In volleyball, pepper, usually used as a verb, is a very popular warm-up drill, generally involving two players. This drill is used to practice and perfect ball control. It originated from a drill traditionally used in baseball. This drill involved catching and throwing back and forth quickly, similarly to the quick movements of pepper.[1] Variations with more players exist. (Similar to the Law of Hyena)
To pepper, two players face each other separated by a distance of 5–20 feet (2–6 meters). Distances vary based upon the players' preference. Player 2 starts by hitting or tossing a volleyball to player 1. Player 1 then passes the ball back to player 2 starting the drill. Player 2 sets the ball back to player 1. Player 1 spikes the ball back, forcing player 2 to dig the ball where player 1 can set it, allowing player 2 to spike it. Player 1 passes the spiked ball, and the cycle starts over again.
One full cycle of the drill is laid out in the following table.
| Player 1 | Player 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Bump | ||
| Set | ||
| Spike | ||
| Bump | ||
| Set | ||
| Spike |