HISTORY OF VOLLEYBALL CENTER LINE – The boundary that runs directly under the

net and divides the court into two equal halves.

1916 - na introduce ang setting and spiking sa Pilipinas
DIG – Passing a spiked or rapidly hit ball. Slang for the part of
FiVB - APRIL 14, 1947 (Paris France)
passing an attacked ball close to the floor.
Elwood Brown - nag-introduce sa Pilipinas ng Volleyball
DINK – A legal push of the ball around or over blockers.
Albert Halstead - a professor at Springfield College,
DOUBLE BLOCK – Two players working in unison to deflect
suggested a two-word version of its present name. "Volley
an attacked ball at the net back to the hitter’s side.
Ball". And it stuck.
DOUBLE HIT ‐ Successive hits or contacts by the same
Mintonette - Volleyball ball originally called (William
player. (Illegal)
Morgan)
FIVE‐ONE – A 6‐player offensive system that uses five hitters
Types of Blocks
and one setter.
1. Double block
FLOATER – A serve which does not spin or rotate and
2. Single block
therefore moves in an erratic path. This is similar to a “knuckle
3. Triple block
ball” pitch in baseball.
Kinds of Serve
FOREARM PASS – Join your arms from the elbows to the
1. Underhand Serve
wrists and strike the ball with the fleshy part of your forearms
2. Overhand Serve
in an underhand motion.
Ball
FOUL/ FAULT – A violation of the rules.
22.59”-26.34” (65 - 67 cm) - circumference
FOUR‐TWO – A 6‐player offensive system using four hitters
260 - 280 grams - weight ng bola
and two setters.
FREE BALL – A ball that will be returned by a pass rather
VOLLEYBALL TERMS AND DEFINITIONS
than a spike. This is usually called aloud by the defense
instructing players to move into serve receive positions.
ACE – A serve that your opponent cannot pass; this results
HELD BALL – A ball that comes to rest during contact
immediately in a point.
resulting in a foul.
ANTENNA ‐ The vertical rods (normally white and red)
HIT – An attack by an offensive player in attempt to make the
attached at the edges of the net 30 feet apart. The antennas are
ball hit the floor on their opponent’s side. Also called a spike.
attached directly above the sidelines and are not‐in‐play.
HITTER – Also “spiker” or “attacker”
APPROACH – The offensive player’s (spiker) quick footwork
HITTING PERCENTAGE ‐ kills vs. attempts
toward the net before he jumps in the air to spike the ball.
JUNGLE BALL ‐ Any volleyball game with people who don’t
ASSIST – Passing or setting the ball to an offensive teammate
really know how to play volleyball. A common euphemism for
who attacks the ball for a kill. This stat is normally only logged
this type of game is “Picnic Volleyball.” (p.s. There is nothing
for high school, college, and National/Olympic team play.
wrong with this kind of play, however, it is not regulation! )
ATTACK – The offensive action of hitting the ball. A players
JUMP SERVE – A serve that is started by the server tossing
attempt to kill the ball so that it results in a point for their team.
the ball into the air and jumping into and hitting the ball in its
ATTACK ERROR – An unsuccessful attack which does one
downward motion.
of the following:
JOUST – When 2 opposing players are simultaneously
1) the ball lands out of bounds,
attempting to play a ball above the net.
2) the ball goes into the net and ends play or goes into the net on
KEY – To predict a team’s next play by observation of patterns
the third hit,
or habits.
3) the ball is blocked by the opposition for a point or sideout,
KILL ‐ An attack that results in an immediate point or side out.
4) the attacker is called for a center line violation, or
LIBERO – A defensive player who cannot serve, and never
5) the attacker is called for illegal contact (lift, double hit…) on
plays in the front row. This player has unique rules associated
the attack.
with the position; they can substitute for any player. Also
ATTACKER – Also “hitter” or “spiker.” A player who
referred to as the Defensive Specialist.
attempts to hit a ball offensively with the purpose of ending play
LINE – The marks that serve as boundaries of a court. If a ball
in his or her team’s favor and gaining a point or sideout.
hits the line, it is considered playable or “in.”
ATTACK LINE – A line 10 ft. from the net that separates the
LINE SHOT ‐ A ball spiked down an opponent’s sideline,
front row players from the back row players. Commonly
closest to the hitter and outside the block.
referred to as the “10‐foot line.”
MIDDLE‐BACK – A defensive system that uses the middle
BACKCOURT – The area from the endline to the attack line.
back player to cover deep
BACK SET – A set delivered behind the setter’s back, which is
MIDDLE‐UP – A defensive system that uses the middle back
subsequently hit by an attacker.
player to cover dinks or short shots.
BACK ROW ATTACK – When a back row player attacks the
MINTONETTE – The original name of the game of
ball by jumping from behind the 10 ft. line before hitting the
volleyball, created by William Morgan.
ball. If the back row player steps on or past the 10 ft. line during
OFFSIDE BLOCK – Player at the net, which is on the side
take‐off, the attack is illegal.
away from the opponent’s attack.
BEACH DIG – An open hand receives of the ball, also called a
OFF‐SPEED HIT – Any ball spiked with less than maximum
“Deep Dish.”
force but with spin.
BLOCK – A defensive play by one or more front row players
OUTSIDE HITTER – a left‐front or right‐front attacker
meant to deflect a spiked ball back to the hitter’s court. It may
normally taking an approach which starts from outside the
be a combination of one, two or three players jumping in front
court
of the opposing hitter and contacting the spiked ball with open
OVERHAND PASS – A pass executed with both hands open,
hands.
controlled by the fingers and thumbs, played just above the
BUMP – a common term for forearm passing.
forehead.
BALL HANDLING ERROR – Any time the official calls a
OVERHAND SERVE – Serving the ball and striking it
fault‐ a double hit, a thrown ball or a lift (except on a serve
with the hand above the shoulder.
reception or attack).
OVERLAP – refers to the positions of the players in the
BUMP PASS – The use of joined forearms to pass or set a ball
rotation prior to the contact of the ball when serving.
in an underhand manner.
PANCAKE – A one‐handed defensive technique where the SPIKE – Also hit or attack. A ball contacted with force
hand is extended and the palm is slid along the floor as the by a player on the offensive
player dives or extension rolls, and timed so that the ball team who intends to terminate the ball on the opponent’s floor
bounces off the back of the hand. or off the opponent’s blocker.
PASS – see “Forearm Pass” STRONG SIDE ‐ When a right