By putting an extra emphasis on first ball kills (FBK), you can increase your team's sense of urgency when practicing serve-receive. This drill, introduced by Ken Murczek, gives a receiving team three consecutive chances to put the ball away, then reverses sides to give the opposing team three chances. Depending on the level of your team, play can begin with a free ball, down ball or, for the biggest challenge, a serve. Play stops after the receiving team gets its swing, even if the defensive team digs the ball. This speeds up the drill and offers more opportunities for FBK attempts. To make it competitive, award a point for every FBK. For additional work on serve-receive, try 21 Down.
First ball kill drill
