Chapter 5 - The Block

Warren W. Smith

The block is only one phase of the total defensive system. Other phases include receiving the serve, covering behind the spiker, and executing various recovery shots. These will be treated in Chapter 8. It is difficult to separate the parts of a defensive system, for they go hand in hand. For this reason, additional attention will be devoted to blocking in Chapter 8.

Rules Pertaining to the Block

1. Definition: Blocking is a defensive play close to the net in which the players attempt to intercept the ball as and at the position where it crosses the net. It includes a player raising a hand or hands above the head even though they do not go above the net. (Rule 1.02) x
   
   
2. Comments: Rules 8.00 on Net Play and 9.00 on Other Play cover related aspects of blocking. These briefly include a player shall not contact or reach over the net, cross the center line, make successive contacts alone, or throw the ball upon receiving a spike.2

Importance of the Block

The importance of certain fundamentals in a game have a tendency to remain constant over the years. This is true of blocking in volleyball, although the strategy in blocking has changed radically during the past decade.

Ten years ago Caldwell placed the following importance on blocking: "Your team cannot hope to win if they do not block and block well." 3 Today Selznick places practically the same value on this phase of the game: "Blocking is probably the difference between the winning and losing teams." 4

Purpose of the Block

Many believe that the block is primarily a means to project the ball into the blockers' court in a manner that makes it easy to set. Actually, it seldom happens that way. A blocked spike usually rebounds toward the opponents' court. Often the opponents cannot recover the ball before it touches the floor. When this occurs, the block in reality has become an offensive weapon.

Many coaches emphasize the offensive nature of the block. In analyzing the first-place finish of the Stockton YMCA in the 1954 and 1955 National Championships, Klinger wrote: "Our emphasis is placed on blocking as we feel we can't match the Southern California teams in ball handling. In order to get on the court with them, we must stop them at the net. We feel that blocking is the real offense of volleyball." 5

The effectiveness of the block can be measured by the number of points won or lost through its use. However, a good block at a strategic point in a game is worth more than a point.

The block affects individual and team morale. A spiker who is continually blocked effectively may lose his spirit, thereby reacting on his team. For the defense this can give added inspiration and help make better team play.

"The block should be put up like a solid wall. As a spiker gets tired, his spikes tend to straighten out, and a solid block will get its percentage of blocks. A three-man block carefully coached will wear down any spiker." 6

Individual Blocking

In better competition today one seldom sees any player block alone. Two-man, three-man, and four-man blocks are the most prominent. Therefore, a player must fit into a blocking team, but each member of the blocking team must master the individual skills. These individual skills include timing, hand position, body position, and reaction.

A player should time his block to be in position immediately after the spike. "If the blocker delays his jump and blocks the ball on his way up, there is a great risk to return a very high ball most often out of the court. If the ball is blocked during the blocker's descent, it is carried down and nine times out of ten drops between the blocker and the net. Blocking should be made with the hands not moving at the dead point of the jump." 7

Each man must learn to jump from a position near the net and return to that spot. That spot will be about 18 inches from the net. "Bring all your blockers close to the net and then do your shifting along the net. If the blockers lunge from a distance, their hands tend to go over the net, and the fingers cannot be slanted back because of the forward body position." 8 Players who do this also run the risk of touching the net or landing across the center line.

Arm motion must be entirely in front of the body. There is not much elbow room in close quarters while blocking.

The hands should be within two or three inches of the net. "If the hands are as far away as six inches, the spike will be driven down between the net and hands." 9 Tilting the hands back prevents injury to the fingers and lessens the danger of having the finger tips go over the net. It is surprising how many good players have not learned this simple technique. They lose vital points by carelessly allowing their fingers to reach over the net. (See Illustration #8 in Chapter 4 for a good three-man block.)

During the setup the blocker should not watch the ball but instead should watch the angle in which the opposing spiker is facing and the angle of the spiker's arm. This will assist him in detecting in which direction the spiker intends to drive the ball. Then the blocker should shift his eyes to the ball.

At the moment the ball is struck, the blocker should stiffen his arms to offset the shock of the drive. Any tendency to push at the ball is poor technique, for it leads to over-the-net fouls and occasional ball-handling errors.

A player with good timing and hand and body position still needs to be ready for the next play. So get ready! Bring the hands and arms down. Learn to play a falling ball with the fist, both forearms, or back of the hand to avoid being called for lifting.

Team Blocking

Effective blocking consists of individuals moving as a team to a position. This team must shift position hurriedly and in unison in order to be at the net at the time of the spike. Proper timing is of the essence.

When three players are blocking, the center player blocks straight ahead. This means he is trying to have his hands parallel to the net in line with the probable direction of the spike. The players on either side angle in to keep the ball from deflecting off their hands and out of bounds. The total result is a concave barrier of six hands which attempts to intercept the spiked ball and, at the same time, keep it from skewing off to one side. These six hands must be close together to prevent a ball from going through.

