55 Volleyball Terms And Phrases We Use On VolleyGuide

ByUrban Toman

Volleyball is a sport that has a rich and diverse vocabulary, reflecting its global popularity and cultural diversity. Countries and regions may use different terms, phrases, or jargon to describe the same actions, positions, or game rules. For example, a back-row middle attack in English may be called a pipe in French, a BIC in Italian, or a china in Spanish. These variations in terminology may reflect the history, geography, or style of play of different volleyball communities.

I will go through some of the most common volleyball phrases that I will commonly use on the VolleyGuide website. By doing so, I hope to make explanations clearer.

Basic Volleyball Terms

  1. Ace: A serve that the opponent fails to return, awarding the server’s team a point.
  2. Antenna: Vertical poles attached to the net’s edges, defining the court’s lateral boundaries. The ball must pass between these antennas during play.
  3. Approach: The quick steps a hitter takes toward the net before leaping to strike the ball.
  4. Assist: A pass or set that leads directly to a teammate scoring a point through a kill.
  5. Attack: Aggressively hitting the ball over the net into the opponent’s court.
  6. Block: A defensive move where players jump by the net with arms raised to stop or redirect the opponent’s attack.
  7. Dig: A defensive maneuver where a player uses their forearms or hands to control a strongly hit ball.
  8. Hitter: Also known as a spiker or attacker, this player specializes in striking the ball over the net.
  9. Kill: An attack that successfully results in a point.
  10. Libero: A defensive expert distinguished by a different jersey color who can replace any back-row player but cannot serve, block, or attack the ball above net height.
  11. Middle Blocker: A player positioned at the front row’s center, focusing on blocks and quick offensive plays.
  12. Outside Hitter: A consistent attacker positioned on the front row’s left side.
  13. Opposite Hitter: A strong attacker playing on the front row’s right side.
  14. Rally: The sequence of plays from the serve until the ball goes out of play.
  15. Rotation: The team’s clockwise movement around the court after scoring a point on the opponent’s serve.
  16. Serve: The action that starts play, where the server hits the ball over the net to the opposing team.
  17. Set: A high pass designed to position the ball for a hitter’s attack.
  18. Setter: A player who orchestrates the offense by setting the ball for hitters.
  19. Side Out: This occurs when the serving team loses the rally and surrenders the serve to the opponents.
  20. Touch: Any contact with the ball by a player’s body.
  21. Free Ball: A ball sent over by the opponents without an aggressive attack, typically via an underhand or overhead pass.
  22. Double Hit: An infraction where a player contacts the ball twice consecutively, or the ball hits different body parts in succession.
  23. Lift: A fault where a player momentarily holds or throws the ball instead of striking it cleanly.
  24. Net Violation: An infraction occurs when a player touches the net or net cables while the ball is in play.
  25. Foot Fault: A fault where a player steps on or crosses the end line or sideline before or during their serve.
  26. Carry: A fault where players momentarily support the ball with their fingers or palms during a set or pass.
  27. Match Point: The critical point where a team needs only one more score to win the match.

Volleyball Attack names:

  1. Spike: A powerful, downward-directed overhand attack aimed at the opponent’s court.
  2. Tip: A gentle attack placed over or around the blockers, typically executed with the fingertips.
  3. Roll Shot: A medium-speed attack lobbed over the blockers, usually performed with the palm.
  4. Cut Shot: A diagonal attack targeting the corners of the court, often executed with the wrist.
  5. Cross-Court Shot: An attack hit from one side of the court diagonally to the opposite side, typically at a sharp angle.
  6. Line Shot: An attack directed along the court’s sideline, generally parallel to the net.
  7. Pipe: A back-row attack executed from the court’s center by the outside hitter.
  8. Slide: A rapid attack by the middle blocker who runs behind the setter and jumps off one foot.
  9. Quick: A swift attack by the middle blocker who jumps in front of the setter and contacts the ball at a high point.
  10. K1 (First Tempo): A quick attack near the setter at the front. It’s the most fundamental form of quick attack.
  11. KC (Push): A quick attack slightly farther from the setter than the standard K1 tempo.
  12. K7 (Shoot): A quick attack that travels 3-4 meters (approximately 10-13 feet) away from the setter.
  13. Go: A fast-paced set to the outside hitter on the left side of the court, timed so the attacker is on the second step of their approach as the setter sets the ball.
  14. Hut: A higher, slower set to the outside hitter on the left side of the court, timed for when the attacker is on the first step of their approach.
  15. Red: A fast-paced set to the opposite hitter on the right side of the court, also timed for the second step of the attacker’s approach.
  16. 5: A high set to the opposite hitter on the right side of the court, timed for the first step of the attacker’s approach.

Volleyball Serve Names:

  1. Underhand Serve: A beginner-friendly serve where the ball is struck with the palm from below hip level.
  2. Overhand Serve: A serve executed by hitting the ball with the palm above the shoulder, commonly used by intermediate or advanced players.
  3. Float Serve: A serve without spin that moves erratically in the air, making it difficult for opponents to predict and pass.
  4. Topspin Serve: A serve hit with significant spin, causing it to drop sharply after crossing the net, challenging the opponent’s passing ability.
  5. Jump Serve: A powerful and fast serve performed by jumping and hitting the ball, typically with a float or topspin.
  6. Jump Float Serve: A deceptive serve where the player jumps and hits the ball with a no-spin motion, making it harder for opponents to anticipate its path.
  7. Jump Topspin Serve: An aggressive serve where the player jumps and imparts topspin on the ball, increasing its speed and difficulty to defend against.
  8. Short Serve: A serve that lands just over the net in the front zone of the court. It’s designed to catch the defense and disrupt their offensive setup.
  9. Gap Serve: A serve aimed between two passers, exploiting the gap in the reception formation. It can cause confusion and hesitation among the receiving team.
  10. Deep Serve: A serve that targets the front of the court, forcing the passers to move back quickly and potentially leading to an out-of-system play.
  11. Slice Serve: A serve that is sliced or hit with a glancing blow to curve away from the passer.
  12. Hybrid Serve: A serve that combines elements of both float and topspin serves. The server starts with a toss as if to hit a topspin serve but contacts the ball like a float serve, making it difficult for the receivers to read.

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