Thinking About… Ball Handling

When I watch this video, the first thing I think of is, this is pretty cool.  It looks like a lot of fun.  I wish had been there.  Then after a minute or so, I think, that’s weird, they are setting like indoor players.  I thought they had some different interpretations and rules for ball handling in beach volleyball.  So you mean to tell me that the old school guys could set without throwing the ball? Interesting.

I hate ‘beach’ setting.  It is clearly not setting as we learn it when we are beginners.  It is clearly a held, thrown ball by the definitions of indoor volleyball.  But this is the convention that has been accepted by beach volleyballers and beach volleyball referees and if that is the their convention, that is fine.  It is interesting that it came about a lot more recently than we tend to think.

I don’t know about the rest of the volleyball world, but in Poland there has been an outbreak of ‘beach’ setting in men’s volleyball.  That is, balls that are clearly held and thrown, on both the first and second contact.  Some of these actions would almost certainly be called if they were on service reception, but somehow on a free ball or a set they are acceptable.

I am all for liberalising (some) ball handling situations, particularly as what are considered to be ‘double contacts’.  But I really don’t like throws.  At the moment it is only a couple of players who do this but I would really hate to see it become more widespread.  We have a chance to decide what the conventions will be moving into the future.  So let’s have a discussion now before the genie escapes from the bottle.

This is what I am talking about.

Think about more stuff here.

A collection of more Coaching Tips can be found here.

For more great coaching tips, check out the Vyacheslav Platonov coaching book here.