Volleyball Service

SERVIC
E
Underhand Serve
An underhand serve is a method of putting the ball in play over
the net by holding the ball below the waist, tossing it slightly out
of the hand, and hitting underneath it with the other hand to
send it over the net. The underhand serve is the easiest type of
volleyball serve and is usually taught to young, beginning players
who may not be physically strong enough to serve the ball over
the net using an overhand motion.
Position Square to the Target
• The player should take a position somewhere along the end
line where she is comfortable serving from and where she will
move into the court to play defense.
• She should be facing the serving target on the other side of
the net, with her front foot (foot opposite her serving hand)
pointing toward the target and her body square to the target
(see figure 3.1).
• The player should be stable, with her knees slightly bent in a
balanced athletic stance. The upper body should be leaned
forward slightly, with the weight on the back leg.
Short Toss
• The ball is held in the palm of the nonserving, or nonhitting,
hand.
• The player extends the tossing hand out in front of her serving
shoulder and holds the ball at about hip height.
• The toss is very short out of the hand, just above hip height
(see figure 3.2).
• The toss is easier to control than in the overhead serve, which
helps young players.
Contact With the Ball
• The ball must be contacted in the air when tossed out of the hand,
and it is important that the server look at the ball as the serving hand
makes contact to ensure a solid serve.
• The hand position used to contact the ball needs to provide a firm,
flat surface.
• The server can use a fully closed fist, a half-open fist, or even a stiff
open hand.
• Ball contact should be just below the middle of the back of the ball,
allowing it to travel forward, up, and over the net.
• The serve can include a step that transfers the player’s weight from
the rear to the front foot, or the player can shift the body weight
forward without taking a step. Both options provide additional power
in getting the ball over the net.
Closed Fist
Half-Open Fist
Stiff Open Hand
• Player position prior
to contacting the ball
for an underhand
serve with a step to
shift body weight.
Follow-Through To Target
• The follow-through of the serving hand (the hand that makes
contact with the ball) should be shoulder high and toward
the court as if reaching over the net.
• This is similar to a release and follow-through in bowling.
• The server should maintain this position momentarily before

entering the court to play defense.
Player following
through toward the
intended target.
Sidearm Serve
• The sidearm serve is another method of introducing the ball
into play by hitting it over the net to the opponents from a
sideways position with a short toss.
• Players not yet strong enough to get the ball over the net
using an overhand motion may be taught this technique in
which the body rotates, or torques, providing even more
power than the previous underhand serve.
Perpendicular Position to the Net
line where she is comfortable serving from and where she will
move into the court to play defense after the serve.
• The player should position her feet approximately shoulder-
width apart, with her non-hitting arm side to the net.
• She should be stable, with her knees slightly bent in a
balanced athletic stance.
• The player’s upper body should lean forward slightly, with her
weight on her back leg (the one that is farthest from the net).
• Player’s body positioned
perpendicular to the net
for the sidearm serve.
Short Toss and Body Rotation
• The player holds the ball waist high in the palm of the non-
hitting hand, away from the body, in line with the non-hitting
shoulder and slightly toward the net.
• The toss is very short out of the hand, with contact quickly
following.
• As the toss is released, the hips and then the shoulders rotate
toward the target, providing torque into the contact and giving
the serve more power.
• This puts the weight on the front foot (see next section on
weight transfer), with the upper body facing the net during
and after contact, allowing the athlete to run into the court to
a defensive position.
• Player making (a) a short
toss and (b) rotating the
body for the sidearm serve.
• The server should look at the ball as it is contacted.
• The hitting arm is held out to the side of the body away from
the net and will swing through the ball toward the net (like
slamming a door).
• The contact hand position can be anything from a fully closed
fist, to a half-open fist, to an open hand as long as the
contact surface is firm and flat.
• The contact point on the hand should be facing toward the
target area.
• Positions of the serving hand for a sidearm serve: (a) fully closed
• fist, (b) half-open fist, and (c) open hand.
• The player shifts her weight during the toss and contact.
• This can be done with a slight step onto the front foot toward
the net or simply a weight transfer from the back foot to the
front foot nearest the net.
• The knees should be bent, with shoulders slightly forward.
• Player contacting the ball
for the sidearm serve with
a step to shift body weight.
Follow-Through to Target
• The follow-through of the serving hand (the one that makes

contact with the ball) should be shoulder high and over the
net and into the court.
• The server should maintain this position momentarily before
entering the court to play defense.
• Player following through
toward the intended target
for the sidearm serve.
Overhand Serve
• This serve is the basic overhand serve technique used by most
players, from beginners to international athletes.
• If a player is strong enough to throw the ball over the net
from the end line with an overhand motion, she can learn how
to execute this type of serve. It is such an effective serve
because when done correctly, the ball floats and has an
unpredictable path that makes it very difficult to pass
accurately.
Position Square to the Target
line, from which she will move into the court to play defense.
• The player should begin with the foot on the non-hitting side
forward and her weight on the back foot.
• The front foot, hips, and shoulders should face the target
where she wants to serve the ball.
• The knees should be bent slightly, with the body in a balanced
athletic stance.
• The ball should be held in the pads of the fingers of the non-
hitting hand, about shoulder high and in line with and slightly
in front of the serving shoulder.
• Player positioned square to
the target for the standing
floater serve.
Toss, Arm Swing, and Body Rotation
• As she tosses the ball, the server should take a slight step forward
with the front foot or simply begin to transfer her weight from
the back to the front foot.
• The ball for a floater serve is tossed, or more accurately, lifted,
only as high as the server can reach with the serving hand when
extended.
• The ball should be in the air only briefly, with lift–hit timing.
• As the ball is lifted for the toss, the hitting-hand elbow is drawn
back high, which rotates the hitting shoulder away from the ball.
• At the height of the toss, the hips and then shoulders begin
rotating toward the net, followed by the elbow and then the hand
reaching to the point of contact.
• Player (a) tossing the ball for an
overhand floater serve and (b)
taking a step to shift her weight.
• The eyes should focus on the ball, and the server should see the
ball as it is contacted.
• The player contacts the ball with a flat palm on the back of the
ball, slightly below center, and the palm faces the target upon
contact.
• The player should keep the fingers away from the ball and hit
straight through.
• As we learned in the previous section, just before contact, the
weight is shifted forward, then the elbow and then the forearm
are brought forward, with the wrist extended and the hand rigid
upon contact.
• The ball should be in front of and in line with the hitting shoulder.
• Player contacting the ball
for the overhand floater
serve.

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SERVIC

• This is similar to a release and follow-through in bowling.

• The server should maintain this position momentarily before

• The follow-through of the serving hand (the one that makes

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