What are the different volleyball hand signals?

Question

What are the different volleyball hand signals?

Answer 1

The actual hand signals really depend on the team.  

The most common signals are for the position on the court where the coach wants the serve (or other shot) to go.  The service area is 1, front right is 2, middle front is 3, left front is 4, left back is 5 and middle back is 6.  Most teams use just the one hand with the number of fingers for 1 to 5 and the fist for area 6.  I have seen setters use their fingers to tell about actual sets or a series of sets.  Some setters signal each hitter with the set.  (For example the outside gets a 5, middle hits the 1 and the right side gets a fist or something like that.  Three signals from the setter.  Again, it depends on the coach.)  Teams also have groups of sets.  If you use the example above with a 5, a 1 and a fist, that would be grouped as play #1.  Play #2 is a shoot outside and so on.  

I have also seen setters use a gun signal for the shoot set and cross their arms for the X play.  

I hope this helps explain some of the signals you might see.

Answer 2

In outdoor/beach, the hand signals refer to where the player at the net will block the each hitter.  A 1 indicates line and a 2 indicates cross.  So, if the player at the net signaled 1 with his left hand and 2 with his right hand, he would be blocking the opponent on the left line and the opponent on the right cross.  This helps the person behind the blocker to know where to play defense.

Answer 3

Hand signals differ from team to team.  I've played beach where 1 is blocking line, 2 is blocking cross, and no fingers means no block as someone else indicated.  I've seen where setters have told players where the sets are going to be with things like:

4 fingers indicating a high outside set

3 fingers (pointer, middle, ring)being a lower set

3 fingers (middle, ring, pink) being a back set

1 finger, the pointer being a quick set to the middle

2 fingers the pointer and middle being a higher set to the middle

Just the pinky is a quick back-set

two fingers and your thumb making a cocking motion was a "shoot to the outside".

If you're not sure what signs your team is using, ask your coach or other players.

Answer 4

1= back right

2= front right

3= front middle

4= front left

5= back left

6= back middle