How to Hit an Overpass in Volleyball
An overpass in volleyball is actually a mistake. You will not want to hit an overpass on purpose. An overpass occurs when you are trying to pass the volleyball to a teammate and it goes over the net as you hit the ball too hard. This can also happen at the net when you are trying to set a teammate. There are two types of overpasses in volleyball--legal and illegal.
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Instructions
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Legal Overpass
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1
Strike the ball in a manner in which you are not making an overhead set to a teammate. You can do this by digging the ball attempting to direct a teammate as a pass. You can also make a legal overpass by using a bump set attempt, or an open handed hit with one hand above your head.
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2
Hit the ball over the net. The origination of an overpass in volleyball is an attempt to pass. It becomes an overpass if it passes over the net from your team's side of the court to the other team's side. Typically, an overpass occurs on the first or second hit, as that is when you are attempting to pass the volleyball to a teammate.
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3
React to your overpass. If you make an overpass in volleyball it is likely the volleyball will be coming back at your extremely quickly and hard. The other team will most likely receive the ball in a perfect setting location for a spike. This is why as soon as you realize you have made an overpass you should call "over" to your teammates so they can react to prepare to defend against the return.
Illegal Overpass
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Overpassing described in section one is perfectly legal in volleyball. It might not be smart, but it is legal. There is an illegal version of the overpass. This is performed when attempting to set a teammate with a two-handed overhand set.
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Setting the ball over the net with two hands is ruled a violation and will result in your team losing the serve, or your opponents gaining a point if they are serving. If the volleyball crosses the plane of the volleyball net after a two-handed overhead set it is ruled an illegal overpass.
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Setting an overpass can be done legally, but it really is not a set in that situation. The only way an overpass is legal when it is done using a two-handed overhead set is if you are square to the net and set the ball directly over it. If your shoulders are not square or you are not facing the net, it will be ruled an illegal overpass.
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Tips & Warnings
Overpassing can be used as a strategic method to keep the other team off balance, but if they react quickly, you will have to react even quicker on defense.
If an opposing team has a very aggressive front line, overpassing can really hurt your team. In this situation you might want to pass the ball shorter than usual intentionally to avoid allowing them to make a quick attack.
