How to Play Volleyball: A Beginner's Guide.

Volleyball looks fast, but the basics are simple. Once you understand the court, scoring and the six core skills, you can start playing in an afternoon.

Court and teams

Two teams of six face each other across a net. A team may touch the ball up to three times before it goes back over – the classic pattern is pass – set – attack. The same player can’t touch it twice in a row.

Scoring and rotation

Volleyball uses rally scoring: a point is won on every rally. Sets go to 25 (win by two), matches are best of five. Each time you win the serve back, players rotate one spot clockwise.

The 6 basic skills

Serve, pass (bump), set, attack (spike), block and dig. You don’t need all six on day one – passing and serving alone let you play a real game.

“Learn to pass and serve first. That’s enough to play your first rally.”

Drills

1. Learn the ready position

   Feet shoulder-width, knees bent, weight on the balls of your feet, hands in front.

2. Master the forearm pass

   Straighten your arms into a platform and control the ball off your forearms. Aim for 10 in a row against a wall.

3. Learn the underhand serve

   Hold the ball, swing your other arm from below and strike it. Land it in the court before adding power.

4. Add the overhead set

   Make a triangle with your fingers, contact the ball above your forehead, push with the fingertips.

5. Play pass–set–attack

   With two friends, use all three touches: pass, set, hit it over. Three clean touches is a big milestone.

6. Play a small game (3v3)

   Small-sided games give far more touches. Play to 15 and focus on keeping rallies alive.