Volleyball rotation question?

Question

I've inherited a rotation and need to know the name of it. I believe it is a variation of the 6-2 but am not sure. In base formation, positions 1,3 & 5 are setters. When we rotate, the player who was in position 2 becomes server, and the player who was in position 1 moves up alongside the person now in position 2. On the following rotation, the setter who was just alongside position 2 now moves to alongside position 3. Does this system have a name?

Answer 1

A 6-2 is an offense that has 6 hitters and 2 setters.

A 5-1 is an offense that has 5 hitters and 1 setter.

I guess if you have 3 setters it would be a 6-3.

I would think by having 3 setters in the game at the same time would make serve receive much easier. It would be easier to line up so the setter can come from near the right back in every rotation.

For example, a lot of teams get stuck when their setter is in the left back position (position 5) in serve receive. By having 3 setters, you could always have a setter come comfortably out of (or near) right back (position 1) when setting. Or at least it’s easier to stack over near position 1.

My point is it’s easier to avoid rotations where the setter is coming out of left back or left front. These rotations can make running an effective offense more complicated.

Another advantage to having multiple setters in the game is you always have a setter on the front row. This allows a team to always have the option of attacking the second ball.

Also, it may be confusing for the opponents to figure out who is setting if you have 3 setters in the game.

These are some advantages to a 6-3, but a 6-2 or 5-1 is probably the best offense for reasonably experienced volleyball teams.

A 6-2 is typically run when a team has two primary setters. The setters play opposite one another in the rotation and only set when they are on the back row. This allows for the team to always have the option of setting 3 attackers at the net. A 6-2 is also a good option for teams that have a short setter. When the short setter rotates to the front row the player is subbed out of the game for a taller player. The other setter takes over setting responsibilities and sets across the back row.

A 5-1 is typically run when a team has only one primary setter. This setter sets in every rotation. The height of the setter can become important because they must play across the front row where height is important for blocking. It's also an advantage if the setter is skilled at attacking the second ball because they are on the front row for 3 rotations.

Answer 2

If you are using 3 setters that all set from the back row and all 6 players are hitting, then it should be called a 6-3, meaning 6 hitters and 3 back row setters.

Answer 3

My impression is that you are playing 5-1 with one primary setter and two backup setters/hitters. Back up setters will set only when the primary setter is busy (serving, or passing, or diving), or when the primary setter starts at position 4.

You were not quite clear on "the player who was in position 1 moves up alongside the person now in position 2."

"On the following rotation, the setter who was just alongside position 2 now moves to alongside position 3"

... Is this player going to set (at least at serve receive)? If the answer is yes (when she is in BOTH position 3 AND 4 [Edit 1, AND 6]), it is a 6-2 or 5-1.

... Is this player still going to set when she is rotated to the front row? If the answer is yes, then it is a 5-1, otherwise it could be a 6-2 when she is in front row, and another back row player would come to front row to set.

[Edit] so "Marge" will set at position 1, and 6 (I don't know why I typed 3 and 4)... and probably at position 2 and 3. This would help a lot when a setter starts in a left position 4 or 5.

"p5 take over" actually happened when your team takes serve receive ("Marge" is setting when p3 is serving)?

My question now:

Is "Marge" going to set when at position 3 in middle front (forcing myself to type what I meant to type :), thus the "take over" or is p5 (at position 1) still setting?

Is "Marge" also setting when at position 4 when your team is serving?

When is p3 going to set, only when "Marge" is serving, and when there is a bad pass to the back row?

I believe the key to your understanding of "the mess" is to break each player's position into server, and serve-receive, so that you have 12 "rotation-positions" instead of 6. Draw 12 diagrams starting with "Marge" at m-p1s, then m-p1r, then m-p6s, m-p6r ... It will be clear whether Marge is the primary setter setting more than 6 of those 12 "rotation-positions". If the answer is yes, you are running a variation of 5-1; if all three (p1, p3, and p5) have "fair" chance of setting, you are running 6-3 (6-2 is definitely out of picture by now).