How to Run Your First Volleyball Practice (A Step-by-Step Guide)

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Your first practice is coming up. You've got a roster, you've got a gym, and you've got a group of kids looking at you like you have all the answers.

Here's the honest truth: you don't need all the answers. You need a structure that keeps the practice moving, gives players something to do every minute, and doesn't fall apart when someone can't serve over the net.

This guide gives you exactly that.

Why the First Practice Sets the Tone for the Whole Season

Players form their impression of you — and of volleyball — in the first 30 minutes of your first practice. That impression is almost entirely about how the practice feels, not what they learned.

A chaotic first practice signals that practices will always be chaotic. A focused one signals that showing up and working matters. Neither of those outcomes depends on how much you know about volleyball. They depend on how prepared you are.

The structure below isn't complicated. It's the same basic framework most coaches use at every level, adjusted for a team that's just getting started.

The Anatomy of a Volleyball Practice

Every good volleyball practice has four parts. The names vary, but the sequence doesn't.

1. Warm-Up (10–15 minutes)

Get bodies moving before you touch a ball. This reduces injury risk and mentally shifts players from wherever they just came from into practice mode.

A simple warm-up for a new team:

• Two laps around the gym at an easy jog

• Dynamic stretching (leg swings, arm circles, high knees, butt kicks — 20–30 seconds each)

• A few minutes of passing in pairs with no pressure — just getting comfortable with the ball

Don't skip the warm-up. Even on days when you're pressed for time, 10 minutes of movement protects your players and sets the pace.

2. Drill Block (30–40 minutes)

This is the core of the practice — the part where players actually develop skills. For a brand-new team, keep it simple. Two or three drills maximum per practice, each one run long enough for players to get real repetitions.

3. Scrimmage (15–20 minutes)

Put the skills to use in something resembling a game. Three-on-three or four-on-four with modified rules works well for beginners and keeps everyone actively involved.

The scrimmage is where players start to understand why you drilled what you drilled. Don't cut it to make room for more drills — the game context is where it actually sticks.

4. Cool-Down (5–10 minutes)

Bring everyone together. Static stretching, a quick recap of what went well, one specific thing to work on before next practice. Keep it short and end on a positive note.

3 Beginner Drills to Start With

These three drills cover the core skills a new team needs most. Each one can be run with minimal equipment and no previous experience.

Drill 1: Forearm Pass (Bump) Warm-Up

What it teaches: The foundational contact skill in volleyball. Passing is involved in almost every rally, so this is where new teams should spend the most time.

How to run it: Set players up in pairs, about 10 feet apart. One player tosses the ball underhand to their partner, who passes it back with a forearm platform. Switch roles every 10 passes.

Coaching cues:

• Feet shoulder-width apart, knees bent before the ball arrives

• Arms flat and together, no swinging — let the legs drive the ball up

• Contact made on the forearms, not the wrists or hands

Run this for 10–12 minutes. If players are struggling to control direction, shorten the distance between partners.

Drill 2: Standing Serve Practice

What it teaches: The serve is the one skill every player performs independently. Getting comfortable with it early reduces anxiety.

How to run it: Split the team in half on either side of the net. Players serve underhand from the 10-foot line and retrieve their own balls. The only goal is clearing the net consistently.

Coaching cues:

• Toss the ball slightly in front and to the hitting side — not straight up

• Step forward with the opposite foot as you swing

• Contact on the heel of the palm, not the fingers

Drill 3: Pepper (Partner Passing and Setting)

What it teaches: Ball control and the connection between passing and setting — two skills that have to work together in a game.

How to run it: Pairs face each other, 8–10 feet apart. Player A tosses to Player B, who passes to Player A, who sets back to Player B, who passes back to Player A. The sequence repeats: pass, set, pass, set.

Coaching cues:

• Pass with the forearms, set with the fingertips

• Stay balanced under the ball before contact

• Communicate — calling "mine" prevents collisions and hesitation

How Long Should Each Section Run?

Sample 75-minute practice plan: Warm-Up 15 min | Forearm Pass Drill 12 min | Serve Practice 10 min | Pepper Drill 12 min | Water Break 3 min | Scrimmage (3v3 or 4v4) 18 min | Cool-Down + Recap 5 min

What to Do When Players Lose Focus

• Keep the rep count short. Long drills with repetitive movement lose attention fast.

• Give them something to count. "Get 10 controlled passes in a row before you switch" is more engaging than "pass the ball back and forth."

• Move the problem player, don't confront them.

• Use the scrimmage as the carrot. Don't cut it when time runs short — cut a drill instead.

Recommended Reading

Coaching Volleyball: A Survival Guide For Your First Season by Whitney Bartiuk is worth your time. It's a practical, experience-first guide written specifically for coaches at this stage.

Coaching Volleyball: A Survival Guide For Your First Season on Amazon — https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C9XLPQR5?tag=coachvb-20

A Note on Your First Practice

The first practice will not go perfectly. Something will take longer than you planned. A drill will fall apart. Someone will ask a question you don't know the answer to.

That's not a coaching failure — it's a coaching season starting. What matters is that you showed up with a plan, ran something structured, and kept players engaged. Start with the framework above. Adjust as you go. Write down what worked and what didn't before you leave the gym. The next practice will be better.