The 4-2 Offense

1. The 4-2 Offense Spam Filters Volleyball

2. The 4-2 Offense: Overview • The 4-2 offense is considered to be the easiest offense to learn • In the 4-2 offense, four players are attackers (A) and two are setters (S) • It is called a simple offensebecause the setter is one of the front row players • Only forwards may spike from in front of the attack line; so if one forward is the setter, only two can serve as attackers

3. Executing the 4-2 Offense • Serve receptionis when your team is receiving the serve from the opponents • Covering the attackeris the action taken to efficiently cover the court during a spike by your team that may be blocked by the opponents • A free ball formationis the position taken by your team to receive a ball that is neither a serve nor a spike

4. 1. Serve Reception The 4-2 Offense

5. 1.1 Serve Reception: Overview • In any serve reception formation, the setter does not want to receive the serve under any circumstances • Until the ball is contacted on the serve, all players on both teams must be in their correct rotational positions • After the serve is executed, players can assume any position on the court, with the exception that only forwards may attack or block from in front of the attack line

6. 1.2 Serve Reception in the 4-2 • In the 4-2 offense, the setter always sets from the middle of the court close to the net • However, the setter must line up to receive the serve in their correct rotational position • So the serve reception formation varies depending on whether the setter must line up at the left (LF), center (CF) or right (RF) forward position…

7. 1.3 Diagram: Setter at LF Diagram 1.1: 4-2 offense, serve reception,setter in the LF position

8. 1.4 Diagram: Setter at CF Diagram 1.2: 4-2 offense, serve reception,setter in the CF position

9. 1.5 Diagram: Setter at RF Diagram 1.3: 4-2 offense, serve reception,setter in the RF position

10. 1.6 Serve Reception: Setter’s Role • Note that in the diagrams, the setter always hides at the net and begins in the correct rotational position • As soon as the serve is contacted, the setter moves to the centre front of the court, giving two options: a forward set or back set • The setter remains in this position directing the attack until the next serve…

11. 1.7 Serve Reception: Switching • In Diagram 1.2, the setter is the center forward (CF) and no switch is necessary • In Diagrams 1.1 and 1.3, the setter must switch from an outside position to the center of the court • In each of these last two cases, the center forward attacker is in position on the same side of the court as the setter and switches to become an outside attacker

12. 1.8 Serve Reception: Alignments • Teams must be aware of the potential for overlaps in these two alignments. • Red lines are drawn in the diagrams to indicate the problem areas of overlap • The center back (CB) must remain behind the forwards, and the setter must be sure to remain closer to the sideline than the centre forward until the ball is served

13. 1.9 Serve Reception: Responsibilities • The player receiving serve must call for the ball before the ball crosses the net • All players must turn and face the player who has called for the ball • No player should receive any serve that is chest high or above (back row players should allow this serve to go out) • Diagram 1.4 indicates the areas of responsibility during serve reception…

14. 1.10 Diagram: Serve Reception Areas Diagram 1.4: 4-2 offense, serve reception,areas of responsibility

15. 1.11 Serve Reception: Rule SummaryAll Players • Decide who will receive the ball as soon as possible after contact by the server • Call for the ball before it crosses the net • Turn and face the player receiving the ball • Help call the ball out-of-bounds for other players on the same line as you

16. 1.12 Serve Reception: Rule SummaryFront Row Players • Allow balls that are higher than chest level to be played by back row players • Do not move back more than one step to play the ball • Call the ball out on the sideline for the back row player on your side of the court • Be ready to move forward quickly on short serves

17. 1.13 Serve Reception: Rule SummaryBack Row Players • Allow a ball that is chest height or higher to go out of bounds • Call the ball out on the sideline for the front row player on your side of the court • Be more aggressive in receiving from the left back position when the serve is between the left and right backs • Always position yourself between the front row players

18. 1.14 Serve Reception: Rule SummarySetters • Neverreceive the serve under any circumstances • Call short serves • Call for the pass and extend the hand closer to the net high as a target for the passer • Face the left sideline with your right foot forward in the stride position

