How to draw Volleyball

Volleyball’s not just about defense and attack – it’s a game of strong strategy and tactical analysis, too. With clever moves, you can throw off your opponents and create openings for killer spikes or blocks.  

What if you could plan all these strategies even before stepping onto the ground? Visualizing the game can help you with it! 

By drawing out player positions, movements, and formations, you can break down complex plays into simple, understandable parts. It’s super helpful for both newbies who are still learning gameplay, and pros who wish to analyze team tactics. 

In this guide, I’ll walk you through creating volleyball diagrams, from basic court layouts to detailed player movements. Whether you’re coaching or playing, these visual practices will help you master the finer points of volleyball strategy! 

Drawing Up the Volleyball Court 

You can begin by sketching out a volleyball court. Remember, accuracy is the key here.  

Stick to the standard dimensions and layout to create a mini version of the real thing. This way, when you’re planning moves or strategizing, you’ll be able to position players in ideal spots- which can later be matched up with the actual gameplay. 

Image Source  

Here’s how you can illustrate the volleyball court correctly: 

Visuals explaining every process step can help, so I am working on creating those. I couldn’t find an exact reference image, but step-by-step drawings like in this video is helpful – 

Start with Court Dimensions and Boundaries  

Draw a large rectangle – this will be your volleyball court. The official dimensions for an indoor court are 18 m long (59 feet) and 9 m wide (29.5 feet). Remember to label the sidelines and end lines clearly.  

Create a Centerline and Net 

A volleyball court consists of two side-by-side rectangles, so divide the sketched court into two equal halves (9 m each). In the middle of your ‘court-on-page’, draw a line for the net. Don’t forget to add two poles on either end to hold it up.  

Add Up the Attack Lines  

Now, each half of the court is divided by the attack lines, which is placed 3 meters (approximately 10 feet) away from the centerline on both sides. These lines mark the front rows where players can attack from. Make sure these are both exactly parallel to the centerline! 

Service Zone and Backcourt Lines 

The service zone is located behind the end line of each half of the court. It extends to the back boundary line, and players must serve the ball from behind this line.  

Mark this zone clearly on the diagram, and ensure the end lines are 9 meters wide, stretching the full width of the court. 

Libero Zone and Substitution Areas 

For advanced diagrams, you can also mark the libero zone, typically in the back row, where the libero (defensive specialist) plays. Outline the substitution areas near the centerline as well, on either side of the court, for completeness​. 

Drawing Player Positions  

Create diagrams that show player positions—it’s like having a clear snapshot of the court set up. These visuals are gold for coaches, players, and analysts. By revealing team arrangements at a glance, they become powerful tools for planning and analyzing volleyball tactics.  

You can make use of simple symbols like circles or squares to represent each player’s spot. Add player numbers or initials to keep track.  

Now, let’s meet the players on the volleyball court: 

• Setter (“S”): The quarterback the volleyball team. Their primary job is to set up those killer attacks. But that’s not all – they’re also the mastermind behind the offense, playing defense in the right-back, and even blocking the other team’s outside hitter. 

• Outside Hitter (“OH”): They play on the left side, both front and back row. Their main job is hitting and blocking from the left, but that’s not it! When they rotate to the back, they’re also on defense and passing duty during serve-receive. 

• Opposite Hitter (“OPP”): The player that plays on the right side, both front and back row. They’re not the setter, but they’ve got a full plate. Attacking from both rows, defending in the right-back, and blocking the other team’s outside hitter! 

• Middle Blocker (“MBB”): They are in middle of the court playing front and center. They’re the first line of defense against incoming hits, but they’re offensive threats too. Quick on their feet, MBB move along the net, block effectively, and can reach over to the opponent’s side.  

• Libero (“L”): You’ll spot them easily in their different colored jersey, always in the back row. They’re defensive specialists, handling serves, passes, and digs like pros. Libero can sub in for anyone in the back, but they’ve got rules to abide by. No attacking at the net, and they can’t set for a front-row attacker. 

