4 Volleyball Blocking Fundamentals Tactics That Stop Front Row Hitters

It's so important to know these four volleyball blocking fundaments to use with your team's defensive strategy so you can block more balls for points at the net.


These volleyball blocking fundamentals are super important for you when you're in the front row because you need to be able to work together with your back row teammates on defense so everybody is on the same page about each other's responsibilities. 


Volleyball Blocking Fundamentals
Off Side Blocker Strategies


The primary responsibility of the offside blocker in volleyball is to dig the sharp cross court hit, or depending on the team's defensive blocking strategies, may be to pick up any tips that are supposed to land to an open space behind your blockers or to the middle of their court.

In this picture below of the Arizona State volleyball players in defense, the left side player wearing the number 12 jersey was the offside blocker because the Cal Bears left side hitter (seen crouching at the net with the white jersey with the yellow stripe) was set the ball.


The Cal Berkeley hitter tipped the ball to the middle of the court over the Arizona State double block and is watching as the left side off blocker is playing defense in an effort to keep her tip off the ground.



Volleyball Blocking Fundamentals
What Is The Purpose Of  Having Two Players Block?


A two-player block reduces the amount of court a hitter can hit the ball to.



With two players blocking against a hitter, the hitter doesn't have as many open spaces on the court to hit to and is forced to hit to the area of the court the double blockers are not covering.



The hitter may choose to hit down the line if the double block is "covering" or blocking their ability to attack the ball to the cross court area along the net...



....or they will hit hard cross court if the blocker volleyball tactics have the block take away the line.

Below in the picture of the players at the net, the Missouri State blockers have successfully taken away the hitter's ability to hit the line shot, so they are forcing her to hit around their hands past the block to the cross court area of their court.



They closed the seam of the block and positioned themselves so their hands took away the hitter's option to hit down the line so they are "channeling the ball" to their defense laying in wait in their Zone 5 area.


4 Volleyball Blocking Fundamentals Tactics That Stop Front Row Hitters 
Why Do Teams Double Block?


Why do teams place a double block at the net?

Teams place a double block in front of a hitter to:

Because its probably one of the blocker volleyball tactics they've decided to use against this particular hitter.

They may have decided to "take away" or to block her line shot and to force her to hit cross court where they probably have their libero or best defensive player waiting cross court ready to dig her spike up.

If they do, they can replay the ball and run the offense they planned to run in an effort to score a point.



When faced with a double block, hitters are more likely to use other options like the "tip", where the hitter at the height of their jump will tip the ball softly over the double block in hopes that the ball lands in an open area of the court, out of the block's reach and away from the defense.




4 Volleyball Blocking Fundamentals Tactics That Stop Front Row Hitters 
What Makes a Good Double Block?

The job of the players forming a double block is to keep the space between the two of them, especially the area between the blocker's hands, closed while they are block jumping.(White and Blue Review)4 Volleyball Blocking Fundamentals Tactics That Stop Front Row Hitters: The job of the players forming a double block is to keep the space between the two of them, especially the area between the blocker's hands, closed while they are block jumping.(White and Blue Review)

What makes a good double block?

If the players forming the double block don't keep their hands close enough to each other or close enough to their blocking partner's hands, it renders their block less effective.



Instead of forming a solid wall that should stop the hitter, they have a hole in that wall that a savvy hitter can aim for and hit through.




The job of the players forming a double block is to keep the space between the two of them, especially the area between the blocker's hands, closed while they are block jumping.


This has been an important message by your favorite volleyball coach! That's me!!

Thanks for visiting.

Be sure to check out more of my volleyball articles by clicking one of the links below!  (April Chapple)

4 Volleyball Blocking Fundamentals Tactics That Stop Front Row Hitters 
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  3. Or visit the pages in the Tactics section in the drop down menu at the top of the page

Read more about tactics used in volleyball on these pages. 




  1. Improve Your Volleyball Performance with Vegas VB Coach April Chapple
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  3. Six High School Varsity Volleyball Skills That Top Prep Players Crush
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