The 3 Steps to Running a Successful Timeout
Timeouts are an important and impactful tool for team management during competition, allowing coaches to directly affect the game’s momentum and provide direct instructions to their players.
- Timeouts in volleyball games are usually 30-75 seconds long, depending on the league and tournament rules.
- Each team can take up to 2 timeouts per set, taken at any time between plays
Principles of Calling a Timeout
- Timeouts are most often used to stop an opponent’s run of 1 to 3 points, usually during the mid-game (11-17 points) and end-game (18+ points)
- Wait until the opposing server has the ball before calling a timeout
- Many coaches call timeouts re-actively, immediately after a play ends
- A better technique is to wait until the last possible moment to call a timeout
- This will give your team a longer amount of time before the next rally and is more likely to disrupt the server’s rhythm
Setting Up a Time Out
- Players make sure their teammates know a timeout has been taken, run off the court and grab their water bottles
- Players and coaches form a circle, standing shoulder to shoulder
- The huddle can be formed near the bench, so players who need to sit and rest can do so without breaking the circle
- Coaches address the entire team (not just the players currently on the court)
The 3 Steps to Running a Successful Volleyball Timeout
1. Meet them at their emotional level
As players come off the court, sync up your emotional state with theirs – mirroring their emotions.
We want to connect the team together by having everyone share the same reality. If it is a hard fought match, raise your intensity to meet theirs. If your team is winning handily, mirror their confidence. And if they are struggling, acknowledge the struggle.
- “Great job fighting for every point. This is a strong team we’re playing against.”
- “We are dominating with our serve. Great job going after them.”
- “They have some really strong servers. It is a good challenge for us.”
2. Activate their prefrontal cortex
After you have connected the team through emotional bonding, move the players through those emotions and focus them back to the present moment.
Ask straightforward, simple questions that will activate the analytical part of their brains. Talk through tactics and draw diagrams on a whiteboard.
- “Where are we scoring our points?”
- “Where are they scoring against us?”
- “Is their setter back row or front row?”
- “Read the hitters’ shoulders and be ready for tips.”
3. Give them a strong takeaway message
Your last words needs to be positive and affirming.
We remember sentences, not speeches. And we don’t really remember sentences, we remember feelings. Make sure that the feelings that the players take away from the timeout are confidence, trust, strength, focus, resilience, and determination.
- “You got this.”
- “Get this point.”
- “It’s your game if you want it.”
- “Stay focused. Take it one point at a time.”
- “It doesn’t matter who we are playing against. Play our game.”