There are three contributing principles to designing a team's offensive system.

Strength Versus Weakness Principle

First, an offense should be designed so that a team can get the ball as often as possible to its highest percentage hitter. For example, it might involve always setting the hitter with the highest attack percentage or it might mean setting the hitter who is matched up against the opponent's weakest blocker. This hitter then hits the ball into the zone that is least likely to be defended adequately by the opponent.

Shared Responsibility Principle

Second, hitters should share in the decision regarding which attack pattern to run in a particular situation. Hitters should share the play-calling responsibilities with the setter. Hitters are just as capable as the setters of synthesizing information and making calls.

Adaptable Offense Principle

And third, that offense, particularly transition offense, should be more adaptive to changing situations. An offense should be creative, flexible, and responsive to rapidly changing circumstances as they evolve during each rally. Thought must be given to creating an offense that permits diversity, deception, flexibility, and adaptiveness to enhance a team's scoring ability.

Types of Offensive Systems

The Play System

It is common for coaches to design offenses around the concept of plays. A list of plays would constitute a team's in-system offense. These plays would be memorized and signaled to each player by means of a prearranged system of communication. A team's list of plays might look something like the table below.

Note: R is the set assigned to the right outside hitter in a three hitter rotation. BR is the set assigned to the back row hitter in a two hitter rotation.

Though this list is brief, it represents the kinds of offensive patterns run by teams who employ pre-arranged, memorized plays. When the play is called, everyone carries out a specific assignment. The play must unfold in a strictly consistent fashion so that the setter knows where each hitter is located. Preoccupied with the often demanding task of establishing good position under the pass, it would be difficult for a setter to react to an unannounced, last second change in a hitter's approach pattern.

The Audible System

The next step in the evolution offensive tactics is to move past the above rigid interpretation of offense plays and use the concept of hitter options WITHIN designed plays. For example, the right outside attacker in play 2 above could have the option of hitting a 2-ball or 4-ball off the middle hitter's quick 1 attack. The right outside attacker's choice would depend upon the location of the opponent's middle and left side blockers. If the outside blocker is cheating inside to help the middle blocker stop the middle hitter's quick 1 attack, then the right outside hitter should call for a 4-ball at slot 5. If the outside blocker is lined up near the sideline and the middle blocker looks to commit to the middle hitter's quick attack, then the right outside hitter could call for a 2-ball at the 4 slot.

One necessary component in the execution of the option play is the audible call by the hitter. The hitter's read on the block and the option call must be made while the first pass is in flight to the setter. As explained above, only by the right outside hitter calling out 2 or 4 as the ball is being passed can the setter know which option to set.

The use of audibles creates offensive diversity in the transition game. The use of an audible call permits teams to execute a different attack pattern during each offensive series during long rallies.

Another by-product of the audible system, is the including of the hitters in the decision making process of who to set and what type of set to use. In the play oriented offense scheme, the setter determines the play and the hitters are locked into predetermined attack routes. With the audible system, the hitters take a greater responsibility for choosing their approach routes. The setter still has the ultimate responsibility of choosing which hitter to set. But the hitters, by being able to make reads and initiate audible calls, play a more decisive role in determining the overall configuration of the offense. Thus the task of deciding how to use the offense, how to select the correct offensive tactics to beat a particular opponent is a shared responsibility and not left for one person, the setter, to decide.

The Primary Hitter System

In each rotation, one hitter is designated as the primary hitter, another hitter is determined to be the secondary hitter and a third hitter is call an outlet hitter.

The primary hitter should be the highest percentage hitter in that rotation. In this system the primary hitter triggers the offense by making the first call. Looking over the opponent's block and defense, the primary hitter decides which set would provide the best chance to score. The setter picks up the call and, if the first pass is in-system, sets the primary hitter in the desired location.

The secondary hitter in each rotation makes a call AFTER the primary hitter's call. The secondary hitter's call must be complimentary to the first call. "Complementary" in the sense that, together, both audibles are consistent with the principles of good offensive tactics. Good offensive tactics dictate that the offense should be able to keep the opponent from getting two blockers to the point of attack. The possibilities for complementary combinations are numerous. The main point in this system, the secondary hitter has the responsibility to make the next call complementary to the initial call of the primary hitter.

The outlet hitter is the last attack role in the primary hitter system. In each attack sequence, there must be an outlet, a high safety set, available to the setter in case of an out-of-system pass or breakdown in the development of the quicker options. The outlet hitter, normally the left outside hitter, receives a large number of sets during a match. It is not necessary for the outlet hitter to call a set. The outlet hitter is deployed in an outside attack position ready to approach and swing at a high set whenever it comes her way.

In serve-receive situations, the hitters make their calls using hand signals. During the dead-ball period before the serve, the setter glances first at the primary hitter to pick up the call. The secondary hitter, also reading the primary hitter's call decides on a complementary set and flashes the second signal to the setter. In transition situations, the plays are called using audibles. In any in-system transition situation, the primary hitter calls the set as the ball is being passed. The secondary hitter processes the first call and quickly audibles a complementary call.

In assigning roles in this system, the following applies. In three-hitter formations, the middle hitter for that rotation is assigned to the primary hitter role. The right-side hitter is the secondary hitter and the left-side hitter will attack the outlet set. In the two-hitter rotations, the middle hitter is the primary hitter. The outside hitter is the secondary hitter. The outlet duties are shared by the outside hitter and the back row hitters

Roles in this system can change during a match. If someone other than the player originally assigned to be primary hitter gets "hot," that player can be made the primary hitter and the setter can continue to set that player. The original primary hitter becomes the secondary hitter, and the system remains intact. The hitters have switched roles, but the concepts are the same.

The advantages of this system are many when compared with the play type or audible type systems.

• The team's highest percentage hitters receive the majority of the in-system sets. And they get to attack sets in the zone of their choice. This promotes a high level of confidence in both the hitter and the team.
• The burden of play calling is taken away from the setter. There are no memorization requirements. The hitters take on an active role in set determination, freeing the setter to concentrate on the important task of selecting which setter to set.
• The system is extremely flexible and adaptable. It provides an easy mechanism for hitters to locate and attack the opponent's vulnerabilities.
• the use of audibles allows a team to present a different offensive "look" with each thrust during lengthy rallies with multiple offensive opportunities.
• The system is not difficult to learn or to execute.
• The concept of "plays" is modified under the primary hitter system. There are no memorized set plays. Instead, plays are replaced by the concept of PRIMARY, COMPLEMENTARY, and OUTLET.

It is these final two concepts that motivate and shape a team's offensive personality. Not a list of restrictive, memorized plays.