SERVING GUIDELINES
- The serve can be either an offensive or defensive skill. Work towards 100% consistency.
- Direction of serve. Serve to:
- Weak receiver
- Any substitute
- Any player upset over last play
- Any player upset over a stuffed spike
- Any player arguing with an official
- Any player that makes a serve-receive error
- Any player that spikes the ball out-of-bounds
- To the middle hitter
- Serving preparation:
- Always collect your thoughts before serving. The serve is the only play completely in the control of one player-YOU!! You are not responding to any stimulus other than the referee's whistle. You can impose your will on your opponents.
- Remember how hard your team has fought to win the opportunity serve. You gain no points for a service fault or by serving the ball out-of-bounds. Rather you give the other team a point and the opportunity to serve against your team.
- Pause before serving to gather your thoughts and to better enable yourself to concentrate on your target. Make the serve tough but make it IN!!
- Survey the other team's serve reception pattern. Look for weak spots or for players not skilled in passing. Is their team lined up too short or deep? Would a soft serve cause problems? Can you serve into the path of the setter? Will a serve to a seam cause more than one player to attempt to pass the ball.
- Your serve must be IN when:
- Team's first serve of the game.
- Your first serve.
- After any time out.
- After winning a long rally.
- If the server before you made a service error.
- After scoring three consecutive points.
- After any block for a point.
- Game point for either team.
- Anytime either team is within three points of winning a game.
- Anytime your team is three or more points behind.
- Physical errors are excusable. Mental errors are not!! Think before you serve. Concentrate on your target.