Jumping Forces and Athlete Health
Every time a player jumps to hit, block, or serve, the forces impacting their muscular and skeletal systems are eye-popping. Based on a typical value calculation (using a 150-lb. female athlete), the force impacting the athlete during landing is approximately 600 pounds. In addition, approximately 300 pounds of force are incurred when the player leaves the ground. (1) It’s important to note that the actual force can vary depending on several factors. A heavier athlete, a higher jump, or a less forgiving surface would all increase the force exerted during landing. Conversely, a lighter athlete or a lower jump would decrease the force. Without question, combining the jumping and landing forces will undoubtedly stress your athletes’ muscular and skeletal systems.
I asked a local club coach to total the number of jumps (attacks, serves, block jumps, warmup activities) by one of her athletes during a recent three-day tournament in Kansas City. We approximated about 600 jumps for the tournament. Given that approximately 900 lbs. of force (take-off and landing) impacts the body on every jump, with this number of jumps, the long-term health of the player(s) is worthy of being on the radar of every coach.
The athlete does not get a break from the game’s physical demands. Combining club and high school schedules, it is a year-round activity. It should not be surprising that we have so many athletes dealing with chronic or traumatic lower extremity injuries. If I were volleyball czar for a day, I’d rework the entire system of high school and club volleyball to better serve the interests of the athletes. Since the various governing bodies have not shown an interest in changing the current system, let’s set that aside and examine how a coach might work successfully within the current setup.
For players to improve, they need to be on the court participating in activities. Participation requires a healthy player. We can assist the athlete in staying healthy by increasing awareness of the impact that repetitive jumping will have on the athlete. That said, jumping is an integral component of the game, and players must possess the necessary strength and positive jumping and landing skills to withstand the inherent stresses.
Here are thoughts on how a coach can keep players healthy and on the court.
Jump Counts
Most club teams will have 9-12 players on the roster. Many coaches play a lot of volleyball (2v2, 3v3, 6v6, etc.) in their training sessions, followed by more weekend play. This approach to practice entails a lot of jumps. Given the limited rosters, the same small group of players will do most or all the jumping. Similar to baseball, which incorporates pitch counts to monitor the stresses on the arm, there should be periods of the season or a specific practice where players are on a jump count. Many jumping repetitions are apparent; others may hide in plain sight (setter jump sets, jump serves, middle hitters jumping but not being set, etc.). The coach must be attentive to the jumps demanded in practice and adjust practice content accordingly. I want to underscore that we are after the athlete’s long-term health, not just how the player can make it through a season. As we all know, the season never ends as the player goes from club to high school volleyball.
We all know players who are hesitant to tell the coach that their knees or shins are beginning to show overuse symptoms. Coaches should not wait for the player to initiate this conversation. Good communication with players on how their bodies are holding up will go a long way in addressing potential overuse issues. Along with good communication, coaches must be good observers. Body language during practice activities is an indicator that something might be amiss.
Be Creative with Practice Activities
Since middle hitters jump more than anyone, I frequently incorporate 5v5 drills with no middle hitter/blocker. These 5v5 drills will allow extensive work with outside hitters/blockers on 1v1 blocking and attacking while allowing the middles to work on their serving and backcourt skills. All the defenders can work on defending around one blocker. Similarly, if I have a primary outside attacker, I will limit their front-row play and have them only play backrow and focus on passing and defending.
Although we are focusing on the forces of jumping, the arm is not immune to overuse. Especially later in the season, I made a concerted effort to avoid practices that included heavy repetitions of combined attacking and serving.
Lastly, if you are playing in a 6v6 activity, you can script the events to address jumping repetitions. For example, in your last tournament, your left-side attacker took a lot of swings (not unusual). One of the scrimmage rules is that the first ball must go to the middle or right-side attacker. Or, if the MF or RF player scores, the point is worth three rather than one, which encourages the setter to focus the offense on those two players. Formatting scrimmages in this fashion will develop diversity in your offense while giving your best attacker a chance to reduce their jumps.
It’s Okay for Coaches to be on Boxes
In my last blog on feedback, I suggested that training formats change based on the players’ age, skill level, and physical development. If I coach a national team, I might have twenty-five skilled and physically developed players in the gym and can rotate players on/off the court without losing quality. Club coaches do not have that luxury. Often, they will have 2-3 players that take most of the swings in practice and tournaments.
If I want to work on backcourt defense or serve reception while saving on jumps by the hitters, I will not hesitate to get on a box and become the attacker or server. Some coaches are diametrically opposed to coaches on boxes and hitting or serving balls to their players. I understand their logic, as there is much for the defender or passer to learn in “live” situations. I don’t want to be on the box as a primary instructional tool. However, you can accomplish much with the coach being in the role of an attacker or server. First, as mentioned, you are saving on the jumps of your attackers. Second, you can focus on a specific skill aspect (defending a low ball, passing the deep serve, or working on blocking technique). Lastly, you can challenge the player to exceed their current abilities by hitting a ball just out of reach of the defender and challenging them to expand their defensive court coverage. Despite the protest of many coaches, having a coach on a box providing technical repetitions while monitoring the number of jumps by my players is a viable coaching tool.
Incorporating Functional Strength Programs
Female athletes, regardless of sport, have an unfortunate propensity to suffer ACL injuries with the knee joint. Research has shown that a consistent and organized functional strength program can reduce ACL knee injuries by 25%. (2) If such a tool is available to assist the athlete, it should be incorporated into the training program. Most clubs do not have an in-house weight room. However, a coach can organize a quality Functional Strength program that incorporates body weight and only takes thirty minutes per session. Many drills do not require court space and can be implemented before practice begins.
A great site to get some ideas on how to incorporate functional strength and movement activities into your program is: Functional Movement Systems
Jumping and Landing Skills
Coaches should invest time in teaching their players proper jumping and landing mechanics. Good landing skills can assist in avoiding many injuries. Players should learn to land with balance and have the forces absorbed by the muscular rather than the skeletal system. Practice landing on two feet and one foot. There will be occasions when the athlete will land on one foot, especially when attacking, so practicing landing on both feet or one foot while absorbing the inherent forces should be part of your strength program. Here is a sample of jumping activities that focus on form, balance, and absorption of the landing forces.
Takeaway
There isn’t a magical number of jumps the coach should target. Often, a coach can tell when jumping fatigue contributes to player performance. As with many coaching components, balancing the needed repetitions for improvement and a player’s health is an art, not a skill. Especially with younger athletes who do not yet possess the game’s physical strength or technical components, the coach should be observant and cautious about overuse injuries with their players.
Sources:
1) https://www.thehoopsgeek.com/the-physics-of-the-vertical-jump/
2) https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2025.1455055/full
