N  I  T  R  O    1  2   Regional

Nitro 12 Regional employs a variation of the standard 6 - 2 offensive alignment.  The setter will always be coming out of the back row.  When the team is receiving serve, a 3 person receive formation will be employed, with a fourth player available to supplement the formation should that become necessary.  The setter will always be hidden during serve reception and, which ever player is in the front row position directly in front the setter, the setter and that player will either 'push' up to the net or 'push' back into serve receive, depending on which rotation the team is in.  To make it easier to remember, the right front player will always drop back into a position to receive serve in all six rotations.  When the setter is right back rotationally, the rigth front player will always 'push' back off of the net as part of the serve reception formation.  The other two back row players will adjust to remain in the back row.  The other front row player is free to move into a serve/receive position or remain close to their attack position to speed transition to offense.  This serve/receive strategy is executed from the 'setter pull' setter triangle where each setter 'pulls' the other triangle's middle blocker through the rotations.

A 5 person serve receive will occasionally be used when situation arise where the 3 person serve reception is not working.  The setter will still be hidden but all other players are part of the receive formation, in a 'W' pattern on the court.  The 'W' formation eliminates the need to transition to the offensive set since all players but the setter are already in their offensive positions.

It may seem odd that the discussion of an offensive system would begin with serve reception formations.  However, since so much of what goes into serve reception is connected to 'hiding' the setter and placing players close to their offensive attack positions, maybe it does make sense to start there.

6-2 serve reception positions, active setter in right back

6-2 serve reception positions, setter in center back

6-2 serve reception positions, setter in left back

6-2 serve reception positions, five person receive, setter as left back

6-2 serve reception positions, five person receive, setter as center back

6-2 serve reception positions, five person receive, setter as right back

The team uses a variation of the basic 2 - 4 defense;  two primary blockers on the net and four players in the back court.  The middle blocker is the primary blocker, outside hitters will block when an opponent presents a strong outside attack that the team has trouble defending or when the middle blocker is held at center court defending possible middle attacks.  The graphics below illustrate the court positions of players defending against attacks from the opponent's front zones.  When an opponent's attack is recognized, the center back will assume a 'man-up' position to help with tip coverage and to police garbage shots and dumps to the middle of the court.  Double blocks are attempted on attacks from the outside zones whenever an opponent presents strong outside attacking capabilities.

2-4 blocking, attack from opposing Right Front

2-4 blocking, attack from opposing Middle Front

2-4 blocking, attack from opposing Left Front

The base defense when the setter is a back row player has the front row players on the net ready to transition to specific defensive positions based upon the opponent's attack.  The setter is in a right back position, close to the offensive setting position, but the setter must be prepared to play defense from the base position.  Players on the front row that are not capable of mounting a successful block will generally play off of the net, in a position to offer blocking and tip coverage for other players engaged in blocking.  A 'seven-in, seven-off' position for non-blocking players and front row players away from the opponent's attack is a good guideline - seven feet in from the sideline and seven feet off of the net.

Base defense when running a setter back row offense

Movement to free ball positions from base defense
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