Chapter 8 - Defense

William T. Odeneal

A good philosophy to have when thinking about volleyball is that a team is on the defense whenever the ball is on the other side of the net from your team. Too often has a team or player relaxed after making a play across the net only to find the ball being returned to him or into his court.

Each play begins with the serve; therefore, a defense should be built to defend against the serve. The first basic principle in receiving the serve concerns the positions of players. It is best to have the front-line players at the rear of their own areas, and the back-line players come forward a step or so. In general, this results in players forming a semicircle across the mid-court.

The three back-line players are placed in the center to receive most of the serves. This allows the three front-line players, which in most instances will be two spikers and a setter, to shift easily. The positions of these players will vary slightly after each rotation, depending on which player is a setter and which players are spikers. They adjust their positions laterally in order to move quickly into an offensive formation.

Fig. #21. Basic Position For Receiving Service	Fig. #22. Basic Position for receiving service (alternate)

O—Player

The position of the players as described and diagramed in Figure #21 is most desirable, but many teams wish to use an alternate formation, placing the setter about two steps short of the net to receive the first pass, as shown in Figure #22. This pattern should be used only when the roundhouse or a similar serve is being used and when the setter is too slow to get in position after he sees the ball is not coming to him. Regardless of what the plan is in the form of a shift or change in position, the rule is to receive the service and then shift. A player should never move out of the way of a service and expect the back player to get it. Likewise, he should not begin shifting to his offensive spot until he sees the serve is going to another player. Moving out of the way of a serve or shifting too soon invariably causes the ball to be mishandled or even fall to the floor untouched.

The reason for lining up the receiving team as diagramed in Figures #21 and #22 is statistically sound. About 75 per cent of all services will land within one step of some player as they stand. About 15 per cent will go to the back of the players and about 10 per cent will land in front of the players. The players in the three back positions can take two or three steps backwards and play any ball that will land in the court. The same is also true for the front-line players.

The second basic principle is always to strive to receive the serve with the hands just about shoulder high or directly in front of the face. A few of the outstanding players make a practice of passing from chest level, but the safest method is from shoulder level or in front of the face. From this position one can move to recover a low ball or a high ball much faster and much more accurately than with the hands and arms hanging at the side.

In receiving a hard serve, the player should make every effort to get under the ball as fast as possible directly in line of its flight. The fingers should be well spread with the hands tilted back slightly. The hard serve will hence bounce off the hands without injury to the fingers or loss of control. Most hard serves are missed because players fail to move to the ball. They play the ball from an off-balance position, and a poor pass or thrown ball results. Body and court position is probably the most important single factor in defense.

The third basic principle is to take an active position as opposed to a passive or dead position. This is to say, be slightly on the toes, have spring in the legs and be ready to move in the direction of the ball the moment it is in flight. This does not mean that everyone goes for every service, but starting to move with the flight of the ball will enable one to play the ball more accurately.

This leads to the fourth basic principle in receiving the service, which is the principle of concentration. Each player should constantly keep his eyes on the ball, visualizing the play to be made should the ball come to him. In addition to constantly watching the ball, one should watch the position of his team mates and the position of the opposing team. Every player should constantly think that the next ball is coming to him and should keep in position to play the ball properly. This type of thinking and concentration comes with experience and diligent practice on the part of every man that plays this great game of volleyball.

After the ball is passed forward for the setup or spike, the rest of the team should move into position to handle a possible block by the opponents. The setter goes directly behind the spiker, the outside man in back of the spiker comes up, and the rest of the team moves to form a circle of protection behind. It is very important at this point for the players to be alert, expecting the ball. They should think of the next play and know where and how to make the next play. See Figure #23.

Fig. #23. COVERING BEHIND THE SPIKER

X—Spiker; O—Other players; Path of player

When the opposition has the ball, they too want to spike or hit it where it cannot be returned. If the spiker is very good, a three- or four-man block must be used to slow or stop the spike.

The methods of blocking have been covered in an earlier chapter, but blocking and defense go hand in hand. "Front line protection is still the vital part of defense." 1

Players not blocking at the net must be ready to move in any direction in order to recover a partially blocked ball or a spike hit past the blockers. These players should stand in a stride stance slightly crouched with the hands up. A player can usually move faster from a stride stance than from a square stance and, here again, can drop his hands quicker than he can raise them.

In playing a ball that misses the block, a player must be ready to move to the ball as quickly as possible. It is better for the players to move their feet as in a still run while the spike is being made so they may move to the ball quickly. Phyllis King and Evelyn Prescott maintain that in girls' and women's volleyball, players too often stand flat-footed and wait for the ball to come to them.2 The same holds true in men's volleyball. "The best defensive player is the fast, relaxed type who does not get set too rigid, thus being able to move in any direction instantly." 3
The only way to return a hard spike is to get in the path of the ball with the arms or hands. If the spike comes below the waist, the player may deflect the ball upward with the forearm or fist. The most popular method is to use both arms while both hands are clasped together. More arm surface is utilized and makes for a surer hit. A ball coming several feet to the right, left, or front of the defensive player requires him to deflect the ball upward with one hand or arm. The player must lunge quickly for the ball and be willing to dive to the floor. European players play close to the floor and leap or dive after balls to make recoveries. Such extra effort will enable a player to save balls which otherwise would be lost.

