Your First Seven Volleyball Sessions

This free plan gives a complete beginner seven structured sessions, one skill each: rules (Day 1), passing, setting, serving, hitting and defense, then short games on Day 7. Do one a day, or take longer and repeat any session as often as you need: a week gets you started, it doesn't make you an expert. Each session takes 45–60 minutes. Days 1–4 can be done fully alone; Days 5 and 6 have solo practice for parts of the skill only, and Day 7 needs other players.

Units

Plan length: 7 sessions (repeat any)
Time per session: 45–60 min
Core skills: Passing, setting, serving, hitting, defense
Works for: Solo on Days 1–4; partner or group for the full Days 5–7

Choose today's session

Pick the next session you haven't finished, or repeat the one that felt hardest. Read how to use this plan before your first session; it includes the safety notes for the jumping days.
Session	Focus	Time	Alone?
Day 1	Rules, court zones and rotation	About 45 min	Yes, fully
Day 2	Passing (bumping)	About 50 min	Yes, fully
Day 3	Setting	About 50 min	Yes, fully
Day 4	Serving	About 50 min	Yes, fully
Day 5	Hitting (spiking): approach and jump	About 50 min	Partly: hitting a set ball needs a partner
Day 6	Defense: blocking and digging	About 50 min	Partly: reading a hitter needs a partner
Day 7	Game play and strategy	About 60 min	No: needs at least three other players

How to use this plan

It works whether you're practicing alone, with a friend, or coaching a group of young players. Do one session a day, leave rest days in between, or repeat a session several times before moving on. Start every session with a 10-minute warm-up and spend 10 minutes reviewing the previous session's skill. Every session lists an objective, the setup and timing, a solo option and a partner or group option, a check for when you're ready to move on, what to repeat if you're not there yet, and links to the full lesson and to drills from our beginner drills and solo drills. Before Day 1, see the equipment checklist for what to bring, and the net heights by age at the end of the plan.

The readiness checks are practice suggestions to help you choose what to do next, not tests to pass: staying on a session longer is a normal part of learning. Solo options are real practice for the parts of a skill you can do alone, but they can't replace reading and playing another player's ball.

Safety: On Days 5 and 6 (jumping), land on both feet with bent knees, keep jumps and dives for a gym or court rather than home, and stop if anything hurts. Take a rest day before Day 7 if you're sore.

Day 1: Introduction to volleyball

Get familiar with volleyball’s rules, structure, and objectives. Volleyball is played between two teams of six, with each team allowed three contacts to return the ball over the net. A match is won by winning sets: best of 5 under FIVB rules (many youth leagues play best of 3). Sets go to 25 points with a 2-point lead, and a deciding set goes to 15.

Things to be aware of:

The court is 18 m long and 9 m wide, with an attack line (10-foot line) 3 m from the center line on each side.
Each team rotates clockwise after winning the serve back.
A team gets three touches per side (excluding the block).
The libero is a back-row defensive specialist in a different-colored jersey. The libero cannot serve or block, and cannot attack a ball that is entirely above the top of the net. US note: USA Volleyball, NFHS (high school) and NCAA women's rules let the libero serve in one rotation; NCAA men's rules don't allow the libero to serve. See Volleyball Positions.

Session 1 plan

Objective: Know the basic rules and the court well enough to follow a game: three touches per side, how and when your team rotates, the six court zones, and what the libero may not do.
Setup and time: About 45 minutes. A ball and some open space; a court helps but isn't needed.

10 min: warm-up.

15 min: learn the six court zones, then walk through a rotation.

10 min: get a feel for the ball with self-set and self-pass.

10 min: take the rules quiz.
Solo option: Everything in this session works alone. Walk through the rotation on the animated 6-6 Basic Rotation, and do self-set and self-pass (from the solo drills) outdoors or somewhere with a high ceiling and nothing breakable nearby.
Partner or group: Walk the rotation on a real court: six players stand in the zones and call out their zone number, then rotate clockwise each time someone calls “side out”.
Ready to move on when: You can say how many touches your team gets, which way your team rotates and when, and what the libero isn't allowed to do, and you can point to zones 1–6 on a court.
Not there yet?: Walk through the rotation again and retake the rules quiz. You can keep coming back to Day 1 while you start Day 2.
Go deeper: Volleyball rules, court zones, rotation builder.

Day 2: Passing (bumping)

The first contact after serve is usually a pass using the forearms. This is crucial for starting the offense and controlling the pace.

Technique:

Feet shoulder-width apart, knees bent, balanced stance.
Hands together (one closed in a fist, wrapped by the other), thumbs side-by-side and pointed down.
Keep arms straight and firm; don’t swing them.
Let the ball hit the flat surface of your forearms (platform).

