Offenses are situational in character, requiring different tactical considerations for each situations. For example, when a team is serve-receiving it is in a SIDE-OUT situation. When a team is serving, it is in a POINT-SCORING situation. Tactically speaking, this is an important difference.
Side-Out Offense
When understanding the circumstances surrounding the side-out phase of the game, certain conclusions are inescapable. First, side-out offensive tactics should reflect a concern for minimizing errors. Second, all side-out situations begin with the reception of serve and the execution of serve-receive offense. Passing accuracy and first-ball offense efficiency are central ingredients in a strong side-out game. And third, player specialization in both receiving and attacking roles are essential skills in the design of side-out offensive system.
One consideration stands out from all others in assessing the side-out, or serve-receive offense situation-any mistake will give the opposition a point. Therefore, tactics for serve-receive offense should be designed not only to win the side-out, but also to reduce the potential for error. In other word, serve-receive should be low-risk.
Low risk can mean a variety of things. For example, it might involve always setting the hitter with the highest attack percentage. It might mean setting the hitter who is matched up against the opponent's weakest blocker. Or it might mean setting a normally high-risk set that, because of a player's unique talents, make it low risk for that team.
The primary reason for low risk offense is to minimize the chances of an unforced error giving the opponent an easy point.
To guarantee the low-risk factor in serve receive offense, a team should always designate at least one set within each attack sequence as an outlet set. An outlet set is a safe, high set requiring only minimal standards for pass location and setter to hitter timing. Offensive plays without an outlet, that is, plays which consist of only quick or low second option sets, are high risk plays. These plays demand a perfect pass as well as perfect timing from everyone in the offensive pattern.
It is possible that against certain opponents the low-risk outlet-oriented offense won't work. In such a case, a tactical adjustment from a low to higher risk offense becomes necessary. With the higher-risk patterns comes greater deception, and with greater deception comes an increase potential for beating the block and winning side-out. At the same time, this increased side-out potential is always accompanied by an increase in the risk of giving points to the opponents because of errors in execution. Though high-risk strategies are sometimes justifiable during serve-receive, it should be remembered that the principle of low-risk tactics should also apply to these same situations.
Side-Out Transition Offense
Many transition opportunities occur during rallies that have been initiated by the other team's serve. These are not point-scoring situations. Yet, because they occur during the transition from defense to offense, they are treated in the same fashion as point-scoring opportunities. All of the tactical considerations described above can apply to this category of transition offense, except one. A mistake is not merely a side-out; it means giving a point to the opponent. The setter and hitters must always be aware of whether the situation is a side-out or point-scoring opportunity. In side-out transition situations, there needs to be a compromise between low-risk and high-risk offensive patterns. If a team's ball control and play execution is precise enough to get a step ahead of the defense, then a higher-risk, quicker developing attack pattern should be used. When circumstances can not be controlled or if a team's ball control and play execution is less than desirable, then the play options should include low-risk sets.
Point-Scoring Offense
Point-scoring offensive opportunities suggest a different frame of mind. A team's transition philosophy should be as follows "When the opportunity to score points is presented through a dug ball, down ball, or free ball, the team-every time-works to get into hitting positions so that we can mount our maximum attack. Point making transition is an attitude. The attitude is that if we create or the opponent gives us the opportunity to score, we will, with the maximum impact."
Point-Scoring Transition Offense
Point-scoring opportunities, commonly referred to as transition offense, differ from side-out situations in that errors only result in a side-out, not a point. Furthermore, successful execution of the offensive play will, in fact, EARN a point. Because losing a side-out is not as severe a penalty as giving a point, and because a team should maximize any possible opportunity to score a point, higher-risk offensive plays are more desirable
Another reason to use the higher-risk, quicker developing attack patterns in transition is that these offensive opportunities always begin with attack reception. Whether the opponent has just spiked the ball into the defense or has floated a free ball into an easily organized receiving pattern, a team now has the chance to mount a counter attack before the opponent can convert from offense to defense. In other word, the defending team has the chance to gain the advantage, and the goal of every team is to develop its counter attack before the opponent can organize a defense.
One way of accomplishing this, at least when the attack reception is controllable, is to lower the trajectory and increase the velocity of the pass so that the setter receives the ball as quickly as possible. Then move immediately into one of the quicker developing combination patterns, setting up one of the quick options. By minimizing the elapsed time between the first pass and the final attack, the offensive team increases its chances of gaining the advantage over a slower reacting defense.
Transition Offense must be Flexible
Another important consideration regarding transition is that, depending on their defensive position prior to the upcoming attack opportunity, the location of attackers at the beginning of each offensive sequence may vary. As a result, hitters may find themselves in awkward positions for attacking certain sets.
One way to cope with this problem is to allow the out-of-position hitter to audible to an attack pattern that more accurately fits the situation. Because of the unpredictability of defensive positioning, it is always possible that variations in attacker deployment will occur. Transition offenses should be flexible to allow players to make last second adjustments in attack routes.
Coverage Offense
Coverage offense occurs when an attack attempt is blocked back into the attacking team's court, and the attacking team is able to cover the ball and prepare for another attack.
At the beginning of coverage offense, both teams are bunched near the point of attack. The attacking team is in its offensive coverage formation, and the defensive team has sent two blockers to the ball. Because only one contact, the block, is used to return the ball into the attacking court, the transition time available to each team is very short. Within this brief time period, the blocking team must rebalance its defense, and the coverage team must reposition itself for its next attack. Two primary attack strategies can be used in this phase of the offense. First, the nearest available hitter should approach the setter for a quick set. The chances of beating the block are excellent. The second option is to set away from the original point of attack. Few teams are capable of rebalancing their block and backcourt defense quickly enough to be in good position to defend against this type of attack.
Out-Of-System Offense
The out-of-system offense is used when a team's first pass can not be handled by the setter or is so far off the intended mark that all intended play options are useless.
The unpredictability of ball location makes it difficult to design a consistent set of tactics. However, there are certain rules that apply. First, when the setter is not able to establish position under the pass, another player must step up and play the ball. Every player must be alert for this situation and be prepared to set the ball, if necessary. Secondly, it is important for players to know the highest percentage set to execute from each area of the court. Third, attackers must be ready to adjust their angles of approach. In this situation, sets often come to the hitter from unusual points. In order to maintain proper hitting position in relation to the ball, the hitter's line of approach must enable her to stay behind the set's line of flight.
Fourth, because the hitters must track a set coming from an awkward angle and cannot see the opponent's block, shot selection becomes very important. Hitters should attack the set and hit the ball high and deep into the open areas of the opponent's court. This tactic reduces the blockers' chances of for an easy stuff block.
Summary