Blocking tactics
In my experience there are a few basic blocking tactics and strategies that when used wisely can provide relatively large rewards. This article defines a few tactics and strategies that can be successfully implemented at almost any competitive level. These descriptions are then followed by a deeper breakdown of each tactic, and some ideas and strategies on how and when to use them. Note that some terminology may differ between programs, coaches, etc… Sometimes these differences are subtle, sometimes they are large. If you are discussing these tactics and strategies with another coach, it is helpful to make sure you are all “speaking the same language” in advance.
Let’s start with the basics.
Read Blocking refers to the blockers “reading” the setter/offense for clues, and reacting to the setter’s decision. For example, the blockers watch the setter as she delivers a set to the left-side hitter. The middle then reacts by moving to close the block with the right-side blocker who sets the block.
Commit Blocking refers to a blocker “committing” to block a specific hitter by staying with them, and typically jumping when they jump regardless of whether or not they are set. For example, a middle blocker may commit on the opponent’s middle hitter by jumping when she jumps regardless of whether or not she gets set. This can be helpful when teams run a very quick attack, the blockers are often late.
Fronting means to “stay in front” of a hitter, but not necessarily commit to jumping with them. Think of ‘commit blocking’ without the commitment to jumping. For example, a middle blocker may front the opposing middle hitter who runs a slower set, rather than commit blocking.
Release Blocking is when a player(s) leaves their base (starting) position and “releases” to a different position before the set is made. For example, a left front blocker may release to the antenna to block the right side when she recognizes a bad pass that prevents the offense from setting the middle.
Bunch Blocking refers to when a team brings their blockers towards the center of the court. Usually the left front and middle front blockers are within 1-2 arms lengths of each other, and the right front blocker is slightly farther away (this can vary depending on size, athleticism, and strategy). Effective bunch blocking should allow teams to get multiple blockers on nearly every attack regardless of tempo and location if they choose. Teams that swing block almost always use some form of bunch blocking in order to create the space need to swing block to the antennas.
Spread Blocking refers to when a team starts their left front and right front blockers near the antennas, while their middle front blocker is near the middle of the court. There is no expectation of double blocking quick attacks from a middle hitter (except maybe a slide).
Switching refers to when blockers switch blocking responsibilities based on the actions taken by the offense. This is less of a tactic, and more of a skill that is required to implement many of these tactics effectively.
Situational Strategies refer to implementing a tactic based on a specific situation. These are some of the most effective ways to maximize your team’s blocking ability.
How teams use these different tactics forms their strategy. It’s important to recognize that strategies can take many different things into consideration, but for any strategy to be successful players need to be able to process all of the information as the game is unfolding. This is the key to any successful blocking strategy.
Let’s take a deeper look at how to use the tactics previously described and some of the inherent strengths and weaknesses they have.
Read blocking is used by almost every team in some fashion. If your middle blocker reacts to the set to block multiple hitters, then they are read blocking. Read blocking requires blockers to read and react to what’s happening on the other side of the net, and this gives your team a great advantage. The opposite would be to have each player commit to one other player on the other side. The advantages to read blocking are it allows your team to have 1, 2, or 3 blockers on every attack (depending on your strategy). The difficulty is in the execution, the added distance each additional blocker has to cover, and in deciding at what point having a front row player become a floor defender becomes more valuable than adding an additional blocker.
Bunch blocking allows teams to more effectively block sets away from the antennas. By bringing the left front blocker into the middle of the court, she can help double block sets that are ‘on’ the setter. This would include 1’s, 2’s, back 1’s, etc… When the setter is front row, the left front blocker can also help block the setter if she attacks. When the right front blocker starts towards the middle of the court she can help block sets that are in between the middle and the antenna to her right (these sets are often called 31’s, 32’s, 3’s, etc…). Bunch blocking also allows teams to be in better position to block back row attackers. Bunch blocking is the standard for swing blocking teams as it allows them to be more explosive in their movements.
Bunch blocking is typical for most advanced levels of volleyball, but can be difficult for beginners because it requires blockers to move towards the antennas for routine sets to left and right side hitters. This can make it more difficult for left/right side blockers to get to the antenna and set a strong block in the right location. Offensively, you can challenge this blocking tactic by setting quicker sets to the antenna.
Spread blocking allows teams to have less movement from their left and right side blockers. These blockers can easily front their opposing hitters, and have little responsibility to do anything else. Because of their starting location, they are unable to effectively help block the opposing middle hitter unless they run a slide or crossing pattern (such as when the left front hitter comes in for a set in the middle, and the middle hitter runs a quick set to her left, farther away from the setter).
A weakness of spread blocking, is that it pretty much guarantees that the opposing middle hitter is going to get a single block in every situation. Also, when the setter is front row, it makes little sense to have your left front blocker starting at the antenna when both the setter and middle hitter are towards the middle of the court.
