Serving volleyball

Mastering the serve is essential in volleyball, as it is your first attack and an opportunity to take control of the rally. On this page, you will explore the key techniques of serving, from the basic underhand serve to the powerful jump serve. You will also learn how the ball’s flight can be influenced and discover the official rules that define a legal serve. Whether you are coaching beginners or guiding advanced players, combining precision, power, and consistency will help your team gain an advantage right from the very first contact with the ball.

Types of serves in volleyball

In volleyball, there are two types of serves. The overhand serve and the underhand serve. In short, the overhand serve is executed above the head and the underhand serve is often executed at hip level. With special volleyball serving drills, you can master both forms.

Underhand Serve Volleyball

With the underhand serve in volleyball, the ball is hit with the tensed hand. The ball is held at stomach level and served from this point. This is usually done with the fist. The ball is held about half a meter away from the body. The ball is lightly tossed and you try to hit the ball away from your hand. This is usually done with the fist.

Overhand Serve

In addition to the underhand serve, there is also an overhand serve in volleyball. This is usually done above the head. Here you throw the ball over your head, about half a meter in front of you. Swing your serving arm back next to your head. The elbow points upwards, your hand is at the level of your ear. You try to hit the ball with an extended arm over the net. Your serving hand touches the ball at its highest point before it falls back down.

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Float/Flatter and Drive/Top-Spin volleyball serve

Float/Flat Serve

When serving in volleyball, you can hit the ball in many different ways. This can lead to a “flutter” where the ball begins to wobble. This makes it harder for the receivers to handle the ball.

Why balls flutter – The reason is the airflow

The explanation lies in the airflow around the ball. When the speed is below 15 m/s, the ball pushes a mass of air in front of it. At higher speeds, these do not flow evenly past the ball. If a storage occurs just above this limit of 15 m/s, the volleyball begins to flutter as soon as it reaches the threshold speed. The ball leaves the stable flight path and suddenly starts to transform into a floater.

The exact speed at which a floater occurs depends on several factors, e.g., the roughness of the ball, the condition of the seams, and how much the ball has been inflated.

Drive/Top-Spin Serve

You can also opt for the Drive/Top-Spin serve, where the ball gets a spinning effect. Generally, this serve is easier to control, but with a hard jump serve, the receivers will have trouble.

Volleyball Serving Rules

What exactly are the serving rules in volleyball? We have listed them below:

• The serve is made in the serving zone behind the court
• Entering or crossing the baseline during the serve is not allowed and results in a point for the opponent.
• The ball may touch the net edge during the serve.

Jump Serve Volleyball

The jump serve is one of the most advanced techniques in volleyball and requires both strength and precision. In this technique, the player jumps into the air and hits the ball with great force over the net. The jump serve can be a very effective tactic to put pressure on the opponent and score points.

The key to learning the jump serve is thorough preparation and lots of practice. The technique requires a quick arm and hand movement, as well as a quick leg movement to catapult the body into the air. The jump serve can also have a higher error rate than other serving techniques, as it is more difficult to master.

Volleyball serving rules

When serving in volleyball, the player must stand behind the end line and hit the ball with one hand or arm after tossing it into the air. The server has eight seconds to serve after the referee’s whistle and must do so in the correct rotation order. The ball may touch the net as long as it then reaches the opponent’s court. A serve is considered a fault if the player steps on or over the line, serves out of bounds, hits before the whistle, or if the wrong player serves. There are several types of serves, such as the underhand serve, the float serve (without spin and hard to read), the topspin serve (fast and with spin), and the jump serve (powerful and executed while jumping). A good serve immediately puts pressure on the opponent and can make the difference between starting the rally in defense or attack.

Main serving rules:

• Stand completely behind the end line when serving.
• Serve within 8 seconds after the whistle.
• Hit the ball with one hand or arm after tossing it.
• Only one serving attempt allowed.
• The ball may touch the net if it lands in the opponent’s court.
• Follow the correct rotation order.
• A service fault = point for the opponent.

FAQ about volleyball serving