Serve receive formations in volleyball
Serve receive is the first contact of the rally and the whole attack depends on it. The formation must respect the overlap rule, but within it teams have plenty of freedom.
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The W formation: five passers
Beginners and recreational teams receive with five players in a W shape while one stays at the net to set. It is a safe formation, because everyone covers only a small part of the court.
Three-person serve receive
In the 5-1 usually only the three best passers receive: both outside hitters and the libero. The others “hide” at the net or along the sideline so they stay out of the way and can start the attack straight away.
Hiding the setter
The setter should not pass, otherwise someone else has to set. So they stand as close to the setting spot as the rules allow: behind their front-row partner and in the correct order within their row.
Rotation 3 is the hardest, with the setter in zone 5. They must stand right behind the zone 4 player at the left sideline and run across the whole court after the serve.
Practise
The trainer shows the receive formation for every rotation, and in the quiz you build it yourself.
See it on court
Open in the 3D trainer ▶Frequently asked questions
- How many players receive the serve?
- Recreational teams usually use five (the W formation). In the 5-1 it is mostly three: two outside hitters and the libero. Top teams sometimes pass with only two.
- Can the setter stand at the net during serve receive?
- Yes, as long as the order holds: behind their front-row partner and in the right order within their row.