If you've recently joined a team or you're watching your kid get into the sport, you might be asking what is a volleyball scrimmage and why it seems to take up so much practice time. At its most basic level, a scrimmage is a practice game. It's the bridge between repetitive drills and a high-stakes league match. Instead of just hitting balls over the net or practicing serves in a vacuum, a scrimmage puts everyone in their positions to play out real-time rallies.
While it looks like a regular game to the untrained eye, it's actually a controlled environment where coaches can pull the strings. It's about learning the flow of the game without the pressure of a scoreboard that "counts" toward a season record. Let's dive into what makes these sessions so important and what you can expect when you step onto the court for one.
The difference between practice and a scrimmage
Most volleyball practices start with individual skills. You'll see players doing "pepper" (a warm-up drill involving passing, setting, and hitting) or working on their footwork at the net. These are essential for building muscle memory, but they don't teach you how to react when a ball is flying at your face from a weird angle during a chaotic play.
That's where the scrimmage comes in. When a coach says it's time to scrimmage, the "training wheels" start to come off. The team splits into two sides—usually a "Varsity" vs. "JV" setup or just two balanced groups—and they play. The biggest difference is that a scrimmage allows for mistakes. In a real match, a missed serve is a point for the other team and a blow to your momentum. In a scrimmage, a coach might blow the whistle, tell the player what they did wrong, and let them try that serve again.
Why coaches love scrimmaging
You might think that just playing games is the easy way out of a hard practice, but for a coach, a scrimmage is the best diagnostic tool available. They use this time to answer a few big questions.
First, they're looking at team chemistry. You can have six incredible athletes on the court, but if they don't talk to each other, they're going to lose to a team of average players who communicate well. A scrimmage reveals who is calling for the ball and who is "ghosting" their teammates.
Second, it's the perfect time to test rotations. Volleyball rotations are notoriously confusing for beginners. Coaches use scrimmages to make sure everyone knows where to stand when the serve changes hands. If someone is out of position, it's much better to figure that out on a Tuesday afternoon in an empty gym than during a tournament on Saturday.
Intra-squad vs. Inter-squad scrimmages
Not all scrimmages are kept within the same team. You'll often hear about two different types:
- Intra-squad: This is the most common version. It's just your team playing against itself. The coach might mix up the lineups every ten minutes to see which hitters work best with which setters.
- Inter-squad: This is when a coach invites a team from a different school or club to come over for a "friendly" match. There are no official refs, no cheering sections, and no stats recorded in the history books. It's just a way to see how your players handle an opponent they haven't been practicing with every day.
How the rules change in a scrimmage
Even though the goal is to simulate a real game, the rules are often modified to maximize learning. One common practice is the "wash drill" style of scoring. Instead of a standard point system, a team might have to win two or three rallies in a row to earn a single point. This teaches players about "transition" and staying focused even after they've had a small win.
Another common tweak is the "coach's toss." Instead of every point starting with a serve, the coach might stand on a platform and hurl a ball into a difficult spot on the court. This forces the team to practice their "scramble" defense—that frantic moment where everyone is diving to keep the ball alive.
The role of the "Official"
In a scrimmage, you rarely see a professional referee in a white polo shirt. Usually, it's the assistant coach or a player from the bench holding the whistle. The calls are often a bit more relaxed. If a player committed a "lift" (hitting the ball with an open palm), the coach might let it slide once to keep the rally going, then pull the player aside later to explain the fault. It's less about policing the rules and more about keeping the "flow" of the game alive so players get more touches on the ball.
What should you wear and bring?
If you're heading to your first scrimmage, don't overthink the gear. It's basically the same as a practice, but with a bit more intensity. You'll definitely want your kneepads, as you'll be diving way more during a live game than you would during serving drills.
Most teams will wear their practice jerseys or "pinnies" (those mesh vests) to help distinguish the two sides. If you're playing an inter-squad scrimmage against another school, your coach might ask you to wear your actual game jersey, but usually, a simple t-shirt in the team colors is enough. And don't forget a huge water bottle—scrimmages are surprisingly exhausting because the ball stays in play much longer than it does during drills.
The mental side of a scrimmage
For a lot of players, the scrimmage is the most stressful part of the week because it's where "playing time" is decided. It's a bit of a catch-22; you want to play well to impress the coach, but if you're too nervous to take risks, you won't show your full potential.
The best way to approach it is to treat every ball like it's the match point of a championship. Coaches aren't necessarily looking for perfection; they're looking for effort. If you shank a pass but sprint across the court to try and save it, that looks a lot better than standing still and watching it hit the floor.
Dealing with the "friendly" competition
Scrimmaging against your own friends can be weird. You know exactly where your best friend likes to hit the ball, so you might find yourself cheating toward that spot on defense. While it's fun to "trash talk" a little bit with your teammates across the net, it's important to keep it productive. The goal isn't just to beat the other side of your own gym; it's to make sure both sides are getting better so you can beat the actual rival team next week.
A quick summary for parents
If you're a parent sitting in the stands (if the coach even lets you stay), don't be confused if the game suddenly stops for five minutes of talking. That's the beauty of the scrimmage. It's a living classroom. You might see the score reach 15-10 and then suddenly reset to zero. Don't worry, the scoreboard operator didn't fall asleep—the coach just decided that the next segment of the practice has a different goal.
Ultimately, what is a volleyball scrimmage? It's the "dress rehearsal" of the sports world. It's where the messy work of learning positions, timing, and communication happens so that when the lights are bright and the stands are full, the team knows exactly what to do. It's the closest thing to a real game you can get without the stress of a loss, making it arguably the most valuable part of any volleyball season.