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How to Run a Volleyball Tryout: A Coach's Step-by-Step Guide

To run a volleyball tryout, you evaluate every player across a handful of core skills (serving, passing on the platform, setting, hitting and the approach, blocking, and vertical jump) using a consistent 1-to-5 score per skill, then use those scores to build teams. The hard part is rarely the scoring sheet. It is organizing the whole event so the evaluation stays fair, the day runs on time, and you can defend every roster decision afterward, especially when you are moving hundreds of players through in a single weekend. This guide walks through exactly how to conduct a volleyball tryout from first planning to final offers, whether you are a recreational league running placement evaluations, a club selecting a competitive roster, or a large program putting 300 players in front of 15 to 20 coaches.

Coaches running a youth volleyball tryout with players rotating through serving, passing, and hitting stations in a gym

What Skills Should You Evaluate at a Volleyball Tryout?

Evaluate six core areas at a volleyball tryout: serving, passing on the platform, setting, hitting and the approach, blocking, and vertical jump. Most coaches add a seventh, intangible category (communication, coachability, and volleyball IQ) that adjusts a player's overall score up or down, and almost all of it comes together in 6-on-6 play where you watch decisions under pressure. A short, shared list keeps a large evaluation panel focused and consistent. Serving and passing are the two most-evaluated skills, so weight them accordingly.

Here is what evaluators look for in each area and how each is typically assessed at a tryout:

Skill	What evaluators look for	How it's assessed
Serving	Accuracy to zones, power, and consistency getting the ball in play under pressure	A fixed number of serves to called targets or zones
Passing (platform)	Platform control, footwork to the ball, and consistent passes to target	Serve-receive and back-row passing drills to a target setter
Setting	Hand technique, accuracy, and decision-making delivering hittable sets	Setting to designated positions from a tossed or passed ball
Hitting and approach	Footwork in the approach, jump and timing, arm swing, and contact on the ball	Approach and hitting reps off a set, observed for power and shot selection
Blocking	Timing, hand position and penetration over the net, and lateral footwork	Blocking reps against hitters, observed again in live play
Vertical jump	Explosiveness and reach at the net	A standing or approach vertical jump measurement

Six-on-six play is where most coaches form their final read. Live rotations expose communication, court awareness, and how a player competes when a rally goes long. Watch who calls the ball, who covers the hitter, and who stays disciplined in their position.

How Do You Score a Volleyball Tryout?

Score each player from 1 to 5 on every skill, where 5 is the best, then total the scores to rank players objectively. A simple, shared 1-to-5 scale turns subjective impressions ("she looked good") into comparable data you can sort, defend, and revisit. Vertical jump and intangibles are usually handled as adjustments: add a point or two for the biggest jumpers and the players who communicate and compete, and deduct for quiet, low-energy players who fade.

Two rules make the scores trustworthy at scale. First, align your evaluators on what each number means before the tryout, so a "3" passer and a "4" passer mean the same thing to every coach in the gym. With 15 to 20 evaluators grading the same players, this calibration is what keeps scores comparable. Second, score immediately after each rep while it is fresh, and add a short note next to the number. "Great platform, slow footwork to the ball" tells you far more in a week than a bare "3."

How to Set Up Volleyball Tryout Stations at Scale

Set up one station per skill and rotate small groups through them so the gym is always busy and every player gets identical reps. Use the net and floor markers to define each station: a serving station with target zones, a serve-receive and passing station feeding a target, a setting station, an approach and hitting station off a set, a blocking station at the net, and a vertical jump measurement spot. Reserve a court for the 6-on-6 play that closes out the day.

How you staff those stations depends on size. At a small tryout, one coach can grade a whole skill. At scale, with 300 players and 15 to 20 coaches, you do the opposite: put several evaluators at each station so a large group keeps moving, and have every coach score the same drill against the shared rubric. Some programs run it in panels, splitting evaluators across stations, while others move all coaches to one station at a time so everyone grades the same drill together, which is common for the vertical jump and serving. Either way, the goal is multiple independent scores per player, which you average for a more reliable result than any single grader could give. Keep a staffed check-in table at the entrance so you always know who has arrived and who is still expected.

