Numbers show the difficulty of stopping the attack at the net. The net spans thirty feet in-bounds. A single blocker, with perfectly positioned hands, eliminates slightly more than one-and-a half feet. Two blockers, perfectly positioned, eliminates three to four and a half feet of the net.
The perfect set arrives three to four and a half feet from the net. The blockers penetrate their hands across the net a distance of one-and-a half feet or less.
When the perfectly positioned double-block confronts the perfectly executed attack, the block can protect more than half the court (figures 1, 2.)The problem is that a team often does not correctly execute the double block. And when the double block is correctly formed, the spiker may still spike over the block.
The depth of the set influences the area of the court that the blockers protect. The deeper the set is off the net, the less court space is protected by the block (figures 3,4.) A set near the net gives the advantage to the blockers.
The most common blocking system is the read-blocking system. In read-blocking. the blockers locate all the available hitters but focus their attention on the setter. The blockers read the setter to determine where the set will go. Then they react.
Read-blockers align themselves near the middle half of the net as they await the attack (figure 5.) The left blocker starts about eight feet in from the left sideline (zone 2.) The right blocker starts about eight feet in from the right sideline (zone 4.) The middle blocker lines up between the two outside blockers (zone 3.)
A balanced starting position allows the blockers to cover any attack along the net. The middle blocker moves to cover any of the quick sets (figure 6.} The middle blocker can move to either sideline to form a double-block with the outside blockers (figure 7.)
The left blocker helps the middle blocker with any hitter on the left half of the net. The right blocker helps the middle blocker with any hitter on the right half of the court (figures 8,9.)
Against an opponent who frequently sets the ball to the right sideline, the right blocker may choose to position herself closer to the right sideline (zone 5.) From here the right blocker can quickly cover the right outside attack (figure 10.)
During the opponents' first contact, the read blocker is busy making herself aware of the attackers' movements. She communicates these movements to her teammates and she adjust her position to the hitters' movements. Concentrating her attention on the setter, the read-blockers do not commit themselves until the setter shows where she will set the ball.
Sometimes the setter shows her intentions before she contacts the ball. Court conditions can pre-determine the setter's options. A setter in the front raw provides two primary hitters. A back row setter can use three primary hitters. An imperfect pass as well as the setter arriving late to set can reduce the number of offensive options. If the blockers can make an early educated guess as to where the setter will set the ball, they should try to position themselves early.
The movements in read-blocking are simple. The blockers move left and right but stay in their relative positions. The left blocker stays on the left, the middle blocker stays in the middle, and the right on the right side of the court. Blockers move as if guided by the overlap rule: converge together at anyone point along the net but do not cross.
The middle blocker's first responsibility is to protect against the quick attack. She guards the center of the net, fronting the opponent's one, back one, and three (figure 6.) If the middle blocker thinks the one (or back one or the three) will be set, she jumps with the quick attacker and stuff blocks. If the middle blocker is uncertain of the quick attack, she jumps low and soft-blocks. If she sees little or no possibility for a quick attack and a greater possibility for another attack, she leaves her middle of the court position and moves to double-block with a teammate (figure 7.)
The reading middle blocker follows the inside-to-outside pattern again and again. She guards against the quick attack and then moves left or right to double block. Forming a timely, unified block with the outside blocker is a middle's greatest challenge.
The reading left blocker has responsibilities that range the entire length of the net. The left blocker helps the middle blocker with both the back one and one (figure 7.)
She will attack block if she expects the quick attack, she may soft-block if she is unsure; or she may remain on the floor with her hands high to make the setter aware of her presence thus influencing the setter's point of attack.
The left blocks all sets on the left side of the net, including quicks, shoots, slides and back row attacks. She double blocks with the middle on these attacks, positioning herself in front of the hitter's striking shoulder (figure 8.) If the middle blocker cannot arrive in time to help, the left blocker protects against the crosscourt attack.
If the left blocker is not involved in the block she will take a position off the net to either retrieve a tipped ball or dig a sharp cross court attack.
If the setter is in the front row, the left blocker has an added responsibility of reading the setter's intentions to tip or spike the ball.
The reading right blocker also has responsibilities that range the entire length of the net.
The right blocker's responsibilities include helping the middle blocker with all quick attacks on the right side of the net and any sets to the right sideline (figures 7,9.) These include any quicks right of center, shoots, or back row attacks. She double blocks with the middle on these attacks, positioning herself in front of the hitter's striking shoulder. If the middle blocker cannot arrive in time to help, the right blocker protects against the cross court attack.
If the right blocker is not involved in the block she will take a position off the net to either retrieve a tipped ball or dig a sharp cross court attack.
.Reading the Spiker
Spikers usually attempt to avoid the block by hitting the ball crosscourt or down the line. A better blocker knows whether the average spiker plans to hit inside or outside the block. She can judge this by analyzing or "reading" the spiker's approach to the set, her body alignment, and her arm swing. All spikers give some indication of where they plan to hit the ball, although better spikers try to conceal their intentions until the last split-second or until the spikers are in mid-air. The blocker should watch the spiker's approach, upper body and arm swing.
The following hints will help the blocker to read or analyze certain types of spikers and situations.
There are several common errors that blockers make while attempting to block.