The Pancake: A defensive action in which a hand is on the floor in such a position that the ball bounces off it, instead of the floor. An action of last resort to keep an otherwise hopeless ball alive.
It makes sense. The later the player can play the ball, logically the more time they have to get into position, and the rebound from the hand is fairly predictable. So pancake it is.
Because the goal defines the method, the technique of diving reflects the goal. In the classic volleyball dive, the goal was to play the ball above the ground, which lead to an exaggerated back arch and catch as players completely leave the ground and must subsequently return safely. Controlling the ball while ‘flying’ is also difficult. With a pancake there is no need to leave the ground at all. So the technique of diving devolved. To be under the ball for a pancake, the requirement is to be close to the ground and so players just kind of propel themselves forwards. If you ask a current player to show you a dive, 95% of them will some kind of sprawling, falling thing. From the coaches perspective this is also quite convenient, as teaching the dive is difficult, time consuming, and hurts.
So we have a neat logical construct in which the pancake is the best, most desirable method of playing the ball in emergency situations.
The unintended consequence of the pancake is the proliferation of the coach’s dive. For the uninitiated, the coach’s dive is an action the intent of which is to prevent the coach shouting at the player for not going for the ball. At no point during the action is the player’s intent to actually keep the ball alive, but they dive (fall, sprawl) anyway. For example, in the following video. Watch the actual diving techniques here too. The feet never leave the ground. These aren’t dives at all.
All of these (defensive) actions are a consequence of the pancake being the preeminent form of defensive action. In every play here, attempting a pancake ensures the failure to defend the ball. Even if the player miraculously touched the ball, it would rebound into the fans. Whenever the player is moving away from court, the ball MUST be played before it gets close to the ground. And the only safe way to play the ball is to go old school. Dive. Fly.
Luckily the real dive is alive and well in women’s volleyball.
For fully rounded defensive players and to maximum defensive opportunities, the dive is, was and always will be an essential part of the players tool box.
- We will return to this word.
- Not an error.
- What actually used to be called a sprawl. A completely different technique to the dive.
- The players, not the coach. Although bad volleyball does often hurt my soul.
- The very best coach’s dives include a face or shake of the head that indicates the player was this close to getting the ball. They weren’t.
- It would be miraculous as they do not intend to touch the ball.
- I told you we would come back here. Note that the player diving in this video is a right handed middle blocker. Sometimes old school really was better.
- By Mark Lebedew: How the Pancake Destroyed Defence
- By Mark Lebedew: Small Games. Big Lessons
- By Mark Lebedew: The Goal Defines The Method
- By Mark Lebedew: Who Should Build The Team?
- By Mark Lebedew: The Curse of the Father – Setting Tight Or Off?
About Mark Lebedew:
Mark Lebedew authors the At Home on the Court Blog. He coaches professionally in Poland, from january 2021 with eWinner Gwardia Wrocław, in season 2019/20 with Aluron Virtu CMC Warta Zawiercie and in the period 2015-2018 with KS Jastrzębski Węgiel. That follows five seasons Germany where his Berlin Recycling Volleys won three straight league titles and a CEV Champions League bronze medal. He has prior professional experience in Belgium and Italy. Mark was also Head Coach for the Australian Men’s National Team. From 2021/2022 until the end of the 2023/2024 season he was at the helm of VfB Friedrichshafen, while in 2022 he led the Slovenian national team during the Volleyball Nations League. In the 2024/2025 season, Mark Lebedew takes charge of the Netherlands’ team, Nova Tech Lycurgus. Starting from the 2025/2026 club season, he took charge of the Polish team PSG Stal Nysa S.A.
Mark partnered with his brother and father to translate and publish “My Profession: The Game“, the last book by legendary Russian coach, Vyacheslav Platonov.
With John Forman, he is behind the Volleyball Coaching Wizards project (link http://volleyballcoachingwizards.com/) which identifies great coaches from all levels, making their experience, insights, and expertise available to people all over the world. The project has produced multiple books, a in e-book format available here ( link to http://bit.ly/34yakou ) or at Amazon here (link https://amzn.to/2JRqTE6).
In 2021, he launched project Webinars and Presentations on Demand. If you are interested for coaching presentations and webinars available on demand, click here.
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