Setting

Setting is the overhead, fingertip contact, usually your team's second touch, that turns a pass into an attack. Good setting is two skills: a clean, repeatable release (feet stopped, hands above your forehead, legs and arms extending together) and good decisions about who gets the ball and how fast. This page covers the setter's job and those decisions; the step-by-step technique is in How to Set.

Step-by-step guide: How to Set →

Usual touch

Second (after the pass)

Main decision

Who attacks, and how fast

Common sets

High outside, quick, back set, pipe

What the setter does

The setter takes the second contact on almost every rally and turns the pass into an attack: the right ball, to the right attacker, at the right moment. Because they decide who attacks, setters are often called the team's playmaker or quarterback.

• Sets the tempo: the speed, height and location of each set decide how fast the attack develops and how much time the block has to react.
• Creates scoring chances: an accurate set lets the hitter attack the opponent's weak spots; an off-target set forces a safe shot or an error.
• Rescues imperfect passes: whether the pass is perfect or shanked, the setter must adjust and still deliver a hittable ball.

Setting technique in brief

Get there early and stop; raise your hands early in a triangle above your forehead; meet the ball on the pads of your fingers, never the palms; then extend your legs and arms together toward the target and release with both hands at once, so the ball leaves with little spin. Full step-by-step: How to Set →

Under FIVB rules, a double contact on the second touch is a fault, and so is a lift or catch. US note: high school (NFHS), NCAA women's and USA Volleyball rules now allow more than one contact in a single setting action on the second touch, as long as a teammate plays the ball next; if the ball goes over the net, it's a fault. A lift or catch is still a fault. Details by level: double contact rules.

Jump setting

Setting at the top of a jump takes the ball earlier and closer to the net. It speeds up the offense, gives the blockers less time, and lets a front-row setter threaten to attack or dump the ball. The hand shape and finish stay the same; the push simply comes more from the arms and wrists.

Choosing where to set

Every set is a decision based on the quality of the pass, the positions of the blockers and the strengths of your hitters. Experienced setters:

• Read the pass first: run quick sets off a good pass; on a poor pass, choose a higher, safer set to an outside hitter or the opposite (right-side hitter).
• Spread the offense: distribute sets across outside hitters, middle blockers, the opposite and back-row hitters so the block cannot focus on one attacker.
• Attack the weak spot: set away from the opponent's best blocker or toward a favorable matchup.
• Communicate: call plays and signals before the serve so every hitter knows their approach and tempo.

When the pass is off target, the planned set may no longer work, or the setter may have to play the first ball. See When the Rally Breaks Down for who takes the second ball and which set to choose.

Common set types

Coaches describe sets by tempo: how far into their approach the hitter is when you set. On a first-tempo (quick) set, the hitter is already in the air, or about to jump, as you touch the ball. On a second-tempo set, they're partway into their approach. On a high, third-tempo set, they start their approach after the ball leaves your hands.

• High outside set: a higher ball to the left antenna; the reliable option when the pass is off target.
• Quick set: a fast, low set, usually to the middle blocker, who is already jumping, leaving the opponent's blockers very little time to react.
• Back set: a set behind the setter to the right side, which forces the middle blocker to guess which way to go.
• Back-row set: a set for a back-row attacker, who must take off from behind the attack line (10-foot line). A back-row set to the middle of the court, for a hitter attacking from zone 6 (middle back), is called a pipe.
• Dump: instead of setting, the setter tips or pushes the ball into an open spot on the second contact to surprise the defense. A back-row setter may not dump the ball from in front of the attack line if the ball is entirely above the top of the net when they contact it.

Deep dive: one setter or two?

5-1: one setter

In a 5-1, one setter sets in all six rotations. When that setter is in the front row there are only two front-row hitters, so the setter's own attack or dump becomes a useful threat.

6-2: two setters

In a 6-2, two setters stand opposite each other in the rotation and each sets only from the back row, keeping three front-row attackers available at all times.

Choosing between them

Neither system is better in general; it depends on your players. A 5-1 gives the hitters the same setter every rally, but the whole offense depends on that one player, so you also need a capable backup. A 6-2 shares the load and keeps three front-row hitters, but it needs two setters who can also hit or block on the right side, and the hitters must adjust to two setting styles. For all six systems on this site, including the 6-6 and 4-2, see the formation decision guide.

Common setting mistakes

• Arriving late: setting while still moving makes the ball drift; get to the spot first, then set.
• Hands too low: taking the ball at chin or chest height costs control and invites a double contact.
• Stiff fingers or palms: slapping the ball sends it off line; let your fingers absorb and redirect it.
• Arms only: without leg drive, long sets fall short; push from the floor up.
• Predictable choices: setting the same hitter every time lets the block set up early.

Drills to improve your setting

• Self-sets: set to yourself repeatedly at the same height, focusing on hand shape and a clean release.
• Wall setting: set continuously against a wall to build finger strength, quick hands and consistency.
• Target setting: from the setter's spot near the net, set to a partner or target at the left and right antennas, varying height and tempo.
• Game-like reps: have a coach send passes of varying quality so you practice moving, adjusting and choosing a hitter under pressure.

Watch: quick-set technique and setting decisions

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

Frequently asked questions