19. 2. Covering the Attacker The 4-2 Offense

20. 2.1 Covering the Attacker: Overview • Once your team has received the serve and has passed to the setter, you attempt to complete an offensive attack • Meanwhile, the opposing team is attempting to prevent your team from completing a successful attack • Your team must be ready and cover the court regardless of the result of your attack…

21. 2.2 Possible Attack Outcomes • There are five possible outcomes of every attack. The results that end in a dead ball are: • The attacker spikes the ball to the floor for a point • The attacker spikes the ball out-of-bounds or makes an error • A blocker blocks the ball out-of-bounds or makes an error

22. 2.3 Possible Attack Outcomes, cont. • In the fourth and fifth attack outcomes, the ball remains in play: • Either the defensive team digs the ball and prepares for a counter-attack, or • The blocker(s) successfully block the ball and it remains on your side of the court • If the opposing block is successful, the ball usually falls quickly to the floor in an area directly behind the attacker…

23. 2.4 Covering the Blocked Attack • Therefore, the area directly behind the attacker is the critical area for your team to cover when an attack is successfully blocked by an opponent • Two of your players must make a tight arc behind the attacker, while the remaining three players position themselves in the spaces between them (see Diagrams 2.1 and 2.2)…

24. 2.5 Diagram: Attack By Your LF Diagram 2.1: Spike coverage when your LF is attacking

25. 2.6 Diagram: Attack By Your RF Diagram 2.2: Spike coverage when your RF is attacking

26. 2.7 Covering the Attacker: Frontcourt • The person closest to the sideline is always the centre back • The player closest to the net is always the setter, who sets the attack and follows the set by moving to the coverage position • Both players must be in a low defensive position to have as much time as possible to react to the ball

27. 2.8 Covering the Attacker: Backcourt • The two offensive players towards the sideline opposite the attacker’s side shift toward the attack side to cover blocked balls that drop deeper into the court • The back row player on the same side as the attacker shifts closer to the sideline and calls the ball out-of bounds if the block rebounds over the sideline • If the ball goes past or is deflected by the block and is dug by the defense, your team must quickly assume the base defensive formation

28. 3. Free Ball The 4-2 Offense

29. 3.1 Free Ball: Overview • Any time the opposing team is playing the ball and attempting to set an attack, your team’s blockers are at the net anticipating their next action to be a block • When it becomes obvious that the opposing team does not have enough control to complete their attack, your team must prepare to receive a free ball…

30. 3.2 Free Ball: Seeing Lack of Control • Lack of control is often indicated when: • The first pass does not go toward the net • A player other than the setter must handle the second ball • The set is made to a distance of more than 10 feet off the net, or • The attacker is out of position

31. 3.3 Free Ball: Formation • The free ball formation is very similar to the W-formation used to receive serve • The only difference is the setter is already in position at the centre front of the court • The setter usually calls “free ball” to communicate with the team that no block is necessary • Your team should immediately move to the free ball formation…

32. 3.4 Free Ball: Moving to the Formation • The setter remains at the net • The two attackers move straight back to the attack line • The centre back moves close to the attack line at the centre of the court • The remaining two backs fill in the spaces in between the forwards

33. 3.5 Free Ball: Attackers’ Roles • The attackers’ first priority is to receive the free ball; their second priority is to attack • As soon as they are sure that they will not have to receive the ball, they move to the sidelines and prepare to receive the set • It is critical that the attackers do not ‘wing out’ like this (see Diagram 3.1) until they are positive that the free ball will be passed by a teammate

34. 3.6 Diagram: Moving to Free Ball Diagram 3.1: Movement from base defense to free ball

35. 3.7 Free Ball: Attackers’ Roles, cont. • The number 1 on the diagram indicates the direction of the attackers’ first movement straight back to the attack line • The number 2 is the ‘wing out’, or second movement to a position outside the sidelines in preparation for an attack • Once the free ball is received, your team sets its own attack and proceeds with appropriate coverage

36. The End The 4-2 Offense