Principles and Considerations

1. Attempt tactically only what the players can execute technically correct.
2. Develop systems that are appropriate to the competitive levels of play.
3. Expose the team's strengths and camouflage the weaknesses. A coach must evaluate each member of the team to determine what assets and weaknesses that athlete brings to the team. Developing playing systems that best display the athletes' strengths and camouflages the weaknesses should be the goal when developing a playing system for a team.
4. The systems of play should be easy to practice. The amount of time required to learn the system should fit into the season schedule and into the allotted training time.
5. Each playing system should be accompanied by a consistent communication system. The most efficient elements of communication are one syllable words in easily heard tones. Players should also be able to communicate with their hands, using different combinations and numbers of fingers to indicate particular plays.
6. The playing systems should incorporate tactical flexibility. A team should be able to adjust to the opponents strengths and weaknesses and the different game or match situations.

When considering a volleyball playing system, a coach must decide upon how much specialization of individuals will be used. Young players should be able to sample all playing positions in volleyball. Later, as a player develops and discovers a specific role in the game, specialization will occur. Whatever the decision, a coach should put the player into a position to experience the most learning success. A player's volleyball experience should be a positive experience. It is the coach's responsibility to make sure this happens.

In determining which playing system to be employed, a coach must keep in mind the strengths and weaknesses of each team member. A coach must also determine those elements that his/her team can control and those that either cannot be controlled or are a low priority. Those player skills such as setting, hitting, serve reception, and blocking and those team attributes such as serving order, player chemistry, and floor defense need to be considered. These are the key elements of the game for which a coach must plan.

A coach must select a playing system that maximizes the team's abilities. The following aspects will need to be taken into consideration when deciding upon a playing system.

Setting

Setting is an intermediate contact. Without consistent, controlled setting there will be few terminal contacts from the attack. Setters must make split-second choices, often while chasing down a less-than-accurate pass, and have to execute precisely. Setting is a most difficult skill that requires outstanding athletic ability. Because of the importance of setting, a coach should develop the offensive system around the available setters and their level of abilities.

Hitting

The actual spiking of the ball is a terminal attack. It is a glory skill. A strong attack can be a momentum changer. In serve-receive situations, a strong successful attack will cause a side-out, thus preventing the opponent from scoring. A strong attack will lead directly to points if the opponents cannot dig the spike.

Serve Reception

A team can have the best setter in the world of volleyball. The spikers can be fearsome during warmups. A team can make the gym and the opponents shudder during pregame warm-ups. Yet, when the game begins, all the above is for not if a team cannot successfully pass the other team's serve. If the players pass the ball all over the gym, the setter becomes an average sprinter and the fearsome hitters become spectators. With a good serve-receive, the offensive system becomes useless.

Serving Order

For the younger players, the serve can be a deadly weapon. No matter how large a lead, it will not be enough if the other team possess players who consistently serve powerful and accurate serves. A coach must decide how effective is the team's serving game and whether good servers are preferable to good hitters, passers, or setters. Hopefully, all the players will be able to combine the skills of passing, setting, hitting and serving into being a consummate volleyball player. Reality, however, says this will not always be the situation. Once the players, develop a consistent, accurate serve, the coach must decide in what order the players will serve and weigh that service order against the other responsibilities of the players.

Chemistry

The perfect team on paper, in terms of balanced responsibilities, can be shattered on the court if the athletes playing next to each other cannot get along. All the refined skills in the world cannot make up for teammates who do not communicate.

Floor Defense

Most team systems are built around the offense. Yet the defense can score points. A coach's dilemma is whether to put good defenders on the court instead of big hitters. Also how important are ball handlers who never let a ball touch the floor without relentless pursuit? Just how important are those players who can shut down the opponent's attack? These are important considerations when determining a playing system an who plays within that system..

Blocking

At the developmental level of volleyball skills, blocking is a minor skill. There is little need to form a block because strong attackers are generally inconsistent. As the skill levels increase, especially in the upper grades, every team develops good attackers that need to be stoped at the net. In order to block the other team's attack, players are taken from one defensive position (digger) and placed in another (blocker.) Do the digger to blocker trade-off favor your team's abilities? Knowing when to block and whom to block is a very important coaching decision. The selected volleyball system should be designed to coordinate the whos, wheres, and whens of blocking.