Fronting is commonly used by all blockers in spread blocking systems, since each blocker is essentially responsible for one hitter. Fronting is also common when defending quick sets. The advantage that fronting provides is that it guarantees that you will always have at minimum one blocker on a specific hitter that is ready to jump if they are set. When defending offenses that use quick hitters, fronting can be a very important tool to helping slow down strong attackers. The disadvantage of fronting is that it can sometimes put your blockers out of position to block a better attacker. For example; if your middle blocker fronts their middle hitter as she moves towards left front to run a 31 (gap set), it will be harder to close the block on the right side hitter.
Fronting is also a common strategy for defending front row setters. As setters move along the net, it is common to have the left side blocker front them. You can also set limits on how far you want a blocker to front an opposing player. For example, you may tell your left side blocker to front the setter up until the middle of the court, and then stop, or situationally to only front the setter on a 2 or 3 quality pass.
Commit blocking is a high-risk tactic that is typically best used situationally against very quick sets in the middle. Commit blocking requires a player to jump with (or sometimes slightly before) a quick hitter as the set is being made (regardless of who is getting set) in order for the blocker to be up strong in time for a very quick set. This helps prevent the blocker from being late, and as a result pevents them from not being there or being tooled. This tactic also takes the decision-making process away from the player to help them be more decisive. This can pay off in specific situations, specifically when the quick set happens quicker than your blocker can effectively respond to.
Because the blocker must jump with the attacker regardless of where it is set, it is not used frequently at most levels of play as it often prevents that blocker from effectively closing a block anywhere else, and can also prevent other blockers from getting past them if someone doesn’t switch responsibilities when they should (imagine a left front blocker jumping with a setter, and your middle blocker not being able to get past her to block a slide hitter).
Commit blocking may be best used against quick hitters when they run a very quick set and are used predictably. For example, if the opposing setter is predictable and always sets a quick attack when she jump sets, having your left front and right front commit to the middle on a jump set may make perfect sense in a key situation. In a two-hitter rotation with a setter who is not a strong attacker, you could also have your left front player commit to the middle hitter (leaving the setter unblocked), taking a little pressure off of your middle to effectively help double block their middle and left front hitters.
While most left-front blockers will front a setter, commit blocking on a jumping front row setter may make sense if she is a strong attacker and your blocker is struggling to read her. Beware of commit blocking on setters if the opposing team can jump set a back slide, if your left front blocker jumps on a setter who sets a slide your middle blocker will not be able to get around her and the middle will have an open net.
Another warning for commit blocking, is if it is used frequently, other teams can use it against you by running crossing patterns to make switching more important. Personally, I think for most coaches reading this it is a nice tactic to use in a key moment against a predictable team, where they are not expecting it. However, unless the offense is running an extremely quick middle, fronting their hitters is a much safer tactic with a lot of similar benefits.
Release blocking is one of my favorite tactics because it is easy to learn, simple to execute, can get a lot of reward for minimal risk, and can put a lot of pressure on an opposing offense. Release blocking is typically more effective when using traditional blocking movements (not swing blocking), because it allows players to get to where they need to be early, allowing them to adjust to the set/hitter and go up strong. Release blocking is helpful in predictable situations, if the opponent has a weak hitter somewhere, or if they are in a 2-hitter rotation. Release blocking can be as ‘risky’ or ‘safe’ as you decide, based on when you use it. For example; in a very ‘safe’ situation, a bad pass may draw a front row setter off the net, and everyone knows the ball is going to be set to the left front attacker, so the middle and right blockers release to the right-side blocking zone, and the left front blocker releases to the middle of the net. This simple movement allows the left front blocker to defend back row attacks, while the middle and right-side blockers can set up a strong block against the most likely attacker.
Release blocking can also be effective at pressuring setters to set weaker hitters. For example in that same situation the setter may see the middle release to the outside hitter, and decide to try and set a weaker backrow attacker instead. Or, if there is a right-side hitter who is rarely used, she may try reversing it even if that’s not her strongest set because she sees the middle releasing to her left front attacker. In either case, you’ve pressured the setter to set a player that is weaker than the option you took away.
Switching blocking responsibilities any time hitters cross (for example if the middle hitter runs a slide, and the right-side hitter comes in front of the setter to run a second tempo ball in the middle) is very important. This becomes especially important when doing things like commit blocking, or defending an attack minded setter. For example, if your left front blocker fronts the setter, and the middle hitter runs a slide then the middle blocker is now responsible for fronting the setter while the left front blocker would typically front the slide hitter. If the ‘switch’ doesn’t occur, then the middle blocker may run into the left front blocker if she were to jump with the setter. In this same situation, you may instruct your left front blocker to release with the middle hitter so that she won’t be late in blocking her if she gets set.
