Let’s cover these topics in this lesson
- An overview of volleyball positions
- Volleyball positions include six types
- Traditional assignment locations for these 6 positions
Key Takeaways
- It is a player’s job to fulfill a volleyball position
- As a volleyball player, you have six positions to choose from
- There are three types of positions: offensive, defensive, and setter
- Defensive positions can be divided into two types
- Offense positions can be divided into three types
Vocabulary
- Setter
- Outside Hitter
- Middle Hitter
- Right Side Hitter
- Defensive Specialist
- Libero
A volleyball player is classified into 6 main positions. They are:
- Outside Hitters
- Right Side Hitters
- Middle Hitters
- Setters
- Defensive Specialists
- Libero
Depending on the position, each player will cover specific areas of the court. Most of these remain fairly standard, though coaches may alter them at their discretion. In more detail, let’s talk.
What Is A Position In Volleyball?
An individual volleyball position consists of a set of duties that the player performs on the court. Offensive, defensive, and setter positions are classified. Positions on volleyball courts are tied to court spots. The left front court spot on a volleyball court is usually assigned to outside hitters, which is spot 4.
Whenever a court is used, there are six set spots. Left back is called the five position or just “five”, regardless of who is in it on the court.
Volleyball teams typically consist of 10 to 14 players, but this depends on the level of competition. Most volleyball teams have two players of each position, so they can replace each other. The next lesson will focus on rotation and substitutions. A team consists of players who fill a variety of positions.
The 6 Volleyball Player Positions
The six spots on the court are occupied by six players each. Team rosters generally consist of one player from each type. There is a job associated with every position, as we mentioned earlier.
Setters
The task of running the offense is one of six responsibilities on the court. Volleyball teams have setters who fill this role, similar to quarterbacks on football teams.
While setters are sometimes forced to take the first contact when playing defense, they usually get the second contact on the ball from a teammate. Team members all play defense. We refer to this as a bump since the setter redirects the pass to the front row players.
In volleyball, “bump”, like “spike”, is a term that goes largely unspoken, yet is permanently associated with the way the sport is perceived. Use neither of these terms if you want your team, coach, or fans to take you seriously. Rather than “pass” or “hit”, use “pass” or “hit”.
All setters strive to set between the 2 and 3 positions and then play defense in the 1 or 2 positions in most lineups, though the 1 position is the default for most setters.
The setting position is one of the most challenging on the court. The setter is the most influential player in the game, and their decisions have a great deal of influence over the outcome of the match.
Setters can be played in either one or two positions, depending on how the coach sets up the lineup. Depending on the setter, they may either play right side hitter or set from the front row for a full 6 rotation game.
During special circumstances, the setter/right side hitter plays all the way around the court, as we discussed in previous lessons.
Also, read Best Basketball Shoes For Volleyball
Hitters
The main responsibility of the hitter is… you guessed it! A ball is hit. It is much more common than hitting to be referred to as spiking in the world outside of volleyball, but most experienced players, coaches, parents and fans do not refer to hitting as spiking.
Volleyball teams use hitting as one of their offensive maneuvers to score points.
As each position on the court is represented by a different kind of hitter, in volleyball there are three types of hitters. Depending on the position, there are left-handed hitters, right-handed hitters, and middle hitters. Here is a brief description of their jobs.
Outside Hitter
Outside hitters play the 4 spot on the court, which is at the left front edge. It is mainly their job to attack or hit the ball, and they are usually the shortest in the front row. Compared to middle hitters, outside hitters are more apt to block, but middle hitters are just as responsible for blocking.
Players on the outside of the court usually attack the ball more than those on the inside. They face their team when they hit since they are open to the court.
The right shoulder of the outside player (with right handed outsides) is open to the team. It is also easier to set outside hitters than inside hitters.
A pin hitter is a right-handed or outside hitter. A player who hits close to the “pins” or antennas is called a “pinner.”. Antennas mark the court’s boundary and are located at the sidelines. It is considered a pin hitting position on the court if it is located at the 4 or 2 spot on the court.
An outside hitter is another example of a player who can be substituted at any point during the rotation. Like setters, outside hitters sometimes keep playing the entire game. Outside hitters who are exceptional back row players are also excellent hitters.
