Posted by So, the question is, is the defensive action by #12 from the white team in this video an example of good volleyball, or bad volleyball?
The first time I saw him do this, I thought, it was at best just bad volleyball, and at worst blatant showing off. But when I saw him do it more often more often I realised that while it is definitely a risky play, and quite possibly poor defence, it is actually good volleyball. In the normal way of things by playing this tipped ball the ‘traditional’ way there is no way he would then be in a position to attack. As it is, his footwork to get to the ball and his posture as he plays it puts him in a great position to then attack. You can see in this clip how fast he begins his approach and was available to spike a fast ball although the setter didn’t use him.
The lesson, as always, is …look twice at unusual things. They aren’t ‘wrong’ just because they are unusual.
Here is another version of the same play, with he is in a position to hit a fast ball and scores an easy point.
At Home On The Court 
The defensive action is an example of good volleyball. The position he was in is due to bad volleyball.
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The mean the position he was in as he played the ball?
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Fundamentally, it denied the score and created a scoring opportunity, so in that aspect it’s good volleyball. It could have been better. Starting with defensive positioning and response posture. That would have yielded less of an emergency response and a better dig tempo and scoring opportunity. Not bad, just not great either. He could audible to counter attack on his position as well.
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How could his positioning and response have been better? As you say, he could counter attack from that position. Any other, that I can think of, method of playing the ball would have resulted in him being unavailable to attack. So by definition this must be the best possible outcome.
Unless you can think of a better way?
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I would say bad volleyball… Sure it looks great to spectators… Looks like he made some spectacular play. But it was necessitated by being in the wrong place, with the wrong mindset, and vary possibly looking at e wrong thing.
This is a great example of someone who looks like they made an amazing play, but the play should have been an easy move, not an emergency move (kneeling pancake??).
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i´d say bad because of the high risk of the action. But i liked the idea of getting back to his feet pretty quick (at least quicker than by playing it “normally” and falling to the floor with his entire body…). But i think the gained time is not worth the risk.
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I agree to Rise Volleyball Academy. If the attacker hit the ball hard, #12 would have been hit hard, too.
His upright position also shows that he’s not prepared for a “normal” attack in my eyes.
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