Jump Serving

Jump serving is basically an overhand serve, but you add an approach to it. A jump serve is good for scoring points, and it adds a lot more power to your serve. To be able to jump serve, you have to practice a lot because it is not easy. You start off like you would for a regular over hand serve, but you throw it higher and you have to time your jump correctly. Here is a video explaining how to jump serve:


   

Jump serving is a great way to score points when you are playing.

Serving

Serving is what starts the rally. There are two types of serving. There is overhand and underhand. Overhand is preferred by most because it is harder for your opponent to get the ball. When you serve overhand, you are just throwing a ball to yourself to hit it. There is also jump serving, but I will explain that in another post. To serve overhand, you hold the ball arms length in front of you with your non-hitting arm. Then you throw the ball in the air, step forward, and hit it over the net. Here is a picture which explains an overhand serve:

Overhand Serve

When you serve underhand, you hold the ball in your non-hitting hand, arms length away, but lower down than when you hit overhand. You then make a fist with your hitting hand, pull it back, then bring it forward to hit the ball. Here is a picture explaining it:

Underhand Serve

Both ways are effective serving. The point of it is to start the rally by getting the ball over the net.

Blocking

Blocking is defensive. Blocking is basically blocking a hit from thether team. The goal of blocking is to send the ball back to the other team. When you block, you stand in front of the person who is about to hit the ball over. First, you have to jump high in the air with your fingers spread apart. You can block alone, with another, person, or with two other people. There are two types of blocking. One is a regular block, where you deflect the ball back to the side that hit it to you, and there is a soft block. A soft block basically slows down the ball so that it is easier for your teammates to get it, but it is not deflected to the other team.

Double block

Single block

Triple block

Hitting/ Spiking

Hitting is very important to volleyball. Hitting is the one of the main ways to score points when playing. There are two types of hitting. One is called a downball, which is when you do not take an approach. With the other one, hitting, you do take an approach. An approach is basically jumping up to hit the ball. To do an approach, you take a series of steps and then jumping up to meet the ball. An approach is important because you get more height so you can hit the ball harder. Here is a video explaining how to do an approach:


                                                   A spike with an approach is much more efficient than hitting downballs, because an approach allows you to get  more height and power when hitting the ball.

The Basic Rules of Volleyball

In volleyball, there is a specific set of rules, just like any other sport. Here are some basic rules to playing the game:
1. There is a maximum of three hits per side.
2. A player may not hit the ball twice in a succession.
3. There are six players on a team, three in the front and three in the back.
4. The ball may be played off the net during a volley.
5. If the ball hits the boundary line it is considered in.
6. It is illegal to catch, throw, or hold the ball.

Those are the basic rules to playing volleyball.  

How to Play Volleyball

Playing volleyball is simple. There are six people on each side of the court at one time. One side starts off serving to the other side. The other team has to keep the ball off the ground and get it to the other side of the net. The way it is kept off the ground is called bumping or passing. If one team lets the ball hit the floor, then the other team gets a point. The first team to get to twenty-five points wins the match, but they have to win by two points. Usually, two matches are played by two teams so everyone on the team gets to play. There are specific rules for volleyball, also, but I will explain that in another post.

The 6 positions of volleyball

Volleyball equipment

o play volleyball you need some equipment first. You need a net and volleyball, for starters. Second, you need kneepads. Knee pads are important because if you dive for the ball, you will not hurt your knees. You will also need ankle braces. If you are likely to roll your ankle or if you have had an ankle injury before, ankle braces would be important to get. Another important thing you need are volleyball shoes. They look like regular tennis shoes, but there is a difference. The difference is that volleyball shoes are made for jumping high and they also have a better grip on the ground. These items are important to be able to play volleyball well.

Volleyball Knee Pads

Ankle Braces

Volleyball Shoes