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Volleyball Tryout Timeline: From Planning to Finalized Teams

Plan to start two to three weeks before tryout day, then move through registration, check-in, evaluation, review, and offers. Here is the full end-to-end checklist for hosting the event:

Two to three weeks before: Planning

Lock the date and gym; reserve the facility and enough courts and nets
Decide age groups, number of teams, and roster sizes
Build (or reuse) your evaluation form with the seven categories above
Recruit and brief evaluators; align all 15 to 20 coaches on the 1-to-5 standards
Open online registration so you have a confirmed player count

Registration

Collect each player's name, age or birth year, primary positions, and contact info
Assign every player a tryout number (pinnies or bib numbers) so evaluators score by number, not by name, which keeps scoring objective even with hundreds of players
Send a confirmation with arrival time, location, and what to bring

Tryout day: Check-in

Check players in against your registration list and hand out numbers
Group players by age or skill and brief them on the station flow

Tryout day: Evaluation

Run players through each station; evaluators score 1 to 5 and add notes in real time
For multi-day tryouts, repeat key stations on day two so a single off-day doesn't sink a player
Run 6-on-6 play to see communication and decisions under pressure

After the tryout: Review and decide

Combine every evaluator's scores into one ranked list
Discuss bubble players as a staff, using notes alongside the numbers
Finalize teams or draft order

Offers: Accept, decline, and finalize

Extend offers to selected players with a clear accept-by deadline
Track accepts and declines, and go to your next-best player when a spot opens
Send respectful, timely notice to players who weren't selected
Confirm final rosters and communicate next steps (practice schedule, fees)

Run Your Entire Volleyball Tryout with Rizzler Sports

A tryout at scale is a logistics problem before it is a volleyball problem. Three hundred registrations, hundreds of check-ins, a stack of evaluation sheets for every coach, then the follow-up: inviting selected players, tracking who accepted, and back-filling spots as players decline. Rizzler Sports handles all of it in one place, which saves coaches and administrators hours of work per tryout. Players register online, coaches score evaluations on a phone or tablet at every station, results rank automatically, and you send and track offers without a single spreadsheet or group text.

Running a larger program, a full recreational league, a club organization, or a school district? We will set your tryout up end to end and show you how much staff time it saves.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long should a volleyball tryout be?

Most youth volleyball tryouts run 90 minutes to two hours per age group. Competitive clubs often hold two sessions across two days so a player's evaluation isn't decided by a single off-day. Build in time for check-in before the clock starts.

How do you staff coaches at a large tryout?

At scale, do not assign one coach per skill. With 300 players and 15 to 20 coaches, put multiple evaluators at each station, or move all coaches through one station at a time, and have everyone score the same drill against a shared 1-to-5 rubric. Averaging several independent scores per player is more reliable, and far faster, than a single grader working through hundreds of athletes.

What should players bring to a volleyball tryout?

Court shoes, kneepads, athletic clothing, water, and both a light and dark shirt or pinnie so you can split them quickly for 6-on-6 play. Tell players to arrive early enough to check in and warm up before evaluations begin.

How do I evaluate setters and liberos separately?

Run dedicated reps for the specialized positions. Set up extra setting reps to designated hitters so you can grade location and decision-making, and give liberos focused serve-receive and defensive digging reps. Score them on the same 1-to-5 scale so they slot into your ranked list, then confirm the read in 6-on-6 play.

How do I tell a player she didn't make the team?

Communicate quickly, privately, and respectfully, and keep it about the roster decision rather than the player's worth. A short, kind message with an offer to share specific feedback goes a long way, and it protects your program's reputation for next year's tryout.

See also: Team Tryouts in Rizzler → · Player Evaluations in Rizzler → · How to Run a Basketball Tryout →