Published on: 2026-09-16
Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –
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In SPbPU, a simulator for practicing the attack pass in volleyball was patented. The device is a target ring that is attached to the volleyball net not flush but at an adjustable distance from it using a bracket with telescopic rods and hinged joints. The simulator operates without electronics, and its first prototype has been used for more than one and a half years in practical sessions and during standards testing. The development received a utility model patent from the Federal Service for Intellectual Property.
It all started with a drawing in a notebook. About two years ago, Sergey Sidorov, an associate professor of the Department of Physical Training and Sports at the Institute of Physical Culture, Sports and Tourism of SPbPU, sketched by hand a draft of a future device. His task was quite practical: to help students master passing the ball for an attacking hit. He wanted the setters to be able to practice passing multiple times without the involvement of the attacker and not be afraid to miss. Additionally, a simple and reproducible way was needed to assess how well the skill was developed.
In high-performance sports, specialized equipment is required to train precise and centimeter-accurate movements. In volleyball, various trainers exist, but currently there is none that helps refine the pass for an attacking hit while being suitable for any training conditions. Alternatives are too expensive and bulky, which complicates their use in small sports halls where groups of 20–30 people train simultaneously. Among the compact options on the market, a foreign trainer with a frame design is presented. Its net’s upper edge adjoins the top cable. Such a target cannot be raised above the cable or moved forward from the net, and it is designed more for catching the ball than for simulating the attack point.
If the target hangs right next to the net, the player repeatedly throws the ball closer than necessary, and develops an incorrect motor stereotype. We arranged for the target to be positioned forward and raised above the cable: then the player aims at the real point of contact. The ring can be set in the second, third, or fourth zone depending on the skill level of the attacking players of the specific team or the tactical task for the upcoming match. Passing can be done from any point on the court: below, above, or behind the head. And training with the simulator can be done individually, without a partner, — said Sergey Sidorov.
Sergey determined the main parameters of the device together with his scientific mentor and co-author of the patent, the director of the Institute of Physical Culture, Sports and Tourism at SPbPU, Valery Suschenko, based on a typical volleyball training program. After that, he bought PVC pipes, learned plastic welding, and assembled the first working prototype.
The device consists of a supporting frame, a circular target with an inner diameter of 60–80 centimeters, a mounting to the net, and a movable bracket between the frame and the target. The authors propose manufacturing the bracket in two ways. In the first case, it is a set of telescopic rods: the horizontal rod sets the target’s distance from the net, the vertical rods control the height above the cable, and the diagonal rods support the structure so the target doesn’t topple from the ball’s impact. The second option is a bracket assembled according to a parallelogram scheme from two pairs of hinged levers, and as it moves, the target maintains its orientation in space.
The standard sports training program specifies the target placement parameters for practicing passes quite precisely. Simulators that allow modeling such a zone exist; however, they are installed on the floor and occupy part of the playing area. This is significant when several groups of athletes are working on the court simultaneously, each performing its own exercise. At the same time, a separate simulator, of course, does not replace the coach’s expertise but serves as an additional tool that helps develop and monitor passing technique. The device is mechanical, relatively compact, easily mounted on the net, and does not require alterations to existing sports hall structures, — commented Valery Sushchenko.
The device underwent testing for a year and a half after the first prototype was assembled, and then it began to be used in the educational process. For more than a year and a half, instructors have been conducting practical lessons with it and administering standards, so the simulator serves both as equipment and as the very assessment tool for which it was all initiated. It has become easier for students to understand the technique of passing: moving under the ball, stopping, rotating the torso toward the antenna, guiding the ball, and straightening arms and legs.
If two years ago I had been too lazy to make a simple drawing on paper or had given up on the idea because I couldn’t draw or solder, none of this would have happened. Therefore, the main takeaway I want to share with students is: don’t be lazy and don’t be afraid to start with a sketch. It doesn’t have to be perfect right away. Sometimes it’s enough just to honestly try to solve one small practical problem, and everything else — materials and helpers — come along the way, — Sergey Sidorov is confident.
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