Volleyball Basics - Introduction to Rotations

One of the fundamental aspects of organized team play in volleyball is the use of rotations. Rotations are designed to ensure a front row/back row balance for positions and their roles in the offense and defense. They are also used to place players in a position on the court so they can receive serve, if that is one of their responsibilities, and move into the areas on the court where they will be set. Serve and serve receive rotations place players so they can perform their primary responsibilities with a minimum of movement.

Front row/back row balance is accomplished by placing the outside hitters opposite each other in the service rotation, middle blockers are opposite each other, and the setter is opposite the, well, opposite. To differentiate outsides and middles, they are labeled outside hitter 1 and middle blocker 1 for those either side of the setter in service order, and outside hitter 2 and middle blocker 2 next to the opposite in service order.

Base defensive positions with setter in back row.

Rotations are numbered by serving order, the setter is first. For rotation 1, the setter is in zone 1, outside hitter 1 is next in serving order in zone 2, middle blocker 2 in zone 3, the opposite in 4, outside hitter 2 in 5, and middle blocker 1 in 6.

In rotations with the setter on the back row (rotations 1-3), the base defensive positions place the front row outside in 4, the front row middle in 3, and the opposite in 2. The setter is in 1, the back row outside is in 6, and the libero (or the back row middle when serving) is in 5. In rotations with the setter in the front row, the setter and opposite trade places. This places the players where they need to be when transitioning to and from offense with as little unnecessary movement as possible.

See also:
Zones of the Court

Volleyball Basics are intended to present some of the fundamental volleyball knowledge that everyone serious about the sport should know.