The most important thing in choosing tactics is the technical level of our players and their special characteristics and abilities, sometimes our information about opponent is much more than what we know about our players. So don’t try tactically what you can’t execute technically, In order to do this, the coach must have enough knowledge about volleyball tactics, shall know his/her players very well and have good experience in process of teaching tactics during practices, choose most effective tactics for the team that can bring out the maximum potential of players, and execute them during the matches.
The next important thing is how much time we have in order to practice the tactic in training and test it in friendly match or in training match and after make some adjustments or corrections. Without enough training and test and then correction, the team will not achieve maximum coordination and confidence to execute any new tactics, so it is very important that during preparation period we predict which tactics we will need during tournament and try to develop them in training process that you can see in figure 2.9.
FIGURE 2.9 Training process to develop any tactic.
The next key point in choosing tactic is characteristics of the opponent. We need to know key points from blocking tendency of opponent blockers and also their block and defense system and strategy in different situations. We can mention some key information about opponent block and defense in below (but don’t forget that this information is about how they play against other teams and against our team maybe they will play in other ways, so in our idea in choosing tactics we must focus on our strength point and the opponent player’s technical weakness not their tactical weakness.):
- Who is the best blocker of opponent? What are his/her weaknesses and strengths? How can we avoid him/her?
- Who is the weakest blocker of opponent? What are his/her weaknesses? How can we use him/her?
- Does middle blocker follow the setter or always stay in middle?
- Does middle blocker in perfect reception and good receptions follow quick attacker or no?
- When reception is good or perfect, do they use read blocking system or commit block?
- Are the out-side blockers help the middle blocker against quick attacker?
- In two block situation, what is their block and defense positioning from position 2? What about position 4? What about pipe?
- In three block situation, what is their block and defense positioning from position 2? What about position 4? What about pipe?
- Who is their best defender? What are his/her strengths? How can we avoid him?
- Who is their weakest defender? What are his/her weaknesses? How can we use his/her?
- Totally what is their strengths and weaknesses in block and defense? Against quick attacks and pipe? Against attack from position 2 or position 4?
- Are they well-organized in defense against the tip of setter?