Things to be aware of:

Don't swing your arms too much — use your legs to push the ball up.
Always move your feet to get behind the ball.
Keep your shoulders forward over your knees and your eyes on the ball.

Session 2 plan

Objective: A steady forearm pass: get your feet to the ball first, make a flat platform, and send the ball up high and soft toward a target.
Setup and time: About 50 minutes. A ball and a solid wall, or a partner.

10 min: warm-up.

10 min: review Day 1 (walk through the rotation again).

25 min: passing (choose the solo or the partner/group option below).

5 min: cool-down.
Solo option: Wall passing from the solo drills: stand about 3 m from a solid wall with no windows nearby, toss to yourself and pass into a box marked just above head height, letting the ball bounce once if needed. Then footwork plus touch: shuffle two steps, pass, shuffle back.
Partner or group: Partner: partner passing (toss and pass), then pepper in its simplest “pass-set-catch” version. Group: butterfly passing with tosses.
Ready to move on when: Your passes go up high and soft to the target rather than just staying in the air. Practice suggestion: about 10 wall passes in a row without a bounce from about 3 m; or, in partner passing, about 7 of 10 passes your partner can catch above the forehead without moving their feet; or, in butterfly passing, about 2 of 3 passes caught at the target.
Not there yet?: Keep the bounce in wall passing, stand a little closer, or catch each toss and toss it to yourself before you pass. Repeat this session: passing is the skill most worth extra time.
Go deeper: Passing, how to pass a volleyball, partner passing.

Day 3: Setting

Setting is the second contact, designed to give the hitter an ideal ball. Good setting leads to strong offense and teamwork.

Technique:

Hands above your forehead, fingers spread in the shape of a triangle or diamond.
Contact the ball with the pads of your fingers and thumbs, not the palms.
Extend your arms upward and finish high, using legs to generate power.

Things to be aware of:

Don't carry or lift the ball — it should leave your hands quickly and cleanly.
Face your target and square your shoulders toward the hitter.
Stay light on your feet so you can move under the ball quickly.

Session 3 plan

Objective: Clean, soft hands: the ball leaves your fingers quickly, with little or no spin, and goes up to a target.
Setup and time: About 50 minutes. A ball and a solid wall, or a partner.

10 min: warm-up.

10 min: review Day 2 (wall passing or partner passing).

15 min: setting at the wall (everyone, solo or not).

10 min: setting with a partner, or more solo setting (see below).

5 min: cool-down.
Solo option: Wall setting: stand about 1 m from the wall and set above a line about 3 m high. Then self-set and self-pass, counting your best streak.
Partner or group: Partner setting (toss-set-catch, then continuous sets), then pepper (pass-set-catch). A group works in pairs.
Ready to move on when: You can keep setting against the wall above your target line with quiet hands and little or no spin on the ball. Practice suggestion: about 10 sets in a row from about 1 m.
Not there yet?: Catch the ball in your setting shape above your forehead and push it straight back out, stand closer, or set lower until your hands are quiet. Then repeat this session.
Go deeper: Setting, how to set a volleyball, wall setting.

Day 4: Serving

The serve is the only skill you control completely on your own — no one passes it to you. It starts every rally and can be a powerful weapon.

Rule required by the named rulebook. Team agreement a choice this team makes; other teams may choose differently. Practice cue a simplified instruction for practice.

Technique (underhand):

Stand behind the end line facing your target, with the foot opposite your hitting hand forward.
Hold the ball low and in front of your hitting-side hip in your non-hitting hand.
Swing your hitting arm straight back, then forward like a pendulum, shifting your weight onto your front foot.
Rule: Just before contact, drop the ball or lift it slightly out of your holding hand, then hit its lower back half with the heel of your hand or a loose fist. The ball must be tossed or released before you hit it, so hitting it straight out of your holding hand is a fault. (FIVB 2025–2028, rule 12.4.1)

Technique (overhand):

Make a controlled toss that peaks slightly above your fully extended contact height, a little in front of your hitting shoulder.
Reach up and hit the middle of the ball with a firm, open hand, arm fully extended.
Finish with your hand and shoulder pointing toward your target.

Things to be aware of:

Consistency is more important than power early on.
Always aim for an area, not just over the net.
Practice cue: Keep your toss the same every time. For these standing overhand serves, a toss you let drop should land a little in front of you, in line with your hitting shoulder.

Session 4 plan

Objective: A serve you can repeat: the same routine and toss every time, landing in a chosen area of the court instead of just going over the net.
Setup and time: About 50 minutes. Several balls and a court with a net, or a solid wall (see the solo option).

10 min: warm-up.

10 min: review Day 3 (wall setting).

5 min: serve toss practice (20 tosses, no hitting).

20 min: serving at targets, starting from mid-court: two rounds of 10 serves, trying to beat your first-round score.

