Women's volleyball team in yellow jerseys huddling with their hands raised

See volleyball rotations in motion

Free animated formations, practical lessons and drills for players and coaches, from first-time players to PE teachers and parents. No sign-up, in five languages.

Why coaches and players use Learn Volley

  • See it move. Step through all six rotations of each formation instead of decoding a static diagram. The animations are simplified models, so adjust them to your team's ability.
  • Rules checked against the rule book. Rules pages follow the FIVB Official Volleyball Rules, with US differences noted where they matter.
  • Ready for practice. A drill library, a sample 90-minute practice plan and printable sheets in US Letter and A4.

How a rally flows

Every rally follows one of two cycles, depending on which team serves.

  • Your team serves: you defend first. Form the block, with teammates covering behind it, dig the attack, then switch to offense.
  • Your team receives: you attack first. Pass the serve, set and attack, then switch to defense.
Read each column from the top. Grey boxes are defense, green boxes are offense. The dashed arrow shows where the cycle restarts if the ball comes back over the net.

Once these cycles feel automatic, you can stop thinking about where to stand and focus on the ball. The serve receive and defense systems lessons take each cycle further.

Find your way around

Last updated: October 5, 2026

Learn Volley is free and paid for by light advertising and reader donations. If it helps your team, you can support the site or report a mistake.