Another example of switching is when you have a left front hitter who hits a 2 ball, and a middle who hits a 31. Because the two hitters cross, the middle blocker now “takes” the left front hitter while the right front blocker takes the middle hitter. Your team’s goal may still be to double block each attack, but the primary blocker will be the one to set the block.
Now it’s time to create a strategy using some of these tactics to help you win.
Creating a strategy means identifying what your goals are, and applying tactics to achieve them. Is your goal to get a double block on every set? Is your goal to simply make sure that each hitter has a single blocker? Is your goal to have your block disrupt your opponent’s offense as much as possible, or is your goal to make sure you funnel balls in a consistent way for your floor defenders. You may have multiple goals, a variety of priorities, etc… but ultimately you need a set of goals and/or priorities in order to create a well thought out strategy for your team.
Most good strategies use a variety of tactics situationally. For example, many teams employ a base defense that includes bunch blocking and read blocking. Beyond that, they may start looking at specific situations that they want to handle differently. For example, if the teams you play against are effective running slides at a fairly quick pace, then your default blocking strategy may include having your left front player fronting the opposing middle hitter when they run a slide (which may look like they are releasing).
If you want to have an aggressive strategy designed to disrupt your opponent’s offense, then you may want implement more release blocking and commit blocking as well. You can do this situationally based on the quality of the pass, the most likely attacker, and tendencies you notice setters falling into. For example, we’ve all seen the team that sets their best player over and over, this is an ideal time to implement release blocking towards that player. We’ve also seen teams that like to run a specific quick set on a perfect pass, this is an ideal time to commit block. If nothing else, you are forcing the opposing team to do something they are not used to doing, which gives you the advantage.
Below I’ve listed a few situational strategies that can make a big difference depending on your level of play. You don’t need to use these strategies every time necessarily, but they are good to practice and implement when you’re playing a team that you feel they will be particularly effective against.
Bad pass in a two hitter rotation often times leads to a very predictable outcome; a set to the outside hitter. In fact, even in 3 hitter rotations, this is the expected outcome at almost every level of girls’ HS/club volleyball I’ve watched. As a result, one strategy a team can implement is that on a bad pass the middle and right front blockers release to the outside hitter. If you combine this tactic by having your left front blocker front the middle hitter or their primary backrow attack option in this situation, you are effectively increasing your chances of forcing a positive outcome.
Setter loves to run a 1 ball when she jump sets. If you’ve coached HS aged girls, you’ve probably run into a setter who is learning to jump set and so the only time she feels comfortable doing it is on a perfect pass, and she predictably sets the 1 ball every time. This is a great opportunity to have both your left and middle front blockers commit on the middle hitter. Even if the opposing setters figures you out, you will be forcing her to jump set the outside hitter, a skill she may not be particularly comfortable at yet.
Team’s best attacker is an outside hitter who gets the majority of sets. If the opposing team’s outside hitter is their best player, and is causing you a lot of trouble don’t be afraid to move your right front blocker into a spread blocking position near the antenna. By reducing the amount of movement she needs to perform in order to block, she is more likely to get there on time, adjust to small changes in the set location, and go up strong. This can also help your middle blocker close the block more effectively. You can strengthen this strategy by having your middle blocker release block in situations where she’s even more likely to set her, so that you are giving your defense a strong block and pressuring their setter to try and set less skilled players.
Ignoring back row attackers is not always a bad thing. While there are certainly many back row attackers who you will want to block, when talking about HS aged girls volleyball, most of these attacks are very similar in difficulty to a coach initiated down ball in practice. Point being, prioritize your blockers against the opposing team’s most dangerous threats. If that means leaving back row attackers unblocked, or a weak hitter one-on-one on occasion, that may not be a problem. Of course, this is very team and player specific, and requires you to have floor defenders capable of handling the opposing hitters.
Out of timeout, or key situations late in games can sometimes be very predictable if you know your opponent well. Maybe they have a favorite play they like to run, a player they try to set, etc… Sometimes in these situations you can use specific tactics to gain an advantage, or take away the opponent’s preferred option. Again, the amount of risk you want to take is up to you. If you know a team well, sometimes you can be very aggressive by fronting, releasing, or even committing blockers without taking as much risk because you know they are going to want a specific player to take the swing, or maybe they are simply not confident in setting another hitter. One of my most memorable moments came when we had our left front and middle front hitter commit on a middle blocker if there was a good pass late in a match against our conference rival because we knew they wanted to set her. They did set her, and we did block her, which played a huge role in closing out the match. It was a risk to commit two blockers at that moment, but it was a well calculated one based on their tendencies.
Good luck using these tactics and strategies to help your team. When teaching these skills to my teams I often setup scrimmages where they can pick the tactic and situation that they want to use it in. It’s fun to see their creativity, and how aggressive or safe different players and groups want to play. They may also uniquely challenge your own players in practices, since most of the time your players know their teammates’ tendencies better than your opponents do.
