How to Dive for a Volleyball

Video Transcript

"Hello, this is Keith Sewell with Expert Village. In this clip, we're going to be talking about how to dive for the ball. When the ball's too far to get in a good position with your feet to pass, then your only option is to dive for the ball. When you're diving for the ball, you want to lead with you head. You want to make sure that you make contact with your arms first, your platform, before you hit the ground. As soon as you make contact with your platform, you can release your hands and catch some of your weight on the ground with your hands. You want to hit with your chest first, and you want to kind of let your legs kind of roll down gracefully. This lessens the impact by not letting your body fall all at one time; you're kind of spreading it out, spreading the impact out. You also want to keep your head up so you don't hit your chin on the ground. Like I said, once your platform makes contact with the ball, you can put your hands down to support your weight, but you can also use your hands to help you slide forward to also lessen your implact. Another method to use in diving is called a roll. A roll is good when a ball is hit to one of your sides. To roll to the right, you want to extend your right arm, and after contact, turn so that your shoulder blade touches the floor with your right arm extended. You then roll over your shoulder blade, plant your feet on the ground, and push up with your hands to lift your body."