Volleyballexercises for u16
Last update: january 2026
Execution
- Player 4 delivers a set-up to player 1.
- Player 1 attacks player 2.
- Player 2 defends towards player 3.
- Player 3 delivers a set-up to player 2.
- Player 2 attacks player 1.
- Player 1 defends towards player 4.
- The process repeats.
- After players 3 and 4 have each delivered 5 set-ups, the players switch positions.
- The challenge is to switch while keeping the ball in play.
Execution
- Estimate the ball trajectory.
- Shuffle backwards.
- Stand still and position shoulders correctly.
- Pass accurately to the catcher.
- 3 players stand at the net or on the 3-metre line.
- 1 player acts as the catcher.
- The trainer serves the ball.
- Players shuffle backwards and pass the ball to the catcher at position 2/3.
- The catcher catches the ball and places it in the bin.
- The passer becomes the new catcher, and the empty spot is filled by another player.
Game Setup
- The objective is to get three in a row.
- There are two teams per game.
- Use nine hoops arranged in a square (3x3).
- Each team has three ribbons in their own colour.
- The first player from each team runs to the hoops and places a ribbon.
- The player quickly runs back and tags the next player.
- When a player has no more ribbons, they may move a ribbon.
- The team that first gets three in a row wins the game.
Execution
- Pay close attention to the execution: the pass must be high so that the player can catch the ball overhead.
- For a pass to the right, place the right foot forward.
- For a pass to the left, place the left foot forward.
- Keep the eyes and shoulders in the direction of play.
- The exercise is performed in groups of three with one ball.
- Player 1 and Player 2 stand next to each other, not too close to the net.
- Player 3 stands opposite Player 1 at the back of the court.
- Player 1 throws the ball straight to Player 3.
- Player 3 plays the ball diagonally to Player 2.
- Player 2 catches the ball and throws it straight back to Player 3.
- Player 3 plays the ball diagonally to Player 1.
- Player 3 moves after each action.
Execution
- Everyone stands in a line with the ball between their feet.
- Jump continuously with the ball between the legs.
- Variant 1: Jump with both feet towards another line.
- Variant 2: Perform a jump forward, turn half a rotation, jump backward, turn half a rotation, and so on.
- Variant 3: Place cones or markers and zigzag sideways without turning the face. Make it a competition.
Organization:
- Ball cart on site for ball skills.
- Cones are ready for the game of "cone robbery" at the side of the field.
- Tennis balls are ready for 2nd ball agility.
- Each player takes a ball and distributes around the room.
Game flow:
- Cone robbery team A are taggers team B are runners.
- Throw the volleyball up, crash 1X, play up with your right arm and catch the ball.
- Throw the volleyball up, let 1X collide, play up with your left arm and catch the ball.
- Same as 1 but without catching and throwing.
- Same as 2 but without catching and throwing.
- Alternate between using right and left arm.
- Cone robbery team B are taggers team A are runners.
- Take a tennis ball
- Throw up and catch with 2 hands.
- Throw up, clap 1X in front of you and catch.
- Throw up, clap 1X in front of you and 1X behind you and catch.
- Throw up, clap 1X in front of you, 1X behind you and 1X in front of you and catch.
- Same as 1 but throw and catch with right hand.
- Same as 2 but with left hand.
- Throw the tennis ball up with right hand and tap the ground with both hands when the tennis ball hits the ground and catch the ball.
- Same as 4 but with the left hand.
- Same as 4 but without bots.
- Alternate between left and right hands.
- Cone robbery Team A are tickers team B are runners.
- Take a tennis ball in one hand and volleyball in the other.
- Throw them alternately against the wall.
- Throw the volleyball against the wall and pass the tennis ball to the other hand.
- Same as 2 but with the tennis ball against the wall, pass volleyball.
Challenge:
- Dribble with the volleyball while throwing and catching the tennis ball against the wall. As long as possible.
Preparation
- players stand in a pre-arranged playing field with a ball
Course of play A
- Players bounce through each other while dribbling.
- Players try to touch another person's ball (1 point)
- Variant high, low, right, left dribbling continue to be added during the game
Course of play B
- Players start at the back line (half of the group)
- Run while dribbling to the 3 meter line - 6 meter line - middle line
- Group 1 rolls their ball from the center line under the net and tries to catch up with a dive.
- From the moment the 1st half has reached the center line the 2nd group leaves
Course of play C
- Players bounce through each other while dribbling.
