There are three basic offenses in volleyball; the 4-2, 6-2 and the 5-1.
The 4-2, rarely used in modern volleyball, is considered by most to be the first true offense. What I mean by true is this, if you play pickup volleyball at the park, most likely you’ll see the person in the middle front acting as the setter. This is known as center sets volleyball.
In the 4-2 offense, the team consists of four hitters and two setters, with the setters playing opposite positions from each other. This arrangement guarantees a setter in the front row at all times. While one is setting the two front hitters, the other is in the back row playing a passer until he/she rotates back up front.
Since the object of the game is to win, every coach wants a powerful offense. This means having as many hitters/blockers on the front row as possible. This is why the 6-2 was developed. I may have to take a moment to clarify that running a 6-2 offense doesn’t mean you have eight players on the court. It’s a simple way of explaining the presence of six hitters and two designated setters.
Unlike the 4-2, the setters in the 6-2 offense never fill the positions of a passer in the back row. Instead, the setter, playing in one of the back court positions, comes forward to set the three front row hitters. Two players can cover the back court with little difficulty, but they will get help from one of the front court player. When the opposing setter puts the pall up the right, the blocker on the left side of the court quickly drops into a defensive position, providing three back court defenders. So, after the ball is served, the setter in the back row moves to the front to set and the other setter, now in the front row, moves to the right to be the off-hand (or soft side) hitter. By doing this you end up with four players in the front row, with the setter unable to jump to attack or block a ball. With this kind of offense it is imperative that every player has well defined roles on the court and sticks to them.
The 5-1 is used when you have two many hitters and not enough good setters. There are 5 hitters and 1 setter in this offense and it’s run just like the 6-2 when the setter is in the back row. When your setter is in the front row, you run your offense just like a 4-2 and when he/she is in the back, play it like a 6-2. The obvious advantage to the 5-1 offense is that the hitters always have the same setter which fosters a great deal of trust when they become accustomed to the setting styles of the setter. The disadvantages in this offense is that your setter does a lot of running and needs to be in great shape and during half of your rotations your team is left with only two hitters/blockers in the front row.
I myself teach the 6-2 offense the most because of its versatility and flexibility. With two good outside hitters and a center blocker/hitter that you can give a #1 set to, your setter has loads of weapons at his/her disposal and your offense becomes very formidable.
