2. DRIVE your platform between the ball and the floor, finishing with both forearms on the ground and hands together 3. FINISH with your hips, shoulders and platform to target

EXTENSION DIG: 1. From read position, take a step towards the ball with knee pointing in direction of the ball and toe square to attacker,

shoulders should be out and low in front of foot 2. ACCELERATE your shoulders to the ball with a strong platform 3. DRIVE your platform between the ball and the floor, finishing with both forearms on the ground and hands together 4. FINISH with your hips, shoulders and platform to target

Blocking Philosophy

Blocking Philosophy: Communication: The entire team needs to know what your hitter is doing and where they are on the court “inside, outside, C, A, etc.…” Movement:

1. Make adjustment step to your hitter after the ball is passed, MUST be stopped when ball is set

2. Beat the hitter to the ball using their line of approach

Discipline:

1. Jump straight up with shoulders square to the net

2. Funnel the ball to our defense

3. Attack the ball, be over on their side of the net EARLY

Zone Blocking System:

1. Our main blocking system in which blockers block the attacker who is in their zone

a. OH blocker has attacker in the furthest left zone

b. RS blocker has attacker in the furthest right zone

c. MB has attacker in the middle of the court

2. We must communicate changes in our zone and switch responsibilities

Blocking-Eye Sequencing & Communication

Individual Eye Focus & Communication *Snapshot: When looking at each of the foci, think of taking a picture, you just need a snapshot of it, fast glimpse, then onto next focus 1st Focus: Ball- LOOK at the pass. SNAPSHOT

1. If the ball is tight, RIP IT! Say “OVER, NAME” or “OVER, MINE” 2. If the ball is on (Purple Defense), watch your hitter, COMMUNICATE where that hitter is

going “inside, outside, Hut, middle, 9, etc.…” a. Blockers adjust and align up with your hitter, stopped on setter contact b. Any crossing patterns should be communicated early and pick up the person in your

zone. 3. If the ball is off (Red-Purple Defense, stay in base until ball is set, pins communicate where

your hitter is “Out, In”: Say “OFF” a. Pin blockers release to hitter and COMMUNICATE where your hitter is b. If ball is set to OH, release to Red c. If ball is set to RS, release to Purple

2nd Focus: Setter- SEE the setter. SNAPSHOT 1. If setter moves forward or backwards along net for pass, do not follow her! Stick to your

zone blocking responsibilities and FIND YOUR HITTER. 2. Communicate where the setter sets the ball

a. “Out” for a set to the OH b. “Back” for a set to the RS c. “Middle” for a set to the MB d. “Backrow” for a set to a backrow attacker

3rd Focus: Ball- LOOK at the set? SNAPSHOT 1. Identify the set and communicate if it is bad or good?

a. “In” for a set that is inside b. “Wide” for a set that is outside the antennae c. “Off” if the set is at least 10 feet off net and is not a backrow attack, or attacker is

standing on feet, no block will take place 4th Focus: Hitter- SEE the hitter; Determine the hitter’s angle of approach and use correct block set-up (You should watch her for the rest of the time of her attack)

1. “Angle” if her angle of approach shows hitting angle 2. “Line” if her angle of approach shows hitting line 3. “Shot” if her approach slows down, showing a tip, roll, or some sort of shot

SYSTEM OVERVIEW Aggressive in everything we do. From bombing at the service line, to executing the offense and using

discipline in our defense to create offensive opportunities; we NEVER STOP putting the pressure on our opponents.

Offensive Philosophy

How To Win: 1. First contact 2. Make plays 3. Out work opponents offensively 4. Attitude 5. Be efficient Rules: 1. First Ball Kill 2. Be up and ready in transition 3. Create opportunities to be offensive 4. Put opponent in out-of-system if you can’t go for the kill 5. Constant communication and movement

Individual Offensive Skill Cues Setting: Attacking: 1. Shape 1. Position 1-first step to ball, fast machine gun to ball 2. Draw 2. Feet open to setter 3. Set, Freeze 3. Position 2-arm drive and draw 4. Right Foot Forward 4. Position 3-snap with wrist and hip 5. Position 4-land on two feet Serving: Communication: 1. Pre-service Routing 1. Early identification 2. Left Foot Forward 2. Loud, clear voice 3. Step-transfer weight back to front 3. Verbal and physical acknowledgement 4. Strike-stiff wrist/big-quick hand 5. Accelerate palm to target

OFFENSIVE OVERVIEW

Aggressive in everything we do. We want to keep the pressure on our opponents by executing our offense and using our defense and ball control to create opportunities. We NEVER STOP putting the pressure on opponents

by working hard in transition to find ways to always attack the ball.