Middle Hitter
It is also known as the 3, or middle hitter, who is situated in the center of the court. An average volleyball team has a tallest middle player.
The middle hitter is a key defensive player as well as an offensive player. Regardless of which player on the opposing team is hitting, the middle hitter will set the block. Pin hitters have a much lower blocking percentage, as they have to block players from the other team about half the time.
Other volleyball players argue that the middle hitter is the most difficult position. In order to anticipate which hitter will receive the set, the middle must read the setter on the opposing team. Defenses behind a middle who are attempting to dig a hitter who is late on the block have a very difficult time doing so. It is also important for middles to play offensively.
There are more variations of sets run by middle hitters than by average hitters. The setter receives the pass, so this is determined by the pass. After we finish our curriculum, we will discuss the middle hitter in greater detail.
Right Side Hitter
It is also known as “opposites” that right-side hitters sit in the 2nd spot on the court on the right side. It is because right side hitters are opposite to setters in rotation that we call them opposites.
They have the same openness to the court that right handed outside hitters have when they hit their team. That is why left handed people make excellent right side hitters.
There are two positions on the court with the highest heights: right side hitters and center hitters. The reason for this is that they often block and a taller block is preferable for them rather than an outside hitter.
Outside hitters usually get more sets than right-handers, since right-handers block the opposing outside hitters.
Also, read Best Volleyball Shoes
Defensive Players
The final group of players is the defensive ones. In defense, liberos are divided into specialists and liberos. The main responsibility of these players is to prevent their opponents from scoring. When opposing teams attempt to score, they make incredible saves.
Passers are also known as defensive players. Balls are passed by passers. In other words, whether a serve is being received, the ball is being passed or the attack is being dug out.
Libero
A libero usually occupies a position called the 5 on the left side of the court. Middle backs can occasionally be liberos, but this depends on the player and the coach.
Liberos wear an alternate colored jersey on volleyball teams, just like the goalkeepers on soccer teams. In similar fashion to a goalkeeper, liberos guard against goals scored by the opposition.
In addition to serving and serving receive, liberos also pass, dig and cover offense for their teams. When they receive the first contact from the team, the libero redirects the ball to the setter.
As far as the back row goes, liberos typically substitute for middle hitters who are the worst defensively, although because middle hitters are often excellent passers, this is obviously a generalization.
Each position follows different substitution rules, which distinguishes a libero from a defensive specialist. Liberos have their own set of rules, which we will discuss at length in our curriculum later on. Defensive specialists can be subbed in and out via a traditional substitute.
For simplicity’s sake, know that liberos tend to be the best defensive players on the team, and they will usually perform five full rotations and one half rotation. The game is basically always on for them.
Defensive Specialists
Outside hitters are usually replaced by defensive specialists. Defensive specialists and outside hitters both play at the middle back position – the number six – which is normally assigned to outside hitters who play in the back row.
As the opposing team performs its offensive maneuvers, the goal of the defensive side is to defend the court. When the defender comes in contact with the ball, they must pass it to the setter in the front right corner.
Also, read How Tall is Men’s Volleyball Net?
How Positions Rotate in Volleyball
Players rotate between positions on the court – outside hitters occupy left pin, opposite hitters occupy right pin, middle hitters occupy middle, etc. – but there’s a hiccup: They must work together.
A front row of three people and a back row of three people. You must rotate one spot every time you earn a point,” stated Neeley.
As soon as a team receives a serve and before serving again, players must rotate clockwise. An outside hitter might move to the middle on the first rotation, for instance.
It is the middle hitter who will move to the position normally occupied by the opposite hitter. Rotate the right side of the backrow to the opposite hitter.
In order to solve this problem, everyone has to run back into their normal positions after the ball is served. A left-handed outside hitter and a right-handed middle hitter would shift back to the left in this example.
As soon as the server makes contact with the ball, we switch to another server,” Neeley said. When the team is on defense, it becomes more challenging since they must defend the serve and counteract it.
Ten-foot lines are another tricky part. It is impossible for players to jump or hit at the net when they rotate into the back row. Due to this rotation, the opposite hitter cannot hit at the net until their spot returns to front row. If they are substituted for a libero or defensive specialist, they must jump and hit shots from the back row.
Also, read How Tall Are the Nets In Volleyball?
