by James Tobin, Clubspaces Editorial Team

If you’re new to organized youth volleyball, you’ll soon be hearing three sets of numbers tossed around that you should understand:  4-2, 6-2 and 5-1.

They refer to the three most common volleyball formations, and they represent three different approaches to balancing the number of hitters and setters used in your team’s offensive strategy.

First, you should understand the difference between a hitter and a setter.  A hitter’s job is to send the ball into the opponent’s half of the court, and the setter’s job is to set the ball up so the hitter can get the best shot at it.  You’ve probably seen the bump-set-spike approach to attacking if you’ve watched volleyball on television or as a spectator.  The “bump” and the “set” is the job of the setter, while the hitter completes it with a spike.

The 4-2: In a 4-2 formation, one setter plays up and one plays back, each occupying one half of the court.  The other 4 players serve as hitters, with the back setter passing (usually with a “bump”) to the front setter for a strike.  This is one of volleyball’s oldest formation strategies.

The 6-2: Next, let’s introduce the 6-2.  Don’t be confused--there aren’t 8 players on the court when a 6-2 formation is being used.  The “6-2” is so-called because the two setters also double as hitters.  This all-out-attack approach essentially gives the team 6 hitters while retaining 2 setters.  Using this approach, your team can stack its front lines with hitters that can out-block and out-spike your opponents.  However, miscommunications and missed plays can be extremely costly in a 6-2 formation.  Every player has a sharply defined role, which they have to execute to the letter to be successful.

The 5-1: Finally, the 5-1 formation is used much like the 6-2, except that there is still one true setter.  When the setter rotates into the front row, the team switches to a 4-2 strategy.  When the setter is in the back, the team plays a 6-2.  While the 5-1 strategy can be extremely effective if your team has a highly skilled and athletic setter, the trouble is that a great deal relies on one player.

If you’re a player on a youth team, d evelop both your hitting and setting skill sets.  If one stands out, specialize.  If not, work on being a well-rounded player to allow your coach more options during a game.

Youth volleyball coaches need to develop an eye for each player’s strengths and weaknesses before deciding with of the three classic formations to use.  Each comes with its own benefits, drawbacks and risks. It all depends upon the skill level and particular talents of the players on your team.