How to Pass a Volleyball
To pass a volleyball, move your feet so the ball arrives in front of your body, join your hands to make a flat platform with your forearms, and angle that platform toward your target. Keep your arms still and let the ball bounce off them; use your legs and shoulders, not a big arm swing. Most shanked passes come from late feet or a crooked platform, so fixing those two things fixes most passing.
- Contact spot
- Forearms, just above the wrists
- Arm swing
- Little or none
- First priority
- Feet to the ball
- Double contact on the first touch
- Allowed if it's one action (FIVB)
For an overview of passing, see the passing guide. This page goes step by step through a clean forearm pass.
Step 1: Get in a ready position
- Feet a bit wider than shoulders, weight on the balls of your feet, knees bent.
- Arms out in front and apart, relaxed, not joined yet. Joining too early slows your feet.
- Hips low, chest slightly forward, eyes on the server.
Step 2: Read the server
Your pass starts before the serve is hit.
- Watch the server's shoulders and toss. The shoulders point roughly where the ball is going. A toss far in front often means a deeper, flatter serve.
- Listen and look for spin. A spinning ball dives (topspin). A ball with no spin may drift (float), so stay on your toes and adjust late.
- Call it early. Say "Mine!" as soon as you know it's yours. Calls prevent the ball dropping between two players. See serve receive for who covers which seam.
Step 3: Move your feet, then build the platform
- Shuffle or take a crossover step to get your body behind and slightly to the side of the ball's path.
- Join your hands only as the ball approaches: lay one hand in the other palm and press your thumbs together, side by side and pointing down. Other grips work as long as the thumbs are even.
- Straighten your elbows and roll them in slightly so your forearms make one flat surface.
- Contact the ball on your forearms, between the wrists and elbows, closer to the wrists. Not on your hands or fists.
Step 4: Angle the platform to your target
The ball leaves your arms at the angle of your platform, like light off a mirror.
- Face your target when you can. If the ball is to your side, drop the shoulder nearer the target so the platform tilts toward it.
- Keep the platform angle steady through contact. Swinging the arms upward is the most common cause of passes flying over the net.
- On a hard serve, absorb the speed: a small give with the platform and a bend in the knees, rather than a swing.
- Aim for a pass that peaks about 1–2 m above the net and comes down near the setter's spot, just right of center, about 1 m off the net.
Step 5: Finish and recover
- Hold your platform for a moment after contact, pointing at the target, then split your hands and get ready to move again.
- Follow your pass with your eyes. You may need to cover a hitter or be ready for a free ball.
Stop shanking: common problems and fixes
| What happens | Usual cause | Try this |
|---|---|---|
| Ball shoots sideways | Uneven platform or one thumb lower | Press thumbs flat and level; check your elbows are both straight |
| Ball flies over the net | Swinging arms up; standing straight | Keep arms still; push with legs; lower the front of the platform |
| Ball bounces straight down | Platform too flat or hitting with hands | Contact on forearms; tilt the platform slightly up toward the target |
| Reaching and lunging | Late feet | Move first, join hands last |
| Freezing on float serves | Feet flat, weight on heels | Stay on the balls of your feet; take small adjusting steps |
Practice plan (15 minutes)
- Partner toss and pass: partner tosses underhand from 4 m, you pass back to their hands. 30 reps.
- Move-and-pass: partner tosses left and right of you; you shuffle, stop, then pass. 20 reps.
- Target passing: pass to a "setter" target zone (a chair or hoop near the net between zones 2 and 3). Score 3 for perfect, 2 for playable, 1 for over-the-net free ball, 0 for a shank.
- Serve receive: a partner serves from a closer line, then the end line. Track your average score.
Watch it
Video: Pakmen Volleyball on YouTube. Learn Volley is not affiliated with this channel.
Deep dive: why the platform angle matters more than arm strength
A pass is mostly a rebound. When a serve arrives, it already has plenty of speed, so your job is to aim it, not add power. The direction the ball leaves depends on the angle of your forearms at contact. If your arms are moving, the angle changes during contact and the ball goes somewhere unpredictable. That's why good passers look quiet: they get their body to the right place, set the angle early and let the ball do the work. Arm swinging is only useful on slow, soft balls that need extra distance.
Frequently asked questions
Where on my arms should the ball hit?
On your forearms, between your wrists and elbows, closer to the wrists. That area is the flattest part of the platform.
Why do my passes go over the net?
Usually because you swing your arms up at contact. Keep your arms still and use your legs.
Should I swing my arms when passing?
Mostly no. On hard serves, keep the platform still and let the ball rebound.
Is it a double contact if the ball hits both arms separately?
Under FIVB rules, the team's first touch may contact different body parts one after another if it's one action. Other rulebooks are similar on the first touch.
How do I read the server?
Watch the server's shoulders and toss. They give early clues about direction and depth.