- Players try to knock the ball of another person off the field (only then a point)
Course D
- Players start at the back line (half of the group)
- Run while dribbling to the 3 meter line - 6 meter line - middle line in a sideways motion
- Group 1 rolls their ball from the center line under the net and tries to catch up with a dive.
- From the moment the 1st half has reached the center line the 2nd group leaves
- Exercise is repeated in mirror image. (left & right)
2-pairs:
- throw ball over:
- from neck
- left arm
- right arm
- replay:
- OH - OH
- OH - once for yourself OH
- OH - once for yourself bra
- OH - one time for yourself smash
High quality, firm stand, control.
OH overplaying and trailing under the net.
2 against 2
- At least 1x overplay among themselves, then over the net. After overplaying, run to the net, touch and reverse back into position.
- To the back line, touch and return to position.
(Intention is to keep the ball in play, so no contest. Full control)
Passing exercises:
- In a group of 5 players, the ball should be played to the setter at position 2, who then sets the ball to position 3 set. The catcher catches the ball.
- Play 2 against 2 with a net in between, where all passes must be underhanded and the ball must be passed between them at least once.
- Play out a rally: the trainer throws the ball on and the group handles the ball and plays out the rally.
Quality is important in every exercise, including movement after the action. The passer must move with the ball, the setter must move with the ball after the set, and so on.
Organization:
- Make duos with ball, on either side of the net.
- Distance from the net approximately 4 meters.
- At trio: extra player with ball at the net. At the moment of throwing, the player at the net throws the ball to the "server" and receives from the "passer" a caught ball.
Execution:
- Player with ball throws the ball with 1 hand towards 2nd player.
- Possibly move and catch with outstretched arms in front of the body.
- Then definitely move it sideways, forwards and backwards.
- Possibly pass the ball up in front of himself or to the player at the net.
Start all together on the back line.
We are one team so we stay on one line and do everything 3 times.
On the coach's cue:
We are one team so we stay on one line and do everything 3 times.
On the coach's cue:
- Quiet run to the net, tap ML and return backwards.
- To the net with right knee raise and back left knee.
- To the net with heel-butt right and back left.
- To the net combined with right knee lift and right heel-butt.
- To the net and back in sprint to 7meter line.
- To the net combined with left knee lift and left heel-butt.
- To the net and back in sprint to 7 meter line.
- Slow run to the net, touch ML and backward back.
Organization:
- Making trios
Execution:
- Trio enters the field on P2.
- Trainer throws/strokes ball into backfield
- Triplet must play ball back to Trainer
Objective:
- 1 player calls "loose" and goes for the ball, plays it only upwards
- 2nd player makes sure the ball goes to the 3m-line, where the 3rd player plays the ball to the trainer.
Option:
- 3rd player hits ball from stand to other field, where a trio defends and catches the ball.
Warm-up:
Play in duos. (Quality high, high balls)
Variation:
Play in duos. (Quality high, high balls)
Variation:
- Ground touching
- Moving sideways.
- Player 1 plays the ball to the right,
- Player 2 runs to the ball, plays straight ahead
- Player 2 plays straight ahead
- Now player 2 plays the ball to the right
- Player 1 runs to the ball and plays straight ahead.
- Etc.
- Variation:
- Play 2 pairs.
- Player 1 catches the ball and throws the ball overhead, if possible harder and harder.
- Player 2 plays the ball back.
- Variation:
- Player 2 must come at it from different angles.
- Note: the throw must be good.
- Player 2 must come at it from different angles.
- 4-player:
- Pass the ball under the net.
JB1
4 players/5 players
One setter/ one attacker/ 2 or 3 defenders on one side of the court.
4 players/5 players
One setter/ one attacker/ 2 or 3 defenders on one side of the court.
- Rotate:
- Setter plays the ball to the attacker
- This attacker pushes or smashes the ball to the 2 / 3 defenders
- The defenders play the ball back to the setter.
4 minutes per position. Then rotate.
The playmaker and the attacker determine the game, get difficult balls back under control.
Note: it is an attacking defense, this means that we defend our attack on a possible block, so players without the ball must move along. Then follows again a field defense. From your own position. So, after attack, defense immediately to the field defense.
4 players play attack:
3 players defend with fixed setter. Pass must go to position 2,3 and setter must always have the 2nd ball.
Defenders rotate to some attacks.
TR gives tricky balls.
Variation:
3rd ball is pushed to the TR on the other side of the court. TR plays the ball back immediately. Make sure all players move with the ball, also without the ball. Setter after the set-up immediately in defense.