• Defense Specialist (“DS”): Think of them as the back-row substitute. They come in just to play defense and handle incoming serves. It’s a limited time job – they don’t stick around for front-row action, but they help to keep the back line strong. 

Drawing Player Movements and Formations  

When you’re trying to visualize player movements in volleyball, arrows should be your go-to tool. They’re pretty good for indicating direction and type of movement.  

Think about it – a straight arrow shows basic movements – telling you someone’s running to a new spot, while a curved one might show a complex tactic, like a player gearing up for a spike.  

The key is to make these arrows stand out so you can easily see how players are moving from one part of the court to another. 

Standard Movements  

Let’s first see the basic movements of the six standard players in volleyball and how you can draw them up:  

• Position 1 Or 2 (Setter): The setter starts in the back row (position 1) or front row (position 2), then moves to the middle or right side of the net after the serve.  

When you’re drawing it, show an arrow from their start point to their setting spot. Don’t forget to label it “setter movement”! 

• Position 4 (Outside Hitter): Next up is the outside hitter – they’re pretty dynamic folks; starting from the front left or back row. From the front, they move to the net for a killer spike. When at the back, they scoot up position 6 to defend.  

Draw a curved arrow from the left side (Position 4) towards the net to show spike or block. Show a second arrow from the back row (Position 6) moving up for defense. 

• Position 3 (Middle Blocker): Starting front and center, the middle blocker moves left and right along the net, blocking hits and covering gaps.  

When you’re sketching this out, draw some side-to-side arrows at the net from Position 3. Just label it “Middle Blocker movement,” and you’re done! 

• Position 2 (Opposite Hitter): Starting front-right, opposite hitter moves up right to smash or block, and they’re ace at guarding that line.  

When you’re drawing this, show a curved arrow from Position 2 to the net for attacks.  

• Position 5 Or 6 (Libero Movements): Libero hangs around the back row, starting in Position 5 or 6. These quick movers are all about digging attacks and covering gaps.  

When you’re sketching these, draw some arrows showing them darting side-to-side across the backcourt. They’re basically in-charge of the back, and move horizontally! 

Formations  

With great formation strategies, you can almost LEGALLY pre-plan a volleyball game! Let’s see how you can sketch out these game-changing setups: 

• 4-2 Formations: It’s common in lower levels or beginner volleyball. As the name suggests, you have two setters and four hitters.  

When you’re drawing it out, place two players close to the net as setters and four players behind them as attackers. Mark them with circles and put the player initial in between to show who’s who.  

• 5-1 Formations: It’s a favorite of big leagues. You’ve got one setter running the show and five attackers ready to hit.  

To sketch it up, place your setter (mark them with an “S”) in the back row. Show their move to the front with an arrow – that’s where the magic happens. For the hitters, think triangle around the net.  Read 5 -1 formations in detail.

• 6-1 Formations: It’s another go-to-choice of pro leagues. You have one setter with five attackers.  

To represent this visually, draw the setter in a specific spot and mark it with an “S” symbol. Arrows can show their movement forward during attacks, while letting your attackers take a triangle formation around the net. 

• 6-2 Formations: You’ve got two setters and four attackers. When the back-row setter moves to the front row, the second setter replaces them and becomes the playmaker.  

When you’re drawing it up, use straight arrows to show clockwise movement of the players. 

With personal experience, I can tell, planning these strategies out on a page is as exciting as actually playing them on the ground-give it a try! 

Final Words  

So, there you go – that’s how to draw volleyball, and enhance your game understanding.  

Think about it – when you visualize your court in action, you’re not simply playing but strategizing. You start to see patterns, predict moves, and spot weaknesses.  

Drawing up volleyball isn’t just fun! It serves as a game-changer, helping improve coordination between teammates and make strategic decisions to ultimately increase your winning chances.  

So, why not give this visual approach a shot? Go ahead, grab a pen, and start drawing!  

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