Partner pepper
Passing drill for 2 players. Focus: ball control; quiet contacts; step to the ball.
What you need
- Players
- 2 players
- Time
- 3 to 5 min
- Level
- Beginner
- Equipment
- Balls
- Ball fed by
- The players
- Space
- Half a court
Setup
- Two players face each other about 4 m (13 ft) apart, anywhere on the court.
- One ball between them; the player with the ball starts with an easy toss.
How it runs
Two players and one ball, keeping a controlled rally going with a pass, a set and a soft hit in turn. One partner starts with a toss, the other passes it back, the first sets it up, and the second hits a controlled ball straight at them. Then the roles flip: dig, set, hit, over and over without letting the ball drop.
Time and reps: 3 minutes nonstop, 30 seconds rest, repeat.
Coaching points
- Keep the ball low and easy to play.
- Hit it softly, right at your partner.
- Move your feet to every ball so you play it in front of your body.
- Quiet contacts: soft hands on the set, a still platform on the dig.
Ways to change it
- Count the touches in a row and try to beat your record.
- Add a rule that every dig must be played with the platform only.
- Three players in a triangle, passing the ball around in one direction.
Make it easier or harder
Make it easier
- Catch after each contact to keep the ball under control.
Make it harder
- Hit a little harder and from a little farther away.
Terms on this page
- Pepper
- A warm-up for two players who keep one ball up by passing, setting and hitting it softly back and forth.
- Platform
- The flat surface your forearms make when you pass: arms straight, thumbs side by side, angled at the target.
- Dig
- Playing a hard-hit ball up off the floor, usually with a platform.
