Indoor Volleyball Setter Hand Signals and What They Mean!


There comes a time in a volleyball player’s career when they need to step up their gameplay strategies. When that time comes, coaches will often introduce some offensive strategies in the playbook of their players. These plays are then orchestrated and communicated by the setter to his available hitters. We are talking, quick, shoot, high ball, tempo, pipe, X, and more. Don’t worry, I’ll explore all these plays further in a moment.

In volleyball, the setter is the primary shot caller. The different offensive plays are often communicated via hand signals. A setter will share with his teammates what he has in mind for the next play via hand signals. Communicating this way allows the hitters to be aware of their role on the next point.

These hand signals can take many forms and their meaning can also vary greatly depending on your area. Digging around for this article, I found many regional differences between hand signals, so fair warning, you might not be using the same ones with your team. Nonetheless, let’s explore further what the popular hand signals are and what they mean.

Why Use Hand Signals

Before we dive into the hand signals, let’s quickly review why setters use hand signals. In a game of volleyball, each point is important. When your team is receiving a serve, it is expected that you run an offensive play that will allow your team to make the point. As the default playmaker, the setter will try to communicate with his teammates. To do so, he will often use hand signals.

Hand signals have become among the preferred ways of communicating a play to the hitters. Other than communicating effectively with teammates, the objective of using hand signals is to hide the intended play from your opponent and the other side of the court. To do so, the setter will often hide the motions behind his jersey or along his leg (see image below).

There are other ways to communicate a play, but using hand signals remains a mainstay. Sometimes, setters can communicate with teammates directly by using keywords. For example, a team could have pre-established that certain phrases would reference a specific offensive play. Then the setter could call out these words, like “Orange” or “Banana”, words that the team associated with a specific play. This could be another way to signal your teammates for the next play. The obvious drawback is that, eventually, your opponents could catch on. Because of that, making hand signals is a sneakier and preferred way of communicating a play with teammates.

The beauty of using hand signals is that you can create and use any signals you want with your team as long as you understand each other.

Who should Use Hand Signals?

I believe I’ve made it clear already that the setter is the player to communicate via hand signals, but he is not the only one who can. Players will from time to time communicate themselves their preferred set for an upcoming point via hand signals or vocally. Remember that the objective is to remain somewhat discrete to prevent the opposing team from reading your plays.

Also, let’s not also forget your coach. He could also communicate with the team via hand signals. Some coaches will use hand signals to indicate to their players where they should serve the next ball.

Hand Signals

Among the many hand signals available to you, some are used with variations to communicate with all the available hitters. I’ll now present to you some hand signals commonly used more at a beginner level. Often called high sets, they refer to a ball that is set particularly high to give time to the hitter to get to the ball, have the right approach and hit it where he wants. These calls are divided and communicated around the existing areas of the volleyball court. (See image below)

For a high set to area #1, the setter will communicate by alternating between showing a one and two with his fingers. The play is referred to as a “12”.

A “1”
A “2”

In the same fashion, when communicating a high set to the zone #2, or a “22”, the setter flashes two fingers. The setter will flash between a three and a two for a high set to quadrant #3, for a “32”. A “42” is high set to zone 4, flashing a four and a two. The same will go for five and flashing a two for a “52”. Finally, a “62”, a high ball to zone 6, can be signaled with a fist (to represent 6) and a 2.

A “6”.
A “2”

Fair warning, these signals could confuse you more than anything else moving forward. They are a good foundation but I’ve never used them myself. I would consider these signals a lot more for beginners because they are easy to understand and can involve the whole team. At higher levels of play, players will have positions and sets they are more familiar with. Their experience will also allow them to perform more complicated plays.

With the teams I’ve played with, we preferred relying on simple signals for our most used sets. In that case, I would maybe use the hand signals above for zones 4 and 6, and even then we have some different names and signals for them. These hits are often named the high ball and the pipe, respectively. I’ll explore them a little further below.

Calls to the Outside Hitter (OH)

High Ball or 42

The most basic and least complex call for your outside hitter is the High Ball. This is the same set we’ve discussed above. The setter will indicate this play by showing the outside hitter a four with his fingers.