The use of the closed fist and the lower forearms is one of the major advances in defensive play. Robert E. Laveaga, noted volleyball authority, quickly detected these advances in comparing the National Championships of 1953 and 1940: "It is a hard driving, strenuous, exciting game with spectacular recoveries using the closed fist. This is one of the major differences in play as we look back. The ability to control the ball with closed hand is unbelievable. The Japanese used both fists doubled, with thumbs on top and adjacent to each other in which the forearms sometimes come into play." 4

One of the outstanding defensive systems in this country has been developed by the Los Angeles Westside Jewish Community Center.  Wilson terms the Westside JCC the finest defensive team since the 1951 Hollywood YMCA team.5 Eugene Selznick, player-coach of the Westside JCC, has written the following portion of the chapter. In studying the defense of this great team, one cannot help being impressed with the complex and scientific maneuvers these players have mastered.

The Westside JCC Defense

By Eugene Selznick

We have set patterns to block different spikers. Of course, this means we study the individual capabilities of opposing spikers. We try to force them to hit where we wish. This you accomplish by the placement of your outside blocker and the player directly behind him. These defensive patterns apply to spikers who cannot hit over the block. Exceptions must be made for the spikers who can hit over the block, but the rest can be made to hit where you wish.

Another key factor in our system of defense is that we put the strongest defensive men on the outside of the block on both ends. When the strongest defensive men are on the outside, they will set the block and also return most of the hard-hit balls.

When the spiker is on his strong side (his left forward if right-handed), we work as follows. If the spiker does not hit down and has not tremendous power, we force him to hit to the center of the court or to his right side. We do this by blocking the line, thereby leaving him only one possible shot. If you give any good spiker a little line, you leave him two shots.

If you want to give the spiker the line shot, you have to tell the back-line player so he can defend against it. There are some spikers who have a weak line shot but a strong cross-court shot. We therefore give this type of spiker the line. If he sees the opening, he will probably take it, but we have a player stationed there, right on the line. This is one position that is very difficult to master. The back-line player has a tendency to move in 2 feet because of habit and ruin the play. He has to practice staying there until it becomes automatic.

Below are six figures with explanations which describe the Westside JCC defense.

Fig. #24. DEFENSE AGAINST WEAK-SIDE SPIKER

Path of player;  > Path of spike

The spiker is on the weak side (right forward if right-handed) . We block the line, forcing him to hit into the court. We bring our front-line player on our right side (No. 1) into the court about 5 feet from the outside line and 7 feet back from the net. This allows him enough room to move around and defend against any balls in his area. As soon as he moves, our back-line player (No. 2) moves with him. He also moves into the court but he plays deep enough for any balls coming off the block. Our back-line man on our left side leaves the line and moves into the court about 5 feet. He must play the dink shots and balls coming off the block on the side.

Fig. #25. DEFENSE AGAINST STRONG-SIDE SPIKER

o
—>-  Path of player;    » Path of spike

This is the same as in Figure #24, except the spiker is on the strong side (left forward if right-handed). We therefore block the line and make him hit into the court which we call the horseshoe. This enables us to work our defense on him.

Fig. #26. DEFENSE AGAINST WEAK-SIDE SPIKER (variation)
o       

—>- Path of player;     > Path of spike

Here we give the spiker the line. Since the spike is from the weak side, it is an easier hit to defend. Our No. 3 player moves right to the line. Our other players move to the same positions as in Figure #24. The block is just on the inside of the ball, so the spiker can see the opening.

Fig. #27. DEFENSE AGAINST STRONG-SIDE SPIKER (variation)

—^- Path of player;      > Path of spike

This variation should be used only when the spiker is left-handed or when he is a poor hitter down the line. Our No. 2 player moves right on the line and takes the shot.

Fig. #28. DEFENSE WHEN NOT BLOCKING (spiker at left forward position)

—=>- Path of player;   -----> Path of spike

This defense is used when the ball is set back from the net. Our No. 1 player backs up from the net about 7 feet. The No. 2 player goes right to the line, forcing the spiker to hit to the court. The No. 3 player moves into the center of the court and closer to the net, because as soon as you shout, "No block!", the spiker automatically powers the ball down. If the No. 3 man stays deep, he will never get the ball and, after he moves up, any ball over his head will necessarily go outside the court. The No. 4 player moves deeper into the court about 8 feet back and 8 feet in. He helps out the middle player (No. 4). The No. 5 player, who is in the block, backs away from the net but does not go too far because he will get in the No. 3 player's way. The No. 6 player stays near the net to get a ball coming off the net.

Fig. #29. DEFENSE WHEN NOT BLOCKING
 (spiker at right forward position)

—=>- Path of player;   > Path of spike

This is the same formation as that shown in Figure #26, except the spiker is hitting from the right front position.

In conclusion, it must be realized that the better team is the one with the best defense. Hollywood YMCA has demonstrated this in defeating Houston YMCA and Chicago YMCA consistently during the past decade. The latter teams have usually had the most powerful spikers in the country. Statistics show that most games are won by the opponents' errors. Very few teams win by offensive points. Since only the serving team may score, the team must realize that it must defend against the hard serve, defend against the hard spike—dig it up and smash it back into the opponents' court or play it in such a manner that the opponents may not return it. The key to winning volleyball is a sound defense.

References

1. Smith, Clifford, "The 4-2 Defense," International Volleyball Review, May, 1955, p. 64.
   
   
2. King, Phyllis, and Prescott, Evelyn, "Girls' Volleyball Can Be Exciting!", Journal of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, November, 1957, p. 38.
   
   
3. Walters, M. L., ed., 1950 Official Volleyball Guide (Berne, Ind.: USVBA Printer), p. 108.
   
   
4. Mundt, Logan C, ed., 1954 Official Volleyball Guide (Berne, Ind.: USVBA Printer), p. 14.
   
   
5. Wilson, Harry E.,  "The  Pan American  Games," International Volleyball Review, May-June, 1959, p. 47.
   

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