The Serve in Volleyball: Types of Serves in Volleyball

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SERVICE ZONE IN VOLLEYBALL

The Service Zone in Volleyball is a 9 m wide area behind the End Line on each side of the court.

THE GOAL OF THE SERVE IN VOLLEYBALL

In addition to putting the ball into play, a well performed Serve is one that makes it hard for the opposing team to Receive (Pass) the ball, which will then cause the players of the opposing team to become disorganized and therefore have trouble to perform the Attack.

VIDEO SERVE IN VOLLEYBALL

TYPES OF SERVE IN VOLLEYBALL

There are basically three types of Serve in volleyball: the Underhand Serve, the Side Arm Serve and the Overhand Serve. Within each of these types there are different styles of Underhand Serve, Side Arm Serve and Overhand Serve, such as the Jump Serve, the Jump Float Serve and the Hybrid Serve.

We’ll talk about these Volleyball Serve types and styles next. Stay tuned!

UNDERHAND SERVE IN VOLLEYBALL

WHAT IS THE UNDERHAND SERVE?

The denomination Underhand is related to the way in which the ball is hit in this type of Serve, beginning from the bottom and going upward.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE UNDERHAND SERVE

It’ slow
It’s recommended for sports initiation in Volleyball
The ball follows a high trajectory shaped like a “parabola” (going up and falling on the opponent’s court)
It’s easy to be received by the opposing team

STAGES OF THE UNDERHAND SERVE IN VOLLEYBALL

Hold the ball with the hand opposite the serving hand (see picture above)
Stand facing the net.
Legs slightly open, knees slightly bent and torso leaning forward.
The leg matching the serving hand should be positioned in the back.
Slightly toss the ball upwards and hit it with a closed or open hand while hiding the thumb.
The ball must be hit when it’s under the chest, at waist level.

OVERHAND SERVE IN VOLLEYBALL

WHAT IS THE OVERHAND SERVE?

The overhand Serve is performed by hitting the ball when it’s above the head level.

OVERHAND SERVE STYLES IN VOLLEYBALL

STANDING OVERHAND SERVE

It’s an Overhand Serve style simpler than the others, performed with both feet on the floor.

STAGES OF THE OVERHAND SERVE IN VOLLEYBALL

Hold the ball with one or both hands
Toss the ball upwards slightly higher than the head (see picture above).
With a firm open hand, hit the ball using the palm.

NOTE: In sports initiation for children, the Overhand Serve may be performed with a closed hand. This way, the children will have more power in the movement.

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JUMP SERVE IN VOLLEYBALL

The Jump Serve is just an Overhand Serve combined with a quick run (3-step approach) that gives momentum, a jump and a powerful hit in the ball.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE JUMP SERVE IN VOLLEYBALL

The Jump Serve is a very powerful and quick serve. It’s the most performed serve at the professional level in Volleyball.

STAGES OF THE JUMP SERVE IN VOLLEYBALL

The player positions him or herself in the Service Zone far from the end line.
He or she tosses the ball high in the air and forward (see picture above).
He or she steps forward and jumps to hit the ball with the palm of the hand at the highest point possible and with as much force as possible.
At the moment of the contact with the ball the player must slightly bend the wrist joint.
The contact may occur within the playing area as long as the player jumps from the service zone and does not touch the playing area before touching the ball.

FLOAT SERVE IN VOLLEYBALL

The Float Serve is a style of Overhand Serve very similar to the Jump Serve. However, it’s performed with less power and speed.

STAGES OF THE FLOAT SERVE IN VOLLEYBALL

The player positions him or herself in the Service Zone far from the end line.
The player tosses the ball upward and forward not very high in the air (differently from the Jump Serve).
The player runs and jumps to hit the ball with the palm of the hand at the highest point possible.
The hit on the ball in the Float Serve is performed with little force, sending the ball to a specific region of the opponent’s court.
At the moment of contact the player should maintain the wrist joint extended, with the fingertips pointing upwards (another distinction between the Float Serve and the Jump Serve).

HYBRID SERVE IN VOLLEYBALL

The Hybrid Serve in Volleyball is a mix of the Jump Serve and the Float Serve.

STAGES OF THE HYBRID SERVE

The player positions him or herself in the Service Zone far from the end line.
The player tosses the ball high in the air and forward (as in the Jump Serve).
The player runs and jumps to hit the ball with the palm of the hand at the highest point possible.
The hit on the ball in the Hybrid Serve is performed with little force, sending the ball to a specific region of the opponent’s court (as in the Float Serve).
At the moment of contact the player should maintain the wrist joint extended, with the fingertips pointing upwards (as in the Float Serve).

NOTE: The goal of the Hybrid Serve is to deceive the Serve Reception by the opposing team. When the ball is tossed high in the air, the opposing team may likely expect a Jump Serve (quick and powerful) and be surprised with a Float Serve (slower and shorter).

SIDE ARM OR ASIAN SERVE IN VOLLEYBALL

The Side Arm Serve is not necessarily an asian or eastern Serve. However, they share similar characteristics.

STAGES OF THE SIDE ARM OR ASIAN SERVE

Hold the ball with the hand opposite the serving hand.
Stand sideways with respect to the net.
Keep your legs slightly open, knees slightly bent and torso leaning forward.
SIDE SERVE – Toss the ball low in the air and hit it with the hand open or closed when the ball is at the waist level (lower than the chest level).
ASIAN SERVE – Toss the ball high in the air, in front of the body and above the head level, and hit it with the hand open when the ball is at the head level or a little higher (see picture above).

NOTE: This Type of Serve is known as Asian Serve or Eastern Serve because it used to be widely used by asian women’s teams.