Go / Tempo

At higher levels, a popular set is a tempo hit, also known as a hut or go. A go or tempo hit is a fast-paced set. It is typically the standard set used whenever possible for outside hitters. The ball will travel more quickly than high ball but will still have a decent arch before it reaches the outside hitter. Some setters will show a blinking 4 some will make an arch with their hand.

In my personal experience, I prefer signaling with waving motion (see image below) to communicate that it is a “regular” hit, the basic set for my outside hitter.

Alternate between palm up and palm down
Alternate between palm up and palm down
The “Hut”
Blinking “4”
Blinking “4”

Shoot or 41

Now, the fastest of the sets available to your outside hitter would be called a shoot or “41”. I’ve seen some variations of these hand signals as well. I personally use the gun motion to communicate a shoot but some might find that signal confusing since the same can be done with the middle hitter (as you’ll see later). Some will prefer using a “41”, or a blinking four and one. In that case, the 4 is a reference to the area 4 of the court and 1 for the speed of the ball (1 being a fast set). Both these signals communicate that a fast and shorter ball is coming for the outside hitter in zone #4.

A “Shoot”

Inside or 33

Also known as a 33, an inside set is a ball that the outside hitter will hit at the net between zone 4 and 3. The objective of this set is usually to deceive the opposing players. By setting the ball inside the court, the opposing blockers could take the bait and jump with the middle hitter instead of blocking the outside hitter. This set is signaled with four fingers with the third finger folded in half (see image below).

A “33” or “Inside”

If you are confused, here’s a quick refresher on what the sets should look like for the outside hitter.

Calls to the Opposite or Right-Side Hitter (RH)

Back B

The basic set for the opposite hitter is known as the back B. It’s a high back set to be hit in between the setter and right side position, going as high as 3-4 ft above the net. A setter will signal this set by showing a pinky and a ring finger pointing down.

A “Back B”

Back A

The back A is considered a quick set for the opposite hitter. Once again it is set behind the setter for the opposite hitter. The set is signaled by showing your pinky finger pointing down.

A “Back A”

Calls to the Middle Hitter

Here are the different sets for the middle hitter and their signals:

Slide

A slide is a type of hit seen more often in women’s volleyball. The hit is set for the middle hitter who makes a run and slides behind the setter when he is about to set the ball. The hitter then jumps in a sliding motion to hit the ball. The set is communicated via the signal of showing a fist and releasing only the thumb and the pinky. (See below)

“The Slide”

Meter

At lower levels of play in volleyball, a meter ball is often referred to as the basic set. As the name indicates, the setter will toss the ball a meter high to allow the middle hitter to get to the ball. This set is communicated with 2 fingers or a peace sign.

A “Meter ball”

Quick or 31

In most competitive volleyball plays, the most common set to the middle hitter is the “Quick”. It is the single most rapid set in volleyball. In this set, the middle hitter makes his approach before the ball reaches the setter, and will jump and prepare to hit when the setter contacts the ball. Typically the ball set in a quick does not get a chance to form an arch. The ball should wither be hit when traveling upwards or at its highest point. The setter will signal this set by showing a 1 or by doing a silent finger snap (see image below).

A “Quick” finger snap
A “1” for a quick to the middle

Shoot

The shoot is another fast-paced set for the middle position. For this set, the middle blocker makes his approach a little later than he would for a quick. The main difference is that the hitter will be further away from the setter, where he will hit the ball. Typically the middle hitter will jump between the zone 3 and 4 at the net. The term shoot refers to the ball being shot directly from the setter to the hitter having once again a very small arch.

You can communicate a shoot by showing a gun motion or an open hand of 5 fingers.

A “Shoot”, with shooting motion
A “Shoot”, open hand 5.