5 min: cool-down.
Solo option: Serving is a skill you can practice fully alone. On a court with a bag of balls, do the toss practice from the solo drills, then the underhand serving progression or target serving. With no court, do the toss practice and serve underhand at a solid wall, aiming above a line marked at about net height, with no windows nearby.
Partner or group: A partner on the other side calls a target zone before each serve and rolls the balls back. A group takes turns in target serving.
Ready to move on when: Your serve lands where you aim more often than not. Practice suggestion: underhand, about 7 of 10 serves land in the court from the distance you chose, in two rounds in a row. Overhand, in a toss-only round of 20, about 15 tosses land in a spot the size of a dinner plate a little in front of you, in line with your hitting shoulder, and your second round of target serving beats your first.
Not there yet?: Move closer to the net, go back to the underhand serve, or do toss-only rounds until the ball lands in the same spot. Repeat this session as often as you like: serving improves with repetition.
Go deeper: Serving, how to serve overhand, types of serves.

Day 5: Hitting (spiking)

Hitting is the most dynamic and aggressive skill. It requires timing, coordination, and explosive power.

Basic hitting steps:

3-step approach (left-right-left for right-handers)
Swing both arms back on your last step, then up as you jump; draw your hitting arm back with the elbow high
Contact the ball at the highest point with an open hand
Snap your wrist to direct the ball downward

Things to be aware of:

Start with slow, deliberate footwork before adding speed and jump.
Keep your eye on the ball during your entire approach.
Don’t try to kill the ball early on — focus on timing and control first.
Land on both feet with bent knees, on your own side of the center line, and stop if anything hurts.

Session 5 plan

Objective: A smooth approach with a balanced two-foot take-off and landing, meeting the ball high and in front of your hitting shoulder. Hitting a set ball over a net needs a setter or tosser; that part starts here and keeps developing long after this session.
Setup and time: About 50 minutes, on a court or a flat, non-slip surface with room to run and jump.

10 min: warm-up.

10 min: review Day 4 (target serving).

15 min: approach footwork with no ball: 3 sets of 6 approaches, walking back between reps.

10 min: add a toss (see the options below).

5 min: cool-down.
Solo option: Approach footwork with no ball, then toss the ball high and a little in front of you yourself, take your approach and catch it with two hands at the top of your jump. Do this on a court or a flat field, not indoors at home, and keep to the planned sets. Limits: a self-toss can't teach you to time someone else's set, and hitting over a net needs a net and a partner, so the solo version stops at the catch.
Partner or group: A partner or coach tosses an easy ball and you catch it with two hands at the top of your jump. Once that is steady, the tosser tosses from zone 3 and you hit the ball over the net, as in hitting lines.
Ready to move on when: Your approach steps are smooth, with a quick last two steps (right-left for right-handers, left-right for lefties), and you can catch a tossed ball at the top of your jump and land on both feet with bent knees. Practice suggestion: about 8 of 10 approaches meet that standard.
Not there yet?: Walk the steps without jumping and say them out loud, then add a small jump. Repeat the footwork part of this session on its own; it's normal for the approach to take several sessions.
Go deeper: Attacking, how to spike a volleyball, approach footwork.

Day 6: Defense (blocking and digging)

Knowing how to dig and block keeps your team in rallies and frustrates opponents.

Blocking tips:

Start close to the net with your hands up around shoulder height.
Jump straight up — not into the net.
Penetrate the net with your hands slightly angled inward and down.
Land softly on both feet with bent knees, on your side of the center line, and reset quickly.

Digging tips:

Stay low in a ready stance with weight on the balls of your feet.
React to the hitter’s body language and arm swing.
Use a forearm platform to deflect fast hits upward.
Against hard hits, let your arms give a little to absorb the ball, and angle your platform toward the middle of your court.

Session 6 plan

Objective: Two defensive basics: moving along the net and jumping straight up to block without touching the net, and digging a ball up high toward a target instead of just touching it.
Setup and time: About 50 minutes. A net and a partner or coach for the full version; a solid wall for the solo version.

10 min: warm-up.

10 min: review Day 5 (approach footwork).

15 min: blocking footwork (see the options below).

10 min: digging (see the options below).

5 min: cool-down.
Solo option: Blocking footwork without jumping: mark a line on a wall as the “net” and finish each shuffle or crossover with a standing hand press. Wall digging: throw the ball firmly at a solid wall and dig the rebound up high, not straight back into the wall. Stay on your feet: no diving or sprawling on your own. Limits: this trains your footwork and platform, but not reading a hitter or blocking a real attack; those need a partner or a hitter.
Partner or group: Blocking footwork at a net: 3–4 sets of 4–6 jumps with full rest. Dig to target with a partner or coach hitting controlled balls (5–8 digs per turn). With a partner but no hitter, play pepper instead.
Ready to move on when: You jump straight up on the block and land on both feet on your side without touching the net (solo: you stop square and press your hands firmly at the wall line), and your digs go up high toward the target instead of just touching the ball (solo: your wall digs go up high rather than straight back into the wall). Practice suggestion, with a partner: about half of a turn of 5–8 digs could be set.
Not there yet?: Block without the jump, using shuffles only. Ask your partner to toss instead of hit, or throw the ball more softly at the wall. Repeat this session; reading a hitter takes many sessions with other players.
Go deeper: Blocking, digging, dig to target.

