The Van Harskamp Game: an intense warm-up game for your players

The Van Harskamp Game is a great option for coaches who want to start their practice with an active and competitive warm-up. The drill was created around fifteen years ago by Yannick van Harskamp, former setter of the Dutch national team. Vital Heynen, head coach of China, is also a big fan of this game.

“We already had several King of the Court variations. I thought it would be fun to create a completely new version myself, with a game in which you could only score on one side of the court.”

— Yannick van Harskamp

Van Harskamp first developed most of the concept in theory. He wanted to create a game in which teams could keep scoring while continuously moving from one side of the net to the other. After testing the game in practice, several details were refined, including safety rules to prevent players from colliding during the fast transitions.

The objective of the drill

The drill focuses on constantly switching between attack, transition, defense and counterattack. A team can only score when the ball is played from Court A over the net and lands in Court B.

The rules of the Van Harskamp Game

Teams and court layout

Two teams play against each other with one ball.

The court is divided into two sides:

• Court A is the starting and attacking side.
• Court B is the receiving and defending side.

Start of the rally

Every rally starts with a serve from Court A. An underhand serve is preferred, as this provides more control and helps the rally get started properly.

How to score

A team only scores when the ball is played from Court A over the net into Court B and lands on the floor.

A ball that lands in Court A after being played from Court B does not result in a point.

Maximum of three contacts

A team may touch the ball a maximum of three times before sending it over the net.

The preferred sequence is:

1. pass or control;
2. set;
3. attack.

The third contact should preferably be a spike, hard-driven ball or aggressive shot. The drill can also be played with a maximum of two contacts to increase the speed and difficulty.

Switch sides immediately

After the serve, the roles switch immediately.

The serving team moves from Court A to Court B and becomes the defending team. The receiving team controls the serve and moves to Court A to attack from there.

This pattern continues throughout the rally:

attack → transition → defense → counterattack

Under the net or around the post

To prevent collisions, both teams use different running routes.

The team moving from the attacking side to the defending side may run underneath the net into Court B.

The team changing from defense to attack must run around the net post or outside the court to reach Court A.

Maximum of two defenders in Court B

When a team attacks from Court A, only two defenders from the opposing team may be inside Court B.

The other players must wait outside the playing area and may only join when it is safe to do so. This rule prevents collisions, overcrowding near the net and dangerous situations during quick transitions.

Why is this such a fun drill?

The Van Harskamp Game is fun because the players are constantly moving. There are hardly any moments when someone can stand still. After every serve, pass or attack, players must switch immediately and prepare for their next role.

The drill combines volleyball technique, tactics, communication and conditioning. Players must not only control the ball, but also choose their positions quickly, work together and maintain an overview of the situation.

The drill also creates long and spectacular rallies. Because players are constantly changing positions, they are often placed in unexpected situations and challenged to find creative solutions.

Its high intensity makes it an ideal warm-up game. Players warm up quickly, cover a lot of ground and start practice with energy, enjoyment and competition.