Butterfly Passing

A continuous serve–pass–catch drill where everyone follows the ball to the next line. Lots of passing reps from real serves, with constant movement.

Focus

Passing a served ball to a target

Level

Intermediate

Players

6–12

Equipment

4–6 balls, a net

Time

10–15 min

Bird’s-eye view: a serve from across the net, a pass to the target, and the passer following the ball.

📍 Setup

Three lines: servers (or tossers) on the far side of the net, passers in the back court, and a target at the setter’s spot near the net.

🪜 How to run it

1. The first server serves (or throws over the net) to the passing line.
2. The passer passes to the target at the setter’s spot.
3. The target catches the ball and runs it to the serving line.
4. Everyone follows the ball: server → passer line, passer → target, target → serving line.
5. Switch sides of the court after a few minutes so players pass from zones 1 and 5.

🏆 Scoring

The group counts good passes (target doesn’t have to move more than one step). Set a team goal, e.g. 25 good passes in 5 minutes.

🧑‍🏫 Coaching this drill

What success looks like

Passes arrive high at the setter’s spot about 1 m off the net, right of centre.

Coaching cues

Common mistakes

• Passing straight up instead of to the target. Fix: Drop the shoulder nearest the sideline so the platform faces the target.
• Standing up as the ball arrives. Fix: Stay low through contact — “quiet” legs, not jumpy.

When to move on

When most passes are good, play it with two passers in the line and add a “mine/yours” call.