Two-passer
Libero and one outside take most of the court. Best for experienced 17U–18U groups.
Coach Resources · Calgary, Alberta
Volleyball Coach Resources for Calgary Clubs
The 2027 season on one page for Skyline coaches: Volleyball Alberta eligibility and deadlines, LOI and Winter Tryout rules, rule changes and pilots, line-ups by age class, practice templates, skill cues, Safe Sport and printable forms.
- NCCP-certified head coaches
- Volleyball Alberta 2027
- VC 2026-27 rulebook
- Girls U13–U17 · Boys U16
Eight Sections
Coaching Resources for Calgary Club Volleyball
Essentials stay open; the details fold away. Jump to the section you need before practice or a tournament.
01Requirements
Club Volleyball Coach Requirements in Alberta for 2027
Volleyball Alberta sorts coach eligibility into three parts. Every Skyline head coach in Alberta already holds NCCP certification; this is what every person on a bench must keep current.
The three parts of eligibility
From Volleyball Alberta’s coach information for the 2027 club season.
| Part | Who | What it includes | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · Person in Authority (PIA) | Everyone on a roster: head and assistant coaches, managers, trainers | Volleyball Alberta membership; Criminal Record Check through Trustii in Sportlomo (good for three years); Safe Sport Training or a current Respect in Sport for Activity Leaders; Screening Disclosure Form each season | Before any tryout, practice or roster addition |
| 2 · Mandatory education | Head coaches, 13U–18U | Making Head Way in Sport and Make Ethical Decisions (eLearning in The Locker); Foundations of Volleyball (Volleyball Connect) | March 1, 2027 · $150 fine if incomplete |
| 3 · NCCP status | Head coaches, 14U–18U | Development Coach Workshop before a first or second Provincials; Certified Development Coach from the third; active status in The Locker | March 30 · $250 fine |
Bench and roster rules
Small administrative misses keep coaches off the bench, so check these early.
- Each team names one head coach for the season, and that person cannot head coach a second team on the same tournament weekend.
- Up to four team staff can be rostered and sit on the bench, one of them the head coach.
- Staff join a roster only after their PIA checks clear, and choose their team role when added.
- New for 2027: rosters lock at noon on the Thursday nine days before each tournament. Later additions cost $25, rising to $50 after noon on the Thursday before the event or after the season lock (the Premier #2 deadline).
- Head coaches collect the official roster from the venue coordinator before their first match and show it to the referee every match.
What Skyline adds
Our own standard sits on top of the provincial minimum.
- NCCP certification for every Skyline head coach in Alberta.
- A mentor for first-season coaches.
- One assessment framework and one practice-plan template across all teams.
- The Skyline coach code of conduct, signed before the first practice.
02LOI & Tryouts
Volleyball Alberta Signing Rules for Winter Tryouts in Calgary
Skyline selects its teams in the Winter Tryout period. Volleyball Alberta’s Letter of Intent (LOI) is the only binding agreement, and the timelines below are set by the province, not by the club.
Winter signing, step by step
From the 2026-27 Signing and Tryout Process.
- From Nov 29Approved clubs may begin offering LOIs to 12U–18U athletes holding the Youth Development Player – Tryout membership.
- Offer windowFirst offers stay open at least 48 hours; offers made on or after December 2 stay open at least 24 hours. Extensions are the club’s call and must be written down.
- Offer limitA team may have no more offers out at once than the number of athletes it plans to carry.
- After signingWithin 7 days the athlete registers in the club portal as a Youth Competitive Player; the club adds them to the Sportlomo roster sheet as soon as possible.
Senior varsity athletes and School Sports Alberta
High school senior varsity players face a provincial restriction during the school season. The official wording:
“Student-Athletes who participate with non-school teams on any other dates between August 31 and November 28 will be ruled ineligible for School Sports Alberta volleyball competition.”
- Skyline tryouts begin on November 29, the day after that window closes, so senior varsity players can attend every session.
- Check with the athlete’s school athletic director for any local league rules.
- An athlete who has already signed an LOI elsewhere may not attend other clubs’ tryouts.
The Skyline 2027 tryout sessions
Each division has its own time slot on all three days; one $50 registration covers the set.
| Day | Gym | Divisions on court |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday, November 29 | Western Canada High School | U13/U14 girls, U15 girls, U16/U17 girls, U16 boys |
| Saturday, December 5 | MNP Community & Sport Centre | U13/U14 girls, U15 girls, U16/U17 girls, U16 boys |
| Sunday, December 6 | Western Canada High School | U13/U14 girls, U15 girls, U16/U17 girls, U16 boys |
Coaches score athleticism, technique, movement, game awareness, competitive habits and coachability on one shared framework, and families see team placement only.
