As coaches, we are always looking for drills to help us teach fundamental skills and concepts. Most of us have our favorites. Sometimes, however, it is good to try something different. This adds freshness to practices and helps keep the player’s attention and focus. With that in mind, we are always looking to provide different drills for coaches to add to the arsenal. Below is a variation of a Pepper Game. In the Championship Productions video Six-time Kansas class 5A state champion head coach, Nancy Dorsey, uses the “9 Player Pepper” drill to train setters to get to loose balls and still manage to put up a hittable ball.
The drills is just one in a series. If you are interested in learning more about the DVD this clip came from click on the link High School Volleyball: Dynamic Practice Design and Drills
The YouTube video has sound, so please make sure your sound is on and that you have access to the site.
The Nine Player Pepper Drill is designed for setters and hitters. This is a difficult drill for setters. The passes are not always going to be perfect and in this drill the setter will have to run to the ball and get her hips turned in an attempt to put a hittable ball.
The drill also allows hitters to work on their transitions. Often times they have trouble getting out to their touch point before the attack and this drill gives them opportunity to work on that.
The set up is as follows. There are three back row players on each side. Those players will remain on their side throughout the drill. There are two hitters and one setter that will begin on one side of the net and then after an attack the move under the net to become the hitters and setters on that side. The two hitters and setter remain in the drill until they have completed 7 good pass-set-attack sequences. It doesn’t have to be 7 in a row. If they are unable to get a good pass-set-attack and just get the ball back over, they don’t go back to zero. This is a neutral ball and the keep playing until the get 7 pass-set-attack sequences. If the ball touches the floor they go back to zero.
Coach Dorsey also talks about modifications to the drill to make it appropriate for middle school and sub-varsity teams in your program.