Volleyball Terms
Every sport has its own lingo, and knowing your volleyball terms will help you understand and play a better game. Here are the most popular volleyball terms and what they mean:
Ace: a service where the player serves so effectively that no player on the receiving team can touch it.
Attack: an offensive play where one team smacks the ball to the floor on the opposing team?s side in an attempt to end the rally.
Block: a defensive play that attempts to deflect a spike back to the hitter?s side of the court.
Campfire: when the ball falls to the floor while surrounded by two or more players.
Dig: a basic defensive play used to receive an attack and save a spike.
Dink: when a player legally pushes the volleyball around or over blockers.
Double Contact: fault when more than two body parts touch the ball at the same time.
Double Hit: an illegal play when one player hits or contacts more than once.
Dump: a surprise attack intended to catch the defense unawares.
Free Ball: when the opposing team passes the ball over the net after an impossible attack. Hit: the same as an attack or spike.
Joust: when two opposing players play the ball as it is falling directly on top of the net.
Kill: an attack that the receiving team cannot return, resulting in a point or a side out.
Mishit: when a player attempts contact with the ball but it is not as intended.
Pass: two-handed contact where the player raised the ball over their head; used in defense, on a serve receive or setting.
Pepper: a volleyball drill where players pass the ball back and forth without a net.
Rally: the time after the serve when the ball is in play; ends with a point or side out.
Roof: a blocked spike that goes straight to the floor on the attacker?s side of the court.
Rotation: after a side out, when the team moves clockwise around the court to cycle through the serving position.
Seam: when serving, it?s the spot in between passers; when attacking, it?s the spot between blockers.
Serve: the hit used to put the volleyball into play; also called service.
Set: a pass over the head that the passer directs at an attacker.
Shot: offensive play where a set ball is sent to an open area of the court instead of being spiked hard.
Side Out: when the serving team messes up, loses the rally and the receiving team gains possession of the ball team for the next serve.
Six Pack: when a blocked spike hits the blocking player in the head or face.
Spike: a powerful volleyball shot where the player jumps and slams the ball with great force, using one hand; also called a hit or attack.
Strong Side: the left side of the volleyball court.
Stuff: when the receiving team?s blocker deflects the ball back to the floor on the attacking team?s side. This is one of certain slang volleyball terms, and it is also called a block.
Tip: shot that an attacker directs at the holes on the defensive side; also called a dump or a dink.
Weak Side: the right side of the volleyball court; also called the opposite side.