Purpose

This drill focuses on aim and gives more repetitions for weaker servers.

Setup

  • All players line up behind the service line.
  • Each player should have a ball

How it works

  1. The first player in line serves the ball, if it lands in, they go and lay where the ball landed. This is only true for the FIRST server to make their serve IN.
  2. Every server who follows attempts to aim for the player on the ground. If the player on the ground is able to touch the ball before it lands (must still be in), then the server who hit the player on the ground runs under the net and lays down next to this player, connecting in some way (i.e., feet touching, etc.).
  3. Your athletes are building a “spider web.” If servers miss their serve or do not hit the growing “web” of players, they simply shag their ball and return to the end of the serving line.

Coaching tips

  • Once the last player hits the web, the game is over. Most teams enjoy playing about 3 rounds.
  • If you’ve got a team who is afraid to aim, I would play the game once or twice before you point out that they are, in fact, aiming their serve.
  • This drill differs from Dead Fish (another popular serving game for young teams) in that Dead Fish gives your top servers the most practice, because they stay in the game longer. Meanwhile, spider gives weaker servers more opportunities to serve, and as the web grows, it increases their chance of hitting the target.