Players process service from TR and play out rally. Remember to move with the players without the ball.
- 4 against 4 passing, ball may not touch the ground
- Players are not allowed to run with the ball, and it may only be thrown underhand.
- Passing over in pairs:
Variation:
- Run in from a back line, pass and play.
- Change after 10x
- Running backwards to the baseline, passing and playing.
- Turn after 10x
- Run from the left/right, pass and play.
- Turn over after 10x
- Following the pass
- Players start on position 5
- Trainer throws the ball in such a way that the players can just catch it
- Please catch with your arms extended
- Variation:
- From position 6, reverse, face to the other side
- Continuation:
- Players play pass from pos. 5 to 2,5
- Here someone stands to catch the ball to put it in the ball pit
- The passer becomes the catcher, the catcher connects to pass the ball
- Divide group into 2 teams.
- Group 1 will take care of the pass from a throw by the trainer.
- This pass is faster and harder.
- Group 2 handles the balls in the ball pit.
- Switch
- Fixed setter:
- Same exercise but then finish the rally with an attack.
- After that a variation with a service of the trainer.
Organization:
- Players in a row on p1
- Trainer with ball pit on p2
Execution:
- Trainer throws balls in an arc in the middle of the field.
- Players must:
- Catch and pass the ball and throw it in the ballcage.
- Turn to p1 and catch at belly height.
- Make a turn in the run and catch the ball
- Sprint from lying position to the ball and catch it
- At the place where the ball is going to fall, lie down and let the ball bounce on your back
- Objective:
- To prevent miscommunication in the field by keeping appointments.
- Part:
- Pass setup with 4 passers.
- Left hand rule everything that comes right in front and left of you is yours.
- In addition, the outside passers have the short balls that fall in the middle of the field.
- Trainer stands at the other side of the net and starts throwing balls at conflicting places.
- If this goes well, the trainer will hit the balls.
- On the place of the defender there is a catcher who will be relieved after 3 minutes.
- Part 2:
- There is a five-man line-up.
- So a playmaker, a center, a slide and 2 passers/runners.
- The playmaker comes from the right back.
- On the other side are 3 blockers and 1 defender.
- The coach serves to the fivesome.
- The playmaker of the fivesome is only allowed to pass to the attackers who are calling for the ball.(Goal: everyone asks for the ball)
- The rally is played out.
Organization:
- Divide group into 2 fields.
- Make 3 pairs
- Trainer with ball on p1
- 1st duo on P5 and P6 (passing)
- 1 duo on p2 and p4
Execution:
- Trainer serves to p5 or p6, pass to p1
- On p1 setup to p4, catch it and bring it to the trainer on his own field.
- After the pass the 1st duo takes the places at p2 and p4 (change every time)
Tip: in case of an uneven number of pairs, new pairs are formed each time.
- Organization:
- Making triplets
- Implementation.
- Three players enter the field.
- Coach throws/strikes ball into backfield.
- Three players must pass ball back to trainer.
- Objective:
- 1 player calls "loose" and goes for the ball, plays it only upwards.
- 2nd player makes sure the ball goes to the 3m-line, where the 3rd player plays the ball to the trainer.
- Option:
- 3rd player plays the ball to the trainer, 3rd player plays the ball to the trainer, 3rd player plays the ball to the trainer, 3rd player plays the ball to the trainer.
- Goal:
- Technically good attacks.
- Need:
- 4/5 players, enough balls.
- 1 player stands on the distributor position (between position 2 and 3).
- 1 player stands on the other side of the net to return the ball.
- 2 or 3 attackers on outside position.
- SV plays the ball directly overhand to position 4.
- 1 attacker comes in and hits straight.
- Points of Attention:
- Getting ready:
- Attacker stands outside the sideline and behind the 3-metre line.
- Play:
- Waiting for ball to come out of hands of playmaker (SV).
- Then the attacking run:
- Small step left.
- Arms forward.
- Big step right.
- Arms backwards.
- Connect left.
- Feet parallel to the net.
- Arms forward/up.
- Come out of the knees.
- Jumping.
- Stroke arm backwards (like pitcher baseball).
- Other arm pointing in direction of where you are hitting.
- ROUTINE:
- Balls are hit over the net.
- Offender gets back in line with the attackers.
- Offender other side of the net makes sure SV has enough balls.
- After a few minutes turn through until everyone has been SV.
- Getting ready: