"Beginner" players are playing recreational level volleyball. They're still learning how to play and the focus is keeping the ball in the air and getting the ball back over the net rather than getting 3 touches and bump/set/spike. As players learn to play more, which every player is in the middle front position will be designated as the setter, and try to get the 2nd ball after their team passes to set up for an attack.
Understanding Levels
Making sure you are the proper level for an event is important for ensuring everyone stays safe and has a good time, but they can be confusing if you’re new to volleyball or new to the region.
Why do levels matter?
Our organizers can only evaluate people once they see them play at an event, so we rely on members self reporting their level. Understanding what level you are, and accurately self reporting it, is vital for helping us keep our pickup events fun and safe for everyone.
It's important to us to try our best to make sure the skill level advertised on events matches the level of play so attendees get what they are expecting. When there is too large of a gap in skill levels rallies tend to end sooner, higher level players may not be getting the quality of passing/setting they're expecting, and lower level players end up unable to return the harder hits and serves, so the overall game becomes less fun for everyone.
In addition, high level volleyball can be a fast paced game. From a safety perspective, having high level players spiking the ball at lower level players, or lower level players running into/under other players can be a hazard and results in injuries.
Some events may have a wider range of skill levels, usually labeled "All Levels" and tend to be more of a learning environment.
This is the rating system used for pickup (and in a general sense for all adult volleyball tournaments.)
When rating yourself, remember to rate yourself against the descriptions, rather than other people who you've seen at events. The level of attendees at individual events can fluctuate. Being one of the best players at an event labeled as "BB" doesn't necessarily make someone Upper BB — it just means that they were one of the best players within that small sample of players.
Beginner Level (Recreational)
"Beginner" players are playing recreational level volleyball. They're still learning how to play and the focus is keeping the ball in the air and getting the ball back over the net rather than getting 3 touches and bump/set/spike. Most beginner players will have a very hard time playing doubles as they have not developed the skills necessary to keep rallies going, but may be more comfortable with quads or sixes outdoors.
Philly Volleyball currently has a limited number of beginner events. We occasionally run clinics but for recreational level play, we recommend starting out in some of the local recreational level leagues. If you're interested/willing to run beginner level events, please reach out!
B Level
"B" players are not beginners, but are still in the early learning stages of the game.
They can maintain a rally, have a basic understanding of positioning and try to get 3 touches on the ball each play. They know how to bump, set (a little), and spike, but need a lot of practice to be able to do these skills consistently. They may not be consistently getting a good pass (to the setter), but will at least be passing the ball high in the air and towards the middle of the court so their teammates can make a play.
B level Players aren’t necessarily specialized into positions yet, so most games will either have the player in the middle front setting, or sometimes running a 4-2 system (2 setters across from each other, each setting when they are in the front row).
"B" players are not beginners, but are still in the early learning stages of the game.
They have a basic understanding of how to play but are still inconsistent in their core skills. They are aware of grass rules(although they may still make mistakes.) They can set their partner, but may be limited to bump setting. Teams should try to get 3 touches on the ball each play. Many plays may result in bumping the ball over instead of making an offensive play.
B level is the lowest level of competition, but it is still a level of competition in tournaments. B is not the same as Beginner.
BB Level
BB players can execute all skills well (serving, receiving, setting, hitting) but vary in their consistency.
They usually will get 3 touches each play, have a good understanding of positioning and rotations, and are consistent in their serves, passes, and attacks. They know the basic footwork and how to approach hitting effectively from an assigned position. BB players will begin to specialize a bit, know how to run a 5-1 (or 6-2), and can play a position in these systems.
Some events might differentiate between Upper BB and Lower BB.
The core differences between Upper BB and Lower BB is the level of consistency and athleticism. Lower BB may only be executing on the core skills (serving, passing, setting, and hitting) roughly 50-60% of the time and/or may be physically more limited.
At the Upper BB level you should be able to effectively play your position, not just generally know where to be, and are 70-80% consistent at all the core skills required. Specific positions may have slightly different requirements. An Upper BB Libero has a higher expectation for passing than other positions, while Middle Blockers have a higher expectation for blocking. Upper BB players are hitting the ball harder so front row players should be able to block, and hitters should be able to hit the ball down with some power. Upper BB players would expect to finish towards the top of regional size BB tournaments.
BB players can execute all skills well (serving, receiving, setting, hitting) but vary in their consistency.
They usually will get 3 touches each play. They can receive/pass well and should have a strong understanding of defensive positioning and blocking calls. Hand sets should be clean (and you should have the ability to recognize double contacts, and call your own when you make a mistake.)
Some events might differentiate between Upper BB and Lower BB.
The core differences between Upper BB and Lower BB is the level of consistency and athleticism. Lower BB may have an understanding of how to play doubles, but are only executing on the core skills roughly 50-60% of the time and/or may be physically more limited.
At the Upper BB level you should be doing most skills well 70-80% of the time and have the athleticism to effectively cover the court on defense and execute a large range of offensive tactics. Upper BB players would expect to finish towards the top of regional size BB tournaments.
A Level
A level players have the skills needed to play at a high level. They are in excellent physical condition and can do all the skills required of their position consistently. Liberos and Outside Hitters are giving a good (2-3 point) passes on most plays, front row players are able to both effectively hit and block, Setters can effectively run all options on offense and deliver the ball to their hitters consistently, and Middle Blockers should be able to block pin-to-pin (this is not a comprehensive list, these are just examples of the skills expected of various positions)
They have in-depth knowledge of offensive and defensive game play. Many of these players are former club and/or college athletes.
A level players have the skills needed to play at a high level. They are in excellent physical condition and can preform all the core skills well. They can serve receive consistently, set their partner well, and utilize a full range of offensive options. At this level players may become more specialized as a blocker or defender.
They have in-depth knowledge of offensive and defensive game play. Many of these players are former club and/or college athletes.
AA Level
AA level players the skills needed to play at a high level. They have in-depth knowledge of offensive and defensive game play. They can do more than just hit a ball hard. They have a lot of experience and know how to play their specific position extremely well.
They are superb athletes who execute their skills with the highest of power and efficiency. Most of these players played in college at D1/D2 schools and are still in peak physical condition.
Open Level
Open refers to Open Level competition which is the highest level of competition offered at large tournaments. Players in this category are semi-pro/professional level players.