Day 7: Game play and strategy

Now it's time to play. Understanding basic rotations, positions, and teamwork is essential to turning your skills into a working game strategy. Learn the overlap rules so your rotation is legal at the serve.

What to practice in games:

Rotation: learn where to move after each side-out.
Serve receive: communicate and spread responsibility.
Transition: move from defense to offense fluidly.
Calling the ball: always communicate (“Mine!” “Help!” “Out!”).
Use all three touches: aim for pass–set–hit instead of sending the ball over on the first contact (three is the maximum, not a requirement).

Play short games to 15 with rally scoring. With few players, use small-sided games (2 v 2 or 3 v 3 on a smaller court) so everyone touches the ball more. Emphasize teamwork, effort, and proper form over winning.

Session 7 plan

Objective: Put the skills together in short rallies: rotate to the right place, call the ball, and try to play pass–set–hit.
Setup and time: About 60 minutes. A court with a net and at least three other players.

10 min: warm-up.

10 min: review the skill that felt hardest so far.

35 min: queen of the court in teams of 2–4 for 15–20 minutes, then short games to 15.

5 min: cool-down; name the one skill you'll work on next.
Solo option: There is no solo version of a game: this session needs other players. On your own, repeat the wall and serving work from Days 2–4, and watch a match: follow one team's rotation and say who should take each first contact.
Partner or group: With 4 players, play 2 v 2 on a smaller court; with 6–8, play 3 v 3 or queen of the court; with 12, play 6 v 6.
Ready to move on when: You can keep a short rally going with pass–set–hit, call “mine” before you play the ball, and rotate to the right spot after a side-out.
Not there yet?: Allow a catch on the second contact, play on a smaller court, or start each rally with an easy toss instead of a serve. Then repeat this session, or go back to the session for the skill that broke down most.
Go deeper: Volleyball positions, overlap rules, queen of the court.

What's next

Repeat any session as often as you need, spending extra time on the skill that felt hardest; becoming consistent takes many more sessions than seven. Then go deeper with the full guides listed under “Go deeper” in each session plan.

Net heights by age

Official FIVB men: 2.43 meters
Official FIVB women: 2.24 meters
Co-ed (USA Volleyball): 2.43 meters; reverse co-ed uses the women's height, 2.24 meters, and recreational leagues may set their own — check your league
Boys 15–18: 2.43 meters
Girls 13–18: 2.24 meters
Boys 13–14: 2.24 meters
Boys 11–12 and girls 11–12: 2.13 meters
10 and under: girls 1.98 meters, boys 2.13 meters

The FIVB rules set only the adult heights; the youth heights here follow USA Volleyball junior guidelines (US). Many national federations publish youth net heights and ball recommendations — for example USA Volleyball, Volleyball England and Volleyball Canada. Check your own national federation.

Frequently asked questions

Can you learn volleyball in 7 days?

Seven sessions are enough to try every basic skill and play a simple game, but not to master them. Becoming consistent takes many more sessions, so repeat any session as often as you need and spend extra time on the skill that felt hardest.

Can I do the plan on my own?

Days 1–4 work fully alone with a ball and a solid wall or a court. Days 5 and 6 have solo practice for the approach, a self-toss catch, blocking footwork and wall digging, but hitting a set ball, reading a hitter and blocking a real attack need a partner. Day 7 needs other players.

What if I am not ready for the next day?

Repeat the session or use its easier option. The readiness checks are suggestions to help you choose what to practice next, not tests, and many beginners spend several sessions on one skill.

How many players are on a volleyball team?

Six players per team are on the court at a time. Each team gets three contacts to return the ball over the net.

What is the official volleyball net height?

Official FIVB net height is 2.43 meters (7 feet 11⅝ inches) for men and 2.24 meters (7 feet 4⅛ inches) for women. USA Volleyball co-ed play uses the men's height and reverse co-ed uses the women's height; recreational leagues may set their own. In USA Volleyball junior play, boys 15–18 use 2.43 meters (7 feet 11⅝ inches), girls 13–18 and boys 13–14 use 2.24 meters (7 feet 4⅛ inches), boys and girls 11–12 use 2.13 meters (7 feet), and at 10 and under girls use 1.98 meters (6 feet 6 inches) and boys 2.13 meters (7 feet).