The Beginner's Guide to Volleyball Passing (Bumping)

volleyvibesclub
17 hours ago
5 min read

If there is one skill that separates teams that win from teams that lose in volleyball, it's passing. You can have the most powerful spike on the court and the most accurate serve — but if your team can't pass consistently, none of that matters.

Passing — also called bumping or the forearm pass — is how your team receives the opponent's serve and starts your offence. It's the foundation that every other play is built on. And for beginners, it's the single most important skill to master first.

This guide covers everything you need to know: the mechanics of a correct forearm pass, the most common mistakes beginners make, and the drills that will build your passing into a reliable weapon.

What Is the Forearm Pass?

The forearm pass is a technique where the player contacts the ball with the flat surface of both forearms, redirecting it upward and toward a target — usually the setter position at the front center of the court.

It's used primarily in two situations:

Serve receive: Passing the opponent's serve to start your team's offence
Defence: Digging a hard-driven spike or off-speed shot to keep the rally alive

Because these two situations make up the majority of contacts in a volleyball game, passing is — without question — the most frequently used skill on the court. Master it, and your entire game improves dramatically.

The Anatomy of a Perfect Forearm Pass

1. Ready Position

Before the ball even comes over the net, your body position determines how well you'll pass. Here's what the ideal ready position looks like:

Feet shoulder-width apart, with your dominant foot very slightly back
Knees deeply bent — your thighs should be nearly parallel to the floor
Weight forward on the balls of your feet, never flat-footed
Back straight but angled forward — not upright, not hunched
Arms relaxed and slightly forward, hands loose at your sides
Eyes focused on the server's arm to read the ball direction early

Think of it like a coiled spring — low, balanced, and ready to explode in any direction.

2. The Hand Position

Correct hand position is one of the most technical aspects of passing and one of the most commonly done wrong by beginners. Here are the two most accepted methods:

Interlocked Grip (Most Common)Curl the fingers of both hands together, thumbs pointing straight down and parallel to each other. This creates a clean, flat surface across both forearms.

Fist Grip (Alternative)Make a fist with one hand and wrap the other hand around it, thumbs parallel on top. Some coaches prefer this for taller players.

Whichever grip you use, the key is keeping your thumbs parallel and pointing downward — this locks your forearms flat and creates a consistent platform.

3. The Platform

Your "platform" is the flat surface created by both forearms together — from just above your wrists to about halfway up your forearms. This is where the ball must contact every single time.

To create a proper platform:

Extend both arms straight forward, elbows fully locked
Roll your forearms slightly outward so the inside surfaces face upward
Keep your wrists down and thumbs pointing toward the floor

A bent elbow or collapsed wrist breaks the platform and causes the ball to fly unpredictably.

4. The Contact

When the ball arrives, contact it on the platform with the following mechanics:

Do not swing your arms — this is the #1 mistake beginners make
Let your legs drive the ball upward by extending from your bent knee position
Your arms should move no more than a few inches forward on contact
The angle of your platform determines where the ball goes — tilt forward to pass higher, tilt back to pass lower

5. The Target

Every pass should aim for the same spot: approximately 1 meter inside the net, centred on the court — the setter's position. A high, controlled pass to this zone gives your setter the best chance to run your team's offence effectively.

Aim for height (at least 2–3 meters) on your passes. Low, flat passes are difficult for setters to work with and give attackers little time to approach.

Most Common Passing Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)

Mistake 1: Swinging the Arms. Problem: Causes the ball to go sideways or too far forward. Fix: Think "platform, not swing." Freeze your arms after contact and see where the ball goes. Your legs do the work.

Mistake 2: Standing Too Upright. Problem: Ball contacts your platform at a bad angle, often sending it straight up instead of forward. Fix: Get lower. Your knees should be well bent before the ball arrives, not as a reaction to it.

Mistake 3: Watching the Ball Too Late Problem: Poor positioning because you reacted too slowly. Fix: Watch the server's shoulder and arm, not just the ball. The body tells you where the ball is going before it's even hit.

Mistake 4: Clasping Hands Too High Problem: The ball contacts your hands or wrists instead of your forearms, causing erratic bounces. Fix: Keep your hands low — elbows extended, hands near your hips when forming the platform.

Mistake 5: Not Moving to the Ball. Problem: Reaching for the ball instead of moving your feet, causing off-center contact. Fix: Always move your feet first. Get your body behind the ball before extending your platform.

3 Passing Drills to Build Consistency

Drill 1 – Wall Passing. Stand 2–3 meters from a wall and pass the ball repeatedly against it. Focus on consistent platform angle and keeping the ball coming back to the same spot. Start slow and build rhythm before increasing pace. Goal: 20 consecutive contacts without losing control.

Drill 2 – Partner Toss and Pass. Have a partner toss the ball underhand from 4–5 meters away. Focus entirely on moving your feet to the ball before extending your platform. Call "mine" before every contact to build communication habits. Goal: 15 consecutive passes to a specific target (a cone, a wall mark, etc.)

Drill 3 – Serve Receive Lines. Set up a real serve-receive situation. One player serves from behind the end line, one or two players pass, and a setter (or target player) catches the ball at the net. Rotate after every 5 serves. Goal: Get 8 out of 10 passes within arm's reach of the setter target.

How Passing Connects to the Rest of Your Game

Passing isn't an isolated skill — it's the trigger for everything else. When your team passes consistently, your setter can run a predictable offence, your attackers can approach with confidence, and your team controls the tempo of the game.

Poor passing, on the other hand, creates chaos. Setters have to chase bad balls, attackers get poor sets, and your team loses control of rallies before they've even begun.

Think of passing as the foundation of your team's house. Everything else — setting, spiking, blocking — is built on top of it. A shaky foundation means nothing above it can stand firm.

How Long Does It Take to Learn to Pass?

With proper coaching and regular practice, most beginners develop a functional forearm pass within 2–3 weeks. A truly confident, game-ready pass typically takes 5–6 weeks of consistent training.

The keyword is consistent. Practicing once a week produces slow results. Twice a week produces significantly faster improvement. Three times a week — which is exactly the schedule at Volley Vibes Club — produces the fastest development.

Learn to Pass at Volley Vibes Club

At Volley Vibes Club in Markham, passing is one of the first skills introduced to every new player — and it's revisited and refined continuously throughout the training program. Coach Hani and Coach Minoo provide individual corrections during every session, ensuring each player develops clean mechanics before moving on.