There are several patterns for the three-man block. The better teams employ more than one pattern in a game, taking into consideration a player's blocking ability, height, ability to cover the court, and physical condition.

The standard method of nine or ten years ago consisted of front-line players blocking from their normal positions. The three players simply moved together at the point of spiking and executed a block. When setters learned to set over the head and to the side lines, this style of blocking became obsolete.

Teams soon found that by moving a back-line player to the net, they could usually get up a three-man block regardless of the point of spiking. Variations of this plan are now used by all the leading teams.

The simplest is moving the center back to the front line between the center and right forwards. The center back becomes the center of a three-man block to his right, and the right of a three-man block to the left side of the net. In this pattern the center forward and center back block constantly, while the left and right forwards block on their side of the net only.

The timing of the block is accomplished after the center back moves toward the net. He moves into position to the right of the center forward. Then these two men shift quickly to the right or left as the occasion demands.

Fig. #5. DEFENSE AGAINST SPIKE FROM RIGHT FORWARD
First Move                           Second Move

O—Path of player;              Direction of spike

Fig. #6. DEFENSE AGAINST SPIKE FROM LEFT FORWARD
First Move                       Second Move

O—Path of player;                   Direction of spike

Another variation in shifting a player to the front line is for the best blocker on the back line to come up and block. This is a stronger method, provided the best blocker is in shape to stand the grind of continual blocking. When a weak blocker rotates to the center back position, either the right back or left back should shift to the front line. Actually, it makes little difference as to which side of the center front these back-line players go. For example, the left back can move up much easier to the left of the center front. The important aspects are for all team mates to know which player is coming up and to which side of the center front he is going.

Still another variation in shifting a player to the front line is to use a substitute either before or after the service. The substitute is used as the blocker from all three back-line positions, with other back-line players adjusting their positions accordingly. This system conserves the strength of the person replaced as well as the other back-line players. Its use is limited somewhat by the rule allowing only three entries per game.

Some teams prefer to put up a four-man block on both the right and left sides as well as in the center. A back-line player moves to the front line and then the four front-line players shift along the net to the point of attack. The two remaining back-line players have to cover the mid-court area for spikes coming through or off the block. Such a block is easy to form in front of a high set to the center forward, but it is very difficult to form in front of sets to the left and right forwards. In spikes from the right forward, the defensive right forward has to move very quickly to his left in order to get in position with the other three blockers. Likewise, the defensive left forward has a tough job in moving to his right fast enough when spikes are coming from the left forward. Low sets and sets near the side lines by the offense will diminish the effectiveness of a four-man blocking system.

Two difficult plays to block are first-pass sets and low sets. In the first-pass set the blockers do not know whether the spiker will spike the ball or set it to another spiker. The low set also has the surprise element. A team must have alert, fast-moving blockers to stop these plays.

How do the blockers rearrange for offense? In a sense they do not. If a ball is blocked and remains on the blockers' side of the net, that team should strive to execute a set with the second hit. Of course, the success of this play is dependent upon several factors, such as the speed and position of the ball as it comes off the block.

If the ball misses the block completely and is dug up from the back line, it is usually returned toward the front line at a fast pace. The blockers are in the process of recovering their offensive positions after coming down from the attempted block. In this situation it is much better for the front-line player closest to the ball to set it, since there is not much time for the play. It may be the normal setter if he happens to be near the ball, but it could be any of the other three players near the net. With this system three players are left to spike.10

Building an efficient blocking team depends on the principle underlying good team play. All players must co-operate, allowing each player to assume his full responsibility and taking over from another only when it will be to the team's advantage. Players must know the habits of the men on the court, and knowing these habits (within limits outlined by the coach), build the offense and defense.

Summary

There are four parts to good blocking:

1. Ability to move the blockers as a unit to all points along the net in time to get good position.
   
   
2. Ability to study a spiker according to the set and know whether he will cut, hit straight away, or down the line.
   
   
3. Ability to recover body position to play balls which fall off the block.
   
   
4. Teamwork on the part of the nonblockers to cover the court. This confidence enables the blockers to concentrate on blocking.

References

1. Welch, J. Edmund, ed., 1960 Official Volleyball Guide (Berne, Ind.: USVBA Printer), p. 183.
   
   
2. Ibid., p. 184.
   
   
3. Walters, M. L., ed., 1950 Official Volleyball Guide (Berne, Ind.: USVBA Printer), p. 104.
   
   
4. Selznick, Eugene, personal correspondence, July 15, 1959.
   
   
5. Klinger, Robert, "The Stockton Story," International Volleyball Review, January-February, 1956, p. 21.
   
   
6. Walters, op. cit., p. 104.
   
   
7. Aujard, Henri, "Speaking of Blocking," International Volleyball Review, March, 1952, p. 51.
   
   
8. Walters, op. cit., p. 105.
   
   
9. De Groot, Lt. Col. E. B., Jr., personal correspondence, July 11, 1959.
   
   
10. Wilson, Harry E., personal correspondence, July 8, 1959.

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