Call to back-row positions

Firstly, let’s define back-row. A back-row attack refers to hits that players in a back rotation (Zones 1, 5 or 6). All hitters in these rotations must jump before crossing the 3-meter line of the court for their hit to be deemed legal. Generally, the back-row court is divided by zones that are renamed for the hitters. So the hits from a hitter in zone 1 are called C-Balls, zone 5 hits are renamed A-Balls and Zone 6 hits are renamed “Pipes”. These are the hits available from the back-row positions so let’s dive deeper in what they are:

Pipe and Push Pipe

These sets are almost exclusively for the outside hitter in the back-row rotation. Typically the pipe is a straight high set in the middle of the court. In most cases, the Pipe could be considered a combination play since it normally involves more than one hitter in the play. When calling a pipe it is important to consider the position of your middle hitter. If a middle hitter comes in for a quick, it is possible that the outside hitter coming for a pipe might land on the middle blocker. That is why there exists another variation of this set named the “Push Pipe”. The push pipe is a pipe set a little further in the court to avoid contact between the middle and outside hitter. The pipe is signaled with a closed fist and the push pipe with an open hand, fingers stuck together shown horizontally.

A “Pipe” with a closed fist
A “Push Pipe”

C-ball

This is our set for the right-side hitter behind the 3-meter line. Similarly to the pipe, it is another high set but on the right side of the court where the opposite hitter makes his approach and hit. To communicate this set, you can signal by forming a “C” with your hand.

A “C-Ball”

A-ball or 52

Lastly, this atypical set usually goes to the outside hitter behind the 3-meter line. Depending on your defensive positioning, your outside hitter could be in zone 5 and could hit from there. In my years of playing volleyball, I’ve rarely seen this set being utilized but it is nonetheless sometimes available to you. To communicate an A-Ball, the setter signals by showing a hand blinking between a five and a two to the outside hitter in the back row rotation.

An “A-Ball” alternate 5 and 2.
An “A-Ball” alternate 5 and 2.

Combination Plays

Combination Plays are strategies that can be used at higher levels of play. A “Combo” play involves more than one hitter for the play to be realized. That is the reason why it is rare to see. These plays require a lot more moving parts and can become difficult to execute properly. Nonetheless, they can be part of your arsenal of offensive strategies. Here are the three most prevalent combo plays.

Tandem

The tandem is a play that involves the middle and outside hitters. The tandem is a reference to some sort of dance were a hitter follows the other. The middle hitter would come in for a quick and be closely followed by the outside hitter. This could be interpreted as a faster-paced “Inside” set or “33” where the middle hitter is a key part of making this set work. If the play works as intended, the opposing middle blocker should jump with the middle, leaving only one blocker for the outside hitter that is coming in.

To communicate a tandem play, the setter shows an index and middle finger held together (see below).

A “Tandem” combo play

X

An X play involves two players crossing each other’s path of approach. This play always involves the middle hitter. The second hitter involved can be the outside or opposite hitter. The most efficient version of this play traditionally involves the middle and opposite hitter. In this play, the middle will make his approach for a quick set while the opposite hitter comes for a 33 or inside ball between middle and outside hitter. This play confuses the opposing blockers because opposing blocker should follow their hitters. Often, if they are not aware of the play, it gets very difficult for the blocker to cross the other blocker and follow the opposite hitter. Ideally, this leaves your hitter a wide-open net. For an in-depth explanation of this play, check out this video from Elevate Yourself.

To communicate an X play, show an index and middle finger intertwined (see below).

An “X” combo play

Double-quick

This is probably the simplest combo play to attempt. A double quick refers to two hitters coming in for a quick. This set is meant for the middle and opposite hitters. The double-quick is a synchronized attack where a middle-hitter will be making his approach in front of the setter, while the opposite-hitter makes his approach behind the setter. Evidently, the ball could go to either hitter depending on the setter’s decision. This combination play can easily confuse opposing blockers and can even open up the way for the outside hitter if left unmarked by opposing blockers.

A setter can communicate a double-quick by showing a fist with the index and pinky pointing out.

A “Double-Quick” combo play

Conclusion

Volleyball is a game where communication is crucial. Hand signals and organized plays could very well take you and your team to the next level. They are a great way to make sure everyone understands what play is coming next. Unfortunately, things don’t always go as planned in volleyball. It is also important that a player is able to adapt to the situation to score the point. Nonetheless, all volleyball players should eventually integrate hand signals into their gameplay strategies.

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