Volleyball Pepper Passing Drill

A volleyball (or a lightweight beach ball for beginners)

A flat outdoor area with enough room for two people 10 feet apart

Stand about 10 feet from your partner, facing each other. This is close enough for controlled passing but far enough to require real skill.

Start with the bump (forearm pass). Make a platform with your forearms: clasp hands together, straighten arms, create a flat surface from wrists to elbows. The ball contacts your forearms, not your hands.

Player one tosses the ball gently to player two. Player two bumps it back — arms don't swing; instead, use your legs to push upward and redirect the ball.

Player one sets the ball (overhead pass). Make a diamond shape with your hands above your forehead, fingers spread wide. Contact the ball with your fingertips and push upward, directing it to your partner.

Player two hits the ball (a gentle spike or downward swing). Reach high, contact the ball with an open hand, and swing it downward toward your partner's forearms.

Now the cycle repeats: player one bumps, player two sets, player one hits. And again.

Count how many full cycles (bump-set-hit) you can sustain without the ball hitting the ground. Your record becomes your goal to beat.

Switch starter so each player practices all three skills equally.

Start with a beach ball or trainer volleyball (lighter than regulation). A regulation volleyball on bare forearms stings, especially for beginners.

The bump is the foundation of volleyball. If you can only practice one skill, practice this. Lock the elbows, move with the legs, keep the platform flat.

The set requires soft hands. If the ball spins after your set, you're pushing unevenly. Practice setting to yourself first — straight up in the air, 10 times in a row.

Keep the drill cooperative, not competitive. The goal is to keep the ball going, not to trick your partner. Save competitive play for games.

Pepper is the warm-up drill every volleyball team uses, from middle school to the Olympics. It's simple, effective, and endlessly repeatable.