From Scott Hammon,

Setting is more than just putting a ball up in the air. In order for your team to have an effective offense you have to learn to place the ball exactly where your hitters expect it.

To do this, teams employ various methods of hand signals. I have played on many different teams and each used their own setting signals. Every time I join a new team I have to relearn a system. Normally, teams will number the location along the net that the ball will be placed. The numbers I use in this articles are what I find to be the most common among all the teams I have played. However, it seems each country and/or region numbers them differently. Although the numbering is different the theory is the same.

In this article I am going to talk only about the basic sets. From these many different possibilities can be tailored to your individual teams. The first is the 5. This is a set that is high and outside, allowing plenty of time for the outside hitter to move to the ball, and then hit a cross court shot back into the opposite court. This set is the easiest set for the opponent's blocker's to block. The length of time the ball is in the air allows for the other team to put up two blockers against the hitter. Also, because the hitter is to the outside, it is very difficult to hit any angle other than a cross court shot. Similar to this is the back 5. With skill the setter is able to set the ball backward with little fore warning.

The 3, my personal favorite, is delivered with a lower arc. It puts more pressure on the setter to place the set in the correct spot as the hitter has less time to adjust his approach. Of course the opponent also has less time to put up the block. Also the hitter's can easily adjust to both a line angle or cross court angle depending on what kind of opposition he/she is facing. Once again, another effective variant to this is the back three.

The 2, another one of my favorites, calls for accurate timing on the part of both the hitter and the setter. The set is delivered in suc h a manner that the hitter jumps about the same time that the setter sets the ball. That way both the setter and the hitter reach their apex at the same time. This is very effective against good blockers as they have very little time to react to the hit. It is also set very close to the net allowing the hitter to pound the ball downward.

The 1, a crowd pleaser,is very similar to the 2 except that the hitter is already airborne when the setter sets the ball.The setter attempts to feed the hitter the ball so that the hitter is actually starting his/her descent. When done correctly, with precise timing and set close to the net, the hitter is able to use not only his/her strength but also the pull of gravity to smash the ball down, often in front of the ten foot line.

Another crowd pleaser is the shooter. Again, it calls for precise timing on the part of the setter and hitter. The setter feeds the ball across the court to the airborne hitter. The pass is extremely quick allowing for little forewarning to the attack. This is a difficult but effective tool in a team's arsenal.

One other set, is the 10. It is called the 10 because it refers to the ten foot line. Basically the setter sets a 5 but instead of a front line hitter, it is set to a back court hitter who then spikes from behind the 10 foot line.The resulting spike is often a top-spin spike that can fly over the hands of the blockers and smash down in the backcourt.

These are just a few basic sets and set plays.There are dozens of plays to choose from but all of them have their roots in these.The key is to develop a signaling system and practice with your team