FREEBALL PHILOSOPHY If an opponent gives us a freeball, we expect to get a kill on our attack. There must be a perfect set with a one-

on-one opportunity for the kill. We will score with a freeball in the following ways:

1. Get one-on-one opportunities for our attackers by a perfect pass with 3 in-system fast sets that spread the block.

Examples for 3 hitters: Hut-A/B-8 Examples for 2 hitters: Hut-Slide

2. Create overload situations and set one-on-one in opposite direction of overload. Examples for 3 hitters: Hut-C-Set the 8 or Set the hut, D-8 Examples for 2 hitters: Hut-C-setter attacks

3. Create confusion within opponents blocking system for one-on-one opportunities for setter. Examples for 3 hitters: Hut-Slide-2 or 2-C-8

4. Multiple first tempo attacks in overloaded positions Examples for 3 hitters: Hut-C-B Examples for 2 hitters: 32-A

SERVE RECEIVE PHILOSOPHY

We want to side out at a 60% rate during a match. This will be done with a pass that keeps us in-system and being aggressive with our out-of-system attacking.

We will score in serve receive in the following ways:

1. Get one-on-one opportunities for our attackers by a perfect pass with 3 in-system fast sets that spread the block.

Examples for 3 hitters: Hut-A/B-8 Examples for 2 hitters: Hut-Slide

2. Create overload situations and set one-on-one in opposite direction of overload. Examples for 3 hitters: Hut-C-Set the 8 or Set the hut, D-8 Examples for 2 hitters: Hut-C-setter attacks

3. Create confusion within opponents blocking system for one-on-one opportunities for setter. Examples for 3 hitters: Hut-Slide-2 or 2-C-8

4. Multiple first tempo attacks in overloaded positions Examples for 3 hitters: Hut-C-B Examples for 2 hitters: 32-B

TRANSITION PHILOSOPHY

We want to a dig-to-kill ratio at 33% for our team to be successful. We will do this by working hard in transition and putting ourselves in a position to attack every ball. This is an audible system; you must be loud to

execute. Priorities can change depending on scouting report. Our priorities in transition are as follows:

1. Setter: When the setter is in the front row, she has free reign to attack as much as possible, using all areas of the court.

2. Middles: We want to force our MB’s in transition as much as possible. The higher the pass, the further away from the setter they go, the lower the pass, the closer to the setter they go. They will also have good vision of the opponent’s MB and attack where they are out of position.

3. Right Side: We will use our RS in 1st and 2nd tempo opportunities in attacking using an audible system. Many systems are weaker defensively versus the right-side attack and we will exploit this.

4. Outside/Backrow: This position will naturally get the most sets due to out-of-system plays, we expect them to be prepared for every set by working hard in transition to give themselves different angles and approach lines.

OUT-OF-SYSTEM PHILOSOPHY

During an out-of-system play, we want to make the most aggressive play possible to get the other team into an out-of-system play. Priorities can change depending on scouting report of opponent.

Our priorities when attacking are as follows:

1. Get full approach and hard swing into the deep corners. Pins should always swing deep angle. 2. Make the setter play the first ball. 3. Make the off blocker play the first ball.

Base Purple Red

OB

OB

LB

LB MBMB

RBRB

No Red for RS Attack

Middle Attack

Funnel liberoOB picks up tip

Fist Y 0

12

34

56

7

Serving Positions

Flash number for deep serveShake number for short serve

Hut

5

Shoot 3

2

1

Fly

9

Slide

Red

6

WhiteBlue

Bic

First Tempo (Quick) : Shoot, 3, 1, 6, Slide, Bic (backrow)Second Tempo (Medium) : 5, Hang, 2, 9, Red, White, BlueThird Tempo (Slow) : Hut and Fly

Hang