Net and defensive positioning fundamentals

What this lesson covers

Net positioning requires active coordination between partners to cover the court. When an opponent plays from the side, the player on that side covers the parallel line while the partner shifts to the center. Leaving the center open is a common error that allows opponents to exploit the gap. When playing a volley to the middle, both players must close the space between them to protect against a return down the center. If forced to hit a bandeja after a lob, avoid rushing the net immediately, as this leaves the player vulnerable to a second lob. Instead, stay further back to maintain control.

Defensive positioning relies on covering the corner, specifically one meter from both the side and back glass. The partner must move toward the center to assist with shots played into the middle, as the defender cannot cover the entire width of the court alone. When returning serve, maintaining this same defensive distance from the glass provides the best balance to handle both wide serves and balls played to the center. Standing too close to the side glass or too far back makes it difficult to reach balls played to the middle or deep serves.