6 Volleyball Agility Drills: Move, Read and Control the Ball

Start with short movements you can finish under control, then add an unpredictable ball. The goal is not simply to reach a cone faster: it is to arrive in a position that lets you make the next contact.

USA Volleyball’s passing guidance emphasizes calm, efficient footwork rather than busy feet. Its game-based coaching guidance also recommends learning opportunities that include reading real play. This progression uses both ideas: briefly rehearse movement, then spend most of the work responding to volleyballs.

Before you start

Warm up first; use the volleyball warmup progression if you need a routine. Work on a dry, clear court with flat markers outside the player’s footpath. Keep spare balls out of the movement area.

The repetitions and checkpoints below are suggested coaching targets, not validated agility tests. Start with distances players can cover without stumbling or reaching desperately. Complete one short set, rest while a partner works, and repeat only while movement stays controlled. Stop for pain.

Drills 1–2 work without a ball. Drills 3–6 add passing and decisions. Start at the stage players can control; players who already move comfortably can begin with ball-based work. Advance by control, not by age or how tired players become.

1. Lateral move and controlled stop

Setup: Mark a starting spot and two stopping spots about 1–2 metres to either side. Leave room beyond each spot to slow down.

Action: From a balanced ready position with knees bent and hands apart, shuffle to the left spot: lead with the left foot and follow with the right without crossing the feet. Hold your finish for two seconds, return to the start, and repeat right, leading with the right foot. Keep the first attempts slow enough to control. Complete four repetitions each way.

Cue: “Finish balanced.”

Checkpoint: Complete all eight repetitions without stumbling, clicking the feet together or needing an extra recovery step during the hold.

If the player slides past the spot, shorten the distance or reduce speed. Add speed before adding distance. The hold is a rehearsal tool—not a requirement to freeze during every match contact.

2. React to an unknown direction

Setup: Keep the same three spots. A partner stands in front where the player can see them.

Action: The partner points left or right at unpredictable intervals. The player moves to that side, controls the stop and resets. Do not establish an alternating pattern. Complete eight cues, then switch roles.

Cue: “See it, then move.”

Checkpoint: Respond correctly to at least seven of eight cues while maintaining the controlled finish from Drill 1.

If the player leaves before the cue, vary the waiting time. This adds a simple decision, but it does not replace reading a serve or attack. Move to ball-based work once the player can respond without losing balance.

3. Alternating shuffle-and-pass

Setup: Two tossers stand roughly 3–4 metres apart. The passer starts opposite the space between them, far enough away for gentle forearm passes. Begin with a smaller gap if needed.

Action: The tossers alternate gentle feeds in front of themselves. The passer moves across, passes back to the active tosser, then travels toward the other. Wait until the passer is ready before releasing the next ball. Complete ten passes.

This adapts the alternating-tosser setup described by Ron Kordes in The Art of Coaching Volleyball’s shuffle drill.

Cue: “Move first; angle the platform.”

Checkpoint: On eight of ten feeds, the passer arrives under control and returns a ball the tosser can catch within one step.

Do not make the gap so wide that the drill becomes a sprint. This stage rehearses short lateral movement; longer pursuit comes next.

4. Read a short or deep ball

Setup: Put a feeder across the net, one passer in a backcourt starting position and a target teammate safely inside the court near the setting area. Agree on reachable short and deep feeding areas.

Action: First announce five short or deep feeds. Then deliver ten without announcing the location. Use gentle tosses or controlled sends over the net. The passer reads the flight, moves and passes toward the target. Reset fully between balls.

Cue: “Track the ball; take the route you need.”

For a longer ball behind the player, allow a turn and run rather than requiring a backward shuffle. USA Volleyball’s defensive guidance includes both sprinting and quick shuffle steps among ways to pursue the ball.

Checkpoint: On eight of ten reachable feeds, the player moves in the correct direction and produces a pass the target can catch within two steps. Exclude clearly unreachable feeds and correct the feeding range.

5. Live serve receive with recovery

Setup: Use one server across the net, one passer and one target teammate. Give the passer a manageable receiving area. Agree on a setting area around the target—for example, within two steps of their starting spot—and a support position clear of the target’s path. Serve from closer if full-distance serves overwhelm the task.

Action: The server varies placement within the receiving area. The passer reads the serve, passes to the target, then moves to the support position for the next contact. Wait until everyone resets before serving again. Complete ten in-area serves, then rotate roles.

Cue: “Finish the pass before moving on.”

Checkpoint: At least seven of ten in-area serves produce a pass the target can play without chasing outside the agreed setting area, followed by a controlled move into support.

If passing collapses, reduce serve difficulty rather than adding more running. Use the serve-receive drill progression for more work on ball control and shared receiving areas.

6. Two-player receive-and-cover game

Setup: Play two against two over a net on a reduced-width court. Adjust court size so rallies are possible. Begin each rally with a manageable serve.

Action: Play rallies. After first contact, the passer moves into position to play the third contact while the teammate moves to the ball for the second touch. Encourage three contacts, but keep the rally going when a controlled return is the available option.

Cue: “Pass, then become available.”

Checkpoint: Across ten serve receptions, count sequences in which the first contact is playable, the teammate reaches it for the second touch and the passer moves into position for the third. Aim for seven successful sequences before widening the court or increasing serve pressure.

A short agility block

After warming up, use two minutes of Drill 1, three minutes of Drill 3, four minutes of Drill 4 and six minutes of Drill 5 or 6. Include role changes and rest within those times. Use Drill 2 when players need help reacting without guessing.

Increase only one variable at a time: distance, ball speed or uncertainty. If players reach the ball but lose the pass, keep the current level and restore control before making it harder.