Responsibilties of the Position 5 (p5) (back left) player

This will no doubt, need some clarification.

This page describes the responsibilities of the 5 player. It is directed at BB Men's and Women's teams (since the stategies change at different levels)

If all goes well, this should describe what you should be doing. Different teams have different strategies. But when it comes to defence, if there's a whole: fill it! 


============
[ p4 p3 p2 ]
[          ]
[ p5 p6 p1 ]

This is an exciting position to play (like most!). You have the opportunity for a lot of action. However, this position is often poorly played. Remember that you should understand this position even if you don't play it, the reason is that there will usually be at least one rotation where you have to play this spot.

Hitter Coverage During Offense

If you are covering the hitter in close, get low. Arms out straight in front of you in a platform (arms together) ready to dig. The idea here is that if the ball is blocked straight down at you, there is a change that it will bounce of your arms and up in the air! If it doesn't come rocketting down, then staying low will give you more reaction time to dig the ball.

Expect the ball! Even though at first it might seem like the ball doesn't get blocked in your direction often, tell yourself that you know the ball is coming to you, and you have to dig it up. Tell yourself there is a huge block up there and there is no way the hitter could get around them. Anything to get you ready for the ball coming back.

Middle Hit(p2)

since this is usually the quickest set, you usually have to be in position before the ball is set! Since you don't know it is going middle, you first assume it is. For a middle hit you (p5) and p6 play doubles, so after the ball is passed move to a position that would be about 20' off the net and about 7' in. The defense is the same for a '1' ball as it is for a '2' ball. 

====================
[         p3       ]
[    p4       p2   ]
[--------p1--------]
[                  ]
[                  ]
[ r  p5       p6   ]
[                  ]

Power Hit (p3)

This is the easiest and most obvious situation. You get as low as you can at corner of the 3m line and the left boundary line.

Note that you get to this position after the hitter. If you get there early, it is quite likely that the hitter will run over you. Also look at the blockers hands, this will help you spot the ball as it comes back. 


====================
[p4  p3            ]
[                  ]
[p5--p1------------]
[            p2    ]
[                  ]
[    p6            ]
[                  ]

Weak Hit (p2)

Often the worst hitter coverage happens here. Your position becomes middle back! So you have a long way to move. You and p4 are playing doubles diagonally. This is the get the best court coverage (p1,p3,p4) form a ring around p2. p5 and p4 form the outer right (and since it is on the right hand side, you get an angled set up.

It is also helpful to be diagonal, since p4 does have much time to move back. It is important for you to move even if p4 doesn't. If they don't, yell at them a few times. Tell them that just because they didn't get set, doesn't mean they don't have something to do! If you move, they will hopefully see the huge space that they have to fill. 


====================
[            p3  p2]
[                  ]
[------------p1--p6]
[    p4            ]
[                  ]
[            p5    ]
[                  ]

Back Right Hit (p5)

That's you! Hit the ball! Where? Well I think towards the setter is a good spot. Some setters aren't great passers, so they are a good target. But know who the bad passers are on the other team and head towards them (at the time of service, you should look at the other team, and decide where you would hit if the ball came your way).

It's best not to hit towards the middle, since many teams have tall lanky middles that would love nothing better than to stuff your back-row hit. 


====================
[    p3            ]
[p4                ]
[--p5--p1----------]
[             p2   ]
[                  ]
[    p6            ]
[                  ]

Back Middle Hit (p6)

This is common on our team. For us, when p6 hits it's up somewhere 7-15 feet from the net. In this situation all the players (except you) are up near the net (at first). So it is important for you to move to the largest space on the court. This is usually back towards where the p6 came (p4) will move to cover angle block at the 3m line, p3 will stay on the net and low in case of block. Note that this is a difficult hit to do hitter coverage on (so if you are that p6 hitter then try not to hit the block!)

I'm not so sure what would be a good defense here. One would think in the scheme I have below that the setter would come back to play doubles! 


====================
[       p3         ]
[   p4        p2   ]
[--------p6--------]
[             p1   ]
[                  ]
[    p5            ]
[                  ]

Back Right Hit (p1)

In a 6-2 this is uncommon, but in a 5-1 it happens frequently.

6-2 - Who knows what happens to get to this situation. Probably the ball went to the front and set back or shanked to the back right (you) and you set the setter!

Maybe something like this. 


====================
[          p3      ]
[                p2]
[--------p4---p1---]
[                  ]
[    p5            ]
[             p6   ]
[                  ]
5-1 - symmetric to when p5 hits. here I have indicated p5 lower than the symetric pattern. We notice that p4 has to move all the way in to cover, given that they will coming from along the 3m line, they will cover the front pretty well. But if they are really quick and get in nice at tight for coverage, move more forward (to make sure you can get the one that blocks sideways). 

====================
[            p3    ]
[                p2]
[---------p4---p1--]
[                  ]
[   p5             ]
[            p6    ]
[                  ]