Coaching & Training Equipment

This guide helps youth coaches, small teams and PE teachers decide what to buy, in order. Most volleyball practice needs only plenty of good balls, a pump and gauge, cones and a whistle, so buy those first; training aids such as spike trainers, targets and blocking pads help players repeat one skill many times and can come later. Ball machines are powerful but expensive, so they're usually club or school purchases.

Last checked: October 2026 · How we choose and price tiers

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Our picks with Amazon links are informed by product specifications, Amazon ratings and Amazon’s summaries of customer reviews. How we choose

Starter kit: what to buy first

For a new youth coach or a small team, start by listing what the venue already provides: court space, a suitable net, balls and safe storage. Then plan the session. Equipment should solve a specific training problem, such as players waiting too long for a turn, rather than fill a shopping list. Then buy in this order:

1. Enough suitable balls: ideally one per player, at least one per two players. Count the players and decide whether each drill needs one ball per player, per pair or per group. Use the same model where you can, so players don't change ball feel every repetition, and buy one sample before a team-sized order if the model is new to you. Use light balls for 12 and under.
2. Hand pump with spare needles, plus a pressure gauge. Pump each ball to its recommended pressure and check it with the gauge. Label club equipment so it comes back after shared sessions, and agree who maintains it before buying more.
3. Mesh ball bag, or a folding ball cart if the club will fund it. A clear session plan and an easy way to keep unused balls out of the playing area do more than an elaborate training device.
4. Cones or flat disc markers for targets, zones and drill lines. Use storage and court-safe markers the venue allows, and keep loose equipment away from landing and running areas.
5. Whistle, clipboard or magnetic tactic board, a timer and training bibs (pinnies), plus printable rotation sheets (Printables).
6. First-aid kit with instant cold packs, plus an emergency-contact sheet for every player (full first-aid list).
7. A free stats app and a phone tripod to film practice.
8. When the budget allows: blocking pads, a handheld target or a spike trainer, an agility ladder and jump ropes.

Wait on specialist training aids. Leave ball machines, net-mounted blockers and premium practice stations for later. Rebounders, target nets and ball machines help in particular sessions, but first name the skill you want to practise and how the device improves your existing drill. If you can't, spend the budget on court time and suitable balls.

Compare indoor, beach and youth volleyball options. That guide includes Amazon affiliate links, each labelled as an advertisement.

Starter-kit picks

Specific products for the starter-kit items above. Any reliable brand does the same job; these are examples whose details we could check.

No specific pick: a magnetic tactic board (any volleyball-court board works; we couldn't find one we could check that is available) and a first-aid kit: build one from the list below. Tape, pre-wrap and cold packs: Tape & Cold Packs.

For PE teachers: a class kit

For a class of about 30 students:

• 15 or more balls (one for every two students). Lightweight trainer balls or soft volleyballs work best for beginners; beach balls are fine for a first lesson.
• 2–4 nets or ropes for small courts. Badminton nets or a rope between posts work, set lower than a regulation net.
• 20–30 cones or poly spots, plus hula hoops or floor tape for targets.
• Bibs (pinnies) in 4–6 colors, a whistle and a timer.

The full six-lesson unit, with this equipment list and safety rules, is in PE Lesson Plans.

Specialist equipment: when you need more

These help in particular sessions once the starter kit is in place. Ordered from the cheapest, most useful aids to the big club purchases:

Quick comparison

Hitting, passing and setting trainers

• A ball held on a pole lets a hitter repeat the approach and contact without a setter.
• A handheld target gives passers and setters an exact spot to aim at.
• Heavy setter balls are full size but much heavier, for building hand strength (setting only).

Rebound nets (no single pick): a framed elastic net, usually around 1.2 × 2.1 m, that returns the ball for solo passing and setting. Most are generic brands, so look for a sturdy frame, several angle settings and ground stakes. A plain wall also works for setting and passing.

Video: Lesli Michele on YouTube. Learn Volley is not affiliated with this channel.

Solo drills for a rebound net or a wall: Solo Drills.

Blocking and net setup

• Net-mounted blocks (Tandem Block Blaster or Bungee Blocker) give hitters a fixed block to hit around. Price tier: Mid-range–Premium.
• Also useful: antennas; boundary lines for outdoor courts; a net-height measuring stick. Official specs: the net top is 2.43 m for men and 2.24 m for women; antennas are 1.80 m long and stick up 80 cm above the net. See Court & Net Dimensions.

Club and match equipment

Club or school purchases, not starter-kit items. Check what your venue already supplies before buying.

Agility and conditioning

• Cheap and versatile: cones, an agility ladder, mini hurdles, jump ropes, a reaction ball and resistance bands (Budget–Mid-range). No brand needed.
• Plyo boxes for jump training. Read the evidence below before using them with young athletes.

A ladder or hurdles help when your plan includes footwork drills; on their own they don't make anyone faster in a match. Bands: Resistance Bands & Warm-Up.

Video: Reid Hall on YouTube. Learn Volley is not affiliated with this channel.

Video: AVCA Volleyball on YouTube. Learn Volley is not affiliated with this channel.

Video: Hospital for Special Surgery on YouTube. Learn Volley is not affiliated with this channel.

Stats and video analysis

• Stats apps: SoloStats offers a free tier for phone or tablet stat-keeping. Paid plans add multi-device use and exports (see the maker's site for current prices).
• AI video analysis: Hudl Balltime (Balltime joined Hudl in 2025) turns match video into stats and highlights; Hudl Assist is a service where Hudl staff tag your film.

Filming practice: a phone on a tall stand behind the end line or at the side shows the whole court. Keep the stand outside the court and the free zone around it, away from walkways, and follow your club's and venue's rules on filming players, especially children.

Video: Elevate Yourself on YouTube. Learn Volley is not affiliated with this channel.

Ball machines

• Wheels or air: wheel machines throw the ball with spinning wheels and can add topspin or float; air machines toss the ball with compressed air.
• Release height matters: a higher release looks more like a real serve or attack.
• Faster isn't better for youth: a lower-speed machine is easier to learn against.
• Power and balls: most machines need mains power, and some makers specify leather balls only. Check before you buy.

Safety and first aid

• First-aid kit:
  • emergency contact cards for every player
  • gloves
  • instant cold packs
  • elastic and triangular bandages, gauze, adhesive bandages, tape and pre-wrap
  • antiseptic, scissors, tweezers, eyewash, hand sanitizer
  • a CPR mask
  • your local emergency number and the address of the nearest hospital emergency department
  Check the stock regularly.
• Concussion training: take a concussion course. Many national federations and sports bodies offer one. In the US, a free example is the CDC's “HEADS UP to Youth Sports” online course for coaches.

How we choose and price tiers

We compare product specifications and, for products with an Amazon link, their Amazon rating and Amazon’s summary of customer reviews to help you choose equipment. We have not personally tested these products.

Price tiers: Budget (small items most coaches can buy themselves) · Mid-range (team equipment) · Premium (bigger items a club or school usually funds) · Club purchase (major equipment such as ball machines). Prices vary a lot by country.

Last checked: October 2026.

How we choose: we don't test products ourselves. We compare makers' specs with independent reviews and coaching sources, such as the videos on this page. Some picks on this page have Amazon affiliate links, each labelled as an advertisement; commissions don't decide which products we pick or their order, and no brand pays to be listed.

Frequently asked questions