03Rules 2027
Rule and Competition Changes for the 2027 Alberta Club Season
The 2026-27 Volleyball Canada rulebook applies at every Volleyball Alberta event, plus provincial competition regulations and three pilots. Walk your team through these before Premier #1.
Volleyball Canada: what referees now call differently
Summarised from the 2026-27 change summary; read the rulebook for exact wording.
| Situation | Before | From 2026-27 |
|---|---|---|
| Ball touches the ceiling on a first or second contact | Always a fault | Play goes on if the ceiling is above the court and the ball stays playable for your team |
| Overhand double on the team’s second touch | Called when it was visible | Allowed as one action if the ball does not cross the net; doubles on attacks that cross remain faults |
| Liberos at 18U | One per set | Up to two per set |
| Tips | Judged case by case | Legal when one hand makes a short, straight contact with no push or throw |
| Two hands sending the ball over | Often argued | Faulted when the two-handed attack is deliberate; an honest overhead set that floats across stays legal |
Volleyball Alberta pilots and changes for 2027
From New for 2027 and the 14U–16U Girls pilot overview.
- Two-stream pilot, 14U–16U girls: Premier #1 splits teams into a Provincial Stream and a Competitive Stream that then play the season apart. At 14U and 15U, the top 18 teams from each regional Premier #1 form a 72-team Provincial Stream; 16U teams can opt into the Competitive Stream or ask to be seeded into the Challenger tournament.
- 15U libero pilot: one libero and six limited substitutions, boys and girls, through Nationals, with the Developmental Substitution rules still in force.
- 18U liberos: up to two per set at Premiers, Provincials and Nationals; they may be re-designated between sets and must appear on each line-up sheet.
- 14U substitutions: none in sets one and two, except for injury or (new this year) an athlete in visible emotional distress.
- North and South: teams from Red Deer northward enter North Premiers; teams south of Red Deer enter South Premiers.
- Seeding: all 14U–16U girls teams submit the Premier #1 Seeding Form; a committee finalises seeds after coach feedback.
Rosters, deadlines and match day
Numbers to keep on the clipboard.
| Item | 2027 rule |
|---|---|
| Roster size | At least 8 players unique to the age class, up to 15; one player cannot count toward the minimum of two teams |
| Players on the score sheet | 12U–14U: up to 12 · 15U–18U: up to 15 |
| Premier registration deadline | December 6, 2026 for 14U–18U · December 13, 2026 for 12U and 13U |
| Withdrawal refund | Full refund (less transaction fees) for December 6 events if withdrawn by 11:59 p.m. MT on December 16 |
| Warm-up | 2–4–4: two minutes shared, then four at the net for each team; no balls in the free zone during the other team’s time |
| End of match | Both teams go to the 3-metre line and applaud the opponents and officials; no handshake line |
| Officials from your team | One volunteer scorekeeper; one line judge who is neither a starter nor the acting libero |
04Line-ups
Rotations, Line-ups and Substitution Rules by Age Class
The right system depends as much on Alberta’s age-class rules as on your setters. Start from the format your age class plays.
Format and system by age class
Suggested starting points for Skyline teams; adjust to your roster.
| Age class | Format and key rule | Suggested system |
|---|---|---|
| 12U–13U | Tripleball, Volleyball Alberta’s official format; each team supplies a ball retriever | Everyone takes turns setting; teach the tripleball toss sequence at practice |
| 14U | Standard play; no subs in sets one and two | 4-2 or 6-2 so more athletes learn to set |
| 15U–16U | Developmental Substitution rules; 15U libero pilot | 6-2 while setters develop, 5-1 once one setter is ready |
| 17U–18U | Up to two liberos per set at 18U | 5-1 with a specialised serve-receive group |
Serve-receive patterns
Match the pattern to your passers, not to the opponent.
Three-passer
Libero with both outsides. The default for most club teams from 15U up.
Four or five passers
Gives younger teams more help on tough serves; coach the seams and the calls.
Bench paperwork
Points lost to paperwork are the easiest ones to save.
- Use Volleyball Alberta’s line-up cards and fill one in before every set.
- Write the libero numbers (two at 18U) on each line-up sheet.
- Bring a trained volunteer scorekeeper to every match.
- Choose your line judge from players who are not starting and not the libero.
- Teams with more than 12 players at a 12U–15U event file the Extended Roster Development Plan form.
05Practice Plans
Practice Planning and Long-Term Development for Club Coaches
Volleyball Alberta asks clubs to be deliberate about training volume, especially after a long school season. A clear plan gets more from fewer minutes.
Two templates
Use the left column for 12U–15U teams and the right for 16U–18U.
| Block | 90-minute practice | 2-hour practice |
|---|---|---|
| Warm-up and ball control | 0–12 | 0–15 |
| Main skill, closed reps with a target | 12–30 | 15–40 |
| Same skill with decisions and pressure | 30–50 | 40–65 |
| Team play scored to reward the main skill | 50–78 | 65–100 |
| Short competitive game | 78–85 | 100–112 |
| Cool-down and one-minute review | 85–90 | 112–120 |
Matching load to the athlete
Volleyball Canada’s development model and Volleyball Alberta’s new streams point the same way.
Train to Train (about 12–15)
- Movement quality and landing
- Every athlete sets and passes
- One or two focus skills per week
Train to Compete (about 16–18)
- Position training and systems
- Scouting and match plans
- Planned rest around school exams
Provincial vs Competitive Stream
Volleyball Alberta describes 2–4+ sessions a week and 4–8 events for the Provincial Stream, and 1–3 sessions with 3–5 events for the Competitive Stream. Plan volume accordingly.
Five numbers worth tracking
Pick two per month and post them on the gym wall.
- Serve-receive passes rated 2 or 3 out of 10.
- Sets delivered to the hitter’s zone.
- In-serves per 10, then serves to a called zone.
- Block touches per rotation.
- Recovery habits: first to the floor, loud calls, quick resets.
06Skill Videos
Skill Videos, Coaching Cues and Drills
A short clip for each skill with three cues and two drills you can run tonight. The cues are written into the page, so they work even before the clips are filmed.
Passing: Platform angleClip filmed by Skyline Alberta coaches (coming)
Cues for passing
- Get stopped before contact
- Tilt the shoulders, not the arms
- Hold the finish toward the target
Practice drills
- Pass to a hula hoop held by the setter
- Scored 3-person passing lines
Serve Receive: First moveClip filmed by Skyline Alberta coaches (coming)
Cues for serve receive
- Weight on the balls of the feet
- Read the toss and hitting shoulder
- Call early; seams go to the front passer
Practice drills
- Server vs two passers, points for 3s
- Rotation-by-rotation receive walk-through
Setting: Square and deliverClip filmed by Skyline Alberta coaches (coming)
Cues for setting
- Arrive early and face the target
- Ball above the forehead window
- Legs and arms extend together
Practice drills
- Moving sets off a coach toss
- Setter footwork from right back
Attacking: Rhythm and reachClip filmed by Skyline Alberta coaches (coming)
Cues for attacking
- Slow first steps, quick last two
- Both arms back, then up
- Hit high and in front
Practice drills
- Approach to a marked take-off line
- Hitting to called zones
Blocking: Footwork and handsClip filmed by Skyline Alberta coaches (coming)
Cues for blocking
- Find the setter, then the hitter
- Shuffle short, crossover long
- Reach over and seal the net
Practice drills
- Shadow blocking along the net
- Coach on a box, live block
Serving: Routine and targetClip filmed by Skyline Alberta coaches (coming)
Cues for serving
- Same routine every time
- Toss in front of the hitting shoulder
- Firm hand, short follow-through
Practice drills
- Zone-call serving game
- Pressure set: five in a row
Defence: Read and digClip filmed by Skyline Alberta coaches (coming)
Cues for defence
- Low and still before the swing
- Platform angled to the middle
- Chase every ball
Practice drills
- Coach-on-box digging
- 3 v 3 read-and-react
Art of Coaching: One cue at a timeClip filmed by Skyline Alberta coaches (coming)
Cues for art of coaching
- Ask what they felt first
- Give one correction, then let them try
- Name the exact thing done well
Practice drills
- Film and review one rep
- Players write their own cue cards
07Safe Sport
Safe Sport, Concussion and Reporting for Alberta Coaches
Volleyball Alberta requires every leader to be screened and Safe Sport trained before working with athletes. Skyline coaches also follow these practices at every practice, tournament and trip.
Rule of Two
- Two screened, trained adults whenever a minor could be in a vulnerable situation
- Group chats with parents included; no private messaging
- No one-on-one rides, meetings or closed doors
- Rooms and curfews supervised on the Dominican Republic tour
Concussion protocol
- Families sign the Pre-Season Concussion Education Sheet in Sportlomo
- Use an approved hitting warm-up: hit in waves, or walk around the post, one ball at a time
- Suspected concussion: out for the day, parents told, medical assessment
- Return only with the Medical Clearance Letter
After an incident
- Complete the incident report that day and send it to hello@skylinevc.ca
- At Volleyball Alberta events, also tell the on-site VA representative
- Keep medical forms and a first aid kit with the team
- Share athlete information only with those who need it
Worried about an athlete? Alberta contacts
- Immediate danger: call 911.
- Possible abuse or neglect: under Alberta law you must report it, even without proof. Phone 1-800-387-5437 (the Alberta Child Abuse Hotline, open 24 hours) or contact police.
- Maltreatment in sport: ALIAS runs the Alberta Safe Sport Complaint Mechanism independently; phone 1-855-603-0483 or use its online form. See Volleyball Alberta Safe Sport. Tell Skyline at hello@skylinevc.ca unless the concern involves club leaders.
- Online exploitation: Cybertip.ca. Athletes who need support: Kids Help Phone, 1-800-668-6868.
Conduct at Volleyball Alberta events
- Food stays in sports bags; no coolers, noisemakers or music on speakers.
- No cameras in the warm-up area; one team-owned camera is allowed at the end of your warm-up space if unstaffed.
- Clear bottles and garbage from the bench after each match: it is the coach’s job, and fines apply.
- Raise conduct concerns with on-site Volleyball Alberta staff; in-match disputes go through the referees.
08Downloads
Printable Coaching Forms, Score Sheets and Guides
Forms for Skyline Alberta coaches, sorted by when you reach for them. Where Volleyball Alberta publishes the official version, we link to it.
Health and safety
Match management
Scoring and officiating
Long-term development
Coach FAQ
Questions Alberta Club Coaches Ask
What does a club coach need in Alberta in 2027?
Everyone on a roster clears the Person in Authority requirements: Volleyball Alberta membership, a Criminal Record Check, Safe Sport Training or Respect in Sport, and the annual Screening Disclosure Form. Head coaches add mandatory education and, from 14U, NCCP status.
When is coach education due?
Making Head Way in Sport, Make Ethical Decisions and Foundations of Volleyball are due March 1, 2027 for 13U–18U head coaches. NCCP status for 14U–18U head coaches is due March 30.
How long must an LOI offer stay open?
At least 48 hours for first offers in the Winter Tryout period, and at least 24 hours for offers made on or after December 2.
Can senior varsity players attend Skyline tryouts?
Yes. Skyline tryouts start November 29, after the School Sports Alberta window that ends November 28.
How many athletes can a team carry?
Between 8 and 15, with at least 8 unique to the age class. Up to 12 can be on the score sheet at 12U–14U and up to 15 at 15U–18U.
When do Premier registrations close?
December 6, 2026 for 14U–18U and December 13, 2026 for 12U and 13U.
What is the 15U libero pilot?
For 2027, 15U teams may use one libero, with six limited substitutions and the Developmental Substitution rules, including at Nationals.
What changed in the Volleyball Canada rules?
A first or second touch off the ceiling over the court is no longer an automatic fault, a one-action double on the second touch is allowed if the ball stays on your side, 18U may use two liberos, and tips and two-hand attacks have clearer standards.
What warm-up must teams use?
The 2–4–4 model, and a hitting warm-up from the Volleyball Alberta concussion protocol so no athlete walks through the receiving side while balls are being hit.
Who do I contact about a Safe Sport concern?
Call 911 in an emergency. For suspected child abuse, phone 1-800-387-5437 (Alberta’s Child Abuse Hotline) or police. For a sport concern, phone 1-855-603-0483 to reach ALIAS, which runs the provincial complaint mechanism, or speak to the Volleyball Alberta representative on site.
How do I join the Skyline coaching staff?
Browse coaching jobs on the careers page, or write to hello@skylinevc.ca. We help new coaches with screening, education and a first-season mentor.
Programs
Volleyball Camps and Programs in Calgary
From drop-in open gyms to summer day camps and position training, there is a Skyline program for every young player.
