What are net-type games?
In a net-type game a net divides the court into two halves. You never touch the other team. You score by sending the ball (or shuttle) over the net so that it lands inside the opponent's court or so that they cannot return it correctly.
- Team net games: volleyball, sepak takraw, beach volleyball.
- Racket net games: badminton, tennis, table tennis.
In volleyball a team has 6 players on court and may touch the ball at most 3 times before it must go over the net. The ball must not be held or thrown; it is hit.
Serving and receiving
Serve: the ball is hit from behind the back line to start the rally. A good serve has three things: it clears the net, it lands inside the court, and it goes where the receiver finds it hard to play (a gap, a corner, between two players).
- Underhand serve: easiest for beginners; swing the arm like a pendulum.
- Overhand serve: tossed up and hit with the palm; faster and harder to play.
Receive: the receiver watches the ball, moves in line with it, joins the hands and arms into a flat platform and bumps the ball up softly, in the direction of the setter. A good receive makes the next touch easy.
Setting and attacking
Set: the second touch. Hands form a small triangle above the forehead and the fingertips push the ball high and gently to the attacker, close to the net.
Attack (spike): the third touch. The attacker takes a short run-up, jumps, swings the arm and hits the ball down over the net. Aim for the gap between defenders, or to a corner.
So one rally often goes: serve → receive → set → attack → block or dig → set → attack. In badminton and tennis the same idea appears as rally and attack: keep the ball in play until you can hit it where the opponent is not, or hit it hard downward (a smash).
Positioning and team formations
A good team always has players in useful places:
- Front row (near the net): attackers and blockers. Back row: defenders who dig hard hits.
- Rotation: in volleyball, when a team wins the serve, all 6 players move one position clockwise. Everyone learns every position.
- Covering the court: the court is shared. Each player owns a zone and calls "mine!" for balls in it. If one zone is empty, a smart attacker will hit the ball there.
- Ready position: knees bent, weight on the balls of the feet, hands in front, watching the ball.
In doubles (badminton, tennis) the partners can stand side by side (to cover width) or front and back (to attack at the net and defend deep). Changing formation to match whether you are attacking or defending is a team tactic.
Fair play: wait for the serve, accept the referee's decision, and shake hands at the end.
Try it: the 3-touch game
- Stand in groups of 3 over a rope or net. One throws the ball over.
- The other team must use exactly three touches: bump, set, then hit it back over.
- Score 1 point for a ball that lands in an empty zone. Change the standing places after each point.
- In the 3D above, move the second defender and hit all three zones. Which zone scores?
Key formulas and definitions
- Volleyball: up to 3 touches per side, 6 players on court
- R-S-A: Receive (bump), Set (fingertips), Attack (spike)
- Court 18 m × 9 m; each half 9 m × 9 m (area 81 m²)
- Rotation: after winning the serve, move one position clockwise
- Score by landing the ball in the opponent's court or in a zone no one covers
Worked examples
1. Your team has touched the ball twice. How many touches are left in volleyball, and what should the third touch be?
The limit is 3, so 3 − 2 = 1 touch is left. The third touch must send the ball over the net, ideally as an attack into a gap.
2. The other team's two defenders stand in the left and middle zones. Where should you hit?
Hit into the right zone, which is empty. This is the gap. If you hit where a defender stands, they can return the ball.
3. A volleyball court is 18 m long and 9 m wide. What is the area of one half?
One half is 9 m × 9 m = 81 m². The whole court is 18 × 9 = 162 m².
Common mistakes
- Serving hard but without aiming; a fast serve straight at a receiver is easy to return.
- Slapping the ball with open hands during a bump. Use joined forearms to make a flat platform.
- Standing flat-footed. Stay in the ready position, with knees bent.
- Everyone running to the same ball; call "mine!" and trust each zone.