Volleyball drills for small groups

Do you need effective volleyball drills for small groups? Not every practice has a full team available. Sometimes you train with 2, 3, 4 or 5 players, but you still want a session that is active, challenging and useful. Small group volleyball drills are perfect for this situation. They give every player more ball contacts, more responsibility and more chances to improve.

At VolleyballXL, you can find volleyball exercises for different levels, ages and training goals. Whether you want to work on passing, setting, ball control, defense or game-like situations, small group drills help you create a focused and efficient volleyball practice with only a few players.

u18, Seniors

Shot!

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u18, Seniors

2 vs 2: receive-attack on position 5-6, defend on position 5 or 6

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u18, Seniors

Corner pepper

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u12, u18

Run, Forrest, Run!

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u18

MuscleBall DT (double touch)

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u12, u18, Seniors

Turn and grab

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In this article: we cover volleyball drills for 2 players, 3 players and 4 players, plus small group passing, setting, ball control, defense, attack and game-based training ideas.

Why small group volleyball drills work

Small group volleyball drills are useful because they keep every player involved. In a full team drill, some players may wait for their turn. In a small group, every player has to pass, move, communicate, cover and react. This creates more repetitions and makes practice more intense.

For coaches, small group training is also very practical. You can use it when attendance is low, when you want to give extra technical attention, or when you want to split your team into stations. Instead of cancelling or simplifying practice, you can use the small group to focus on details that are often harder to coach during 6 vs 6 play.

• More ball contacts: players touch the ball more often and learn faster.
• More responsibility: every player has to read, move and communicate.
• Better focus: the coach can correct technique more easily.
• Flexible setup: drills can be used with 2, 3, 4 or 5 players.
• Game-like intensity: small spaces and small groups force quick decisions.

Small group drills are not only for beginners. They are also valuable for advanced players because they create pressure, repetition and tactical decision-making in a compact setting.

Volleyball drills for 2 players

Volleyball drills for 2 players are ideal for technical repetition. With only two players, you can train passing, setting, pepper, serve receive, defense and control. The key is to keep the drill simple enough for many repetitions, but specific enough to improve one clear skill.

Partner passing

Two players stand opposite each other and pass the ball back and forth. Start with controlled forearm passes, then add movement. One player can send the ball slightly left, right, short or deep. The passer must move behind the ball, create a stable platform and pass accurately back to the target.

• Focus: platform angle, footwork and control.
• Variation: add a target zone or a minimum number of successful passes.
• Coaching point: players should move first, then pass with balance.

Two-player pepper

Pepper is one of the most useful small group volleyball drills. One player attacks a controlled ball, the other digs, sets and then attacks back. This drill combines ball control, reaction speed, setting and attacking rhythm.

• Focus: defense, control and transition.
• Variation: require a dig-set-hit rhythm before the ball goes back.
• Coaching point: keep the attack controlled before increasing speed.

Looking for more drills in this style? Explore the pepper drills and ball control drills on VolleyballXL.

Volleyball drills for 3 players

Volleyball drills for 3 players make it easier to train game-like sequences. With three players, you can create a passer, setter and attacker. This allows players to practice the rhythm of volleyball: first contact, second contact and third contact.

Pass, set and attack

One player starts with a free ball or controlled toss. The second player passes to the setter. The setter sets to the third player, who attacks or places the ball to a target. After each rally, players rotate positions.

• Focus: first contact quality, setting accuracy and attacking placement.
• Variation: add a target zone for the attack.
• Coaching point: the passer should communicate early and pass with purpose.

Three-player defense

One player attacks or throws balls from the net area. Two players defend in the backcourt and the third player acts as a target or setter. This drill works well for defensive movement, reading the attacker and controlled digging.

• Focus: defensive posture, reading and communication.
• Variation: one defender covers short balls, the other covers deep balls.
• Coaching point: defenders should call the ball clearly before contact.

For extra inspiration, use these drills together with digging drills, defense drills and transition drills.

Volleyball drills for 4 players

With four players, you can create many effective small group volleyball drills. This number is perfect for 2 vs 2 games, serve receive patterns, defensive coverage and competitive rallies. Four players are enough to create pressure, but still few enough to give everyone many touches.

2 vs 2 short court

Play 2 vs 2 on a smaller court. The goal is not only to win the rally, but to create a controlled first contact and make smart attacking choices. This is one of the best volleyball drills for small groups because it combines technique, communication and tactics.

• Focus: ball control, communication and tactical placement.
• Variation: award bonus points for attacks into open space.
• Coaching point: players should talk before, during and after each contact.

Serve receive with four players

Two players serve or initiate balls. Two players receive and pass to a target. Rotate after a set number of serves. This drill helps players improve passing accuracy, movement before contact and communication in serve receive.

• Focus: serve receive, platform control and target passing.
• Variation: add zones and score points for perfect passes.
• Coaching point: players should decide early who takes the ball.

Want more serve receive ideas? Check the serve receive drills and serving drills.

u12, u18, Seniors

In the red corner

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u12

Double vision

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Small group passing drills

Passing is one of the easiest skills to train in a small group. Because every player gets many repetitions, the coach can focus on footwork, platform angle and the quality of the pass. Small group passing drills are useful for beginners, youth players, high school teams and advanced players who need more consistency.

A good small group passing drill should always include a clear target. This can be a setter, a cone, a hoop, a marked zone or a coach standing in the setter position. The clearer the target, the easier it is for players to understand what a good pass looks like.

• Partner passing: repeat controlled passes with movement.
• Triangle passing: three players pass and follow their ball.
• Serve receive pairs: two passers communicate and pass to target.
• Short-deep passing: players react to changing ball depth.
• Target passing: players score points for accurate passes.

For more examples, visit the full collection of volleyball passing drills.

Small group setting drills

Small group setting drills help players improve hand position, footwork, body shape and decision-making. You do not always need a full team to train setting. With two or three players, you can already create many useful repetitions.

For setters, small group training is especially valuable because it creates time for details. The coach can focus on clean hands, balanced movement, setting direction and communication with attackers. For non-setters, these drills are also useful because every player should be able to set a playable ball in a rally.

• Partner setting: two players set back and forth with a focus on shape and control.
• Set and move: players set, move to a new spot and set again.
• Pass-set-catch: one player passes, one sets, one catches as target.
• Out-of-system setting: players set from different positions after a poor pass.

Use the setting drills and setting drills for beginners to build a stronger technical foundation.

Small group ball control drills

Ball control is one of the biggest benefits of small group training. When fewer players are involved, every contact matters. Players must control the ball, adjust their body position and communicate quickly. This makes small group ball control drills useful for all levels.

• Pepper variations: dig, set and controlled attack in pairs or groups of three.
• One-touch control: players must direct the ball to a target with one contact.
• Three-contact challenge: groups must use pass, set and attack before sending the ball over.
• Control under pressure: players lose points for uncontrolled contacts.

These drills are ideal at the start of practice, but they can also be used as competitive challenges at the end of a session. Explore more ball control drills for extra training ideas.

Need more inspiration for your next volleyball practice?

Use VolleyballXL to find drills, create complete training sessions and keep every player active.

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Small group defense and attack drills

Small groups are excellent for defense and attack because the players cannot hide. Every player must read the ball, move into position and make a decision. This creates a strong link between technique and game understanding.

Defense to attack

Start with one controlled attack or downball. The defender digs to the setter, the setter sets the ball and the attacker plays the ball to a target. Rotate roles after each rally. This drill teaches players to switch quickly from defense to offense.

• Focus: defensive reading, transition movement and attacking placement.
• Variation: add a second defender or target zone.
• Coaching point: players should move forward after defense and prepare to attack.

Attack into open space

In this drill, attackers score only when they place the ball into a marked zone. This forces players to look at the court instead of simply hitting hard. It is a great small group drill for teaching smart attacking choices.

• Focus: attacking vision, placement and decision-making.
• Variation: change the target zone after every five rallies.
• Coaching point: attackers should watch the defender before contact.

For more related exercises, visit attacking drills, spiking drills and defense drills.

Small group volleyball games

Small group volleyball games are perfect when you want training to feel competitive. They create energy, focus and pressure. Because the groups are small, players get many repetitions while still learning to solve game-like situations.

• 2 vs 2 rally game: play on a smaller court and reward smart placement.
• King of the court: winners stay, challengers rotate in.
• Three-contact game: teams must use three contacts before sending the ball over.
• Target zone game: teams score bonus points for playing into marked zones.
• Short court game: reduce the court size to improve reactions and control.

These games are useful for youth teams, beginner groups, high school teams and senior players. You can make them easier by allowing a catch or controlled toss, or make them harder by adding tactical scoring rules.

If court space is also limited, combine this page with our guide to half court volleyball drills.

How to plan a small group volleyball practice

A strong small group practice should be simple, active and focused. Choose one main goal for the session and build your drills around that goal. For example, if the goal is passing, start with partner passing, continue with serve receive in pairs and finish with a 2 vs 2 game where teams score bonus points for a perfect pass.

Example small group practice plan

1. Warm-up: movement, ball control and partner passing.
2. Technical block: focus on one skill, such as passing or setting.
3. Combination drill: add pass-set-attack or defense-to-attack.
4. Game-like drill: use 2 vs 2, 3-player rally or target scoring.
5. Challenge: finish with a competitive small group game.

Keep waiting time low. If one player is not involved, give that player a task: target, server, feeder, scorer or coach. This keeps the intensity high and helps players understand the game from different roles.

Need help creating complete sessions? VolleyballXL includes practice tools, drills and a practice plan generator to help coaches prepare efficient training sessions faster.

FAQ about volleyball drills for small groups

Small group volleyball drills help coaches turn limited numbers into a training advantage. With fewer players, every touch matters. By choosing the right drills, you can improve technique, communication, ball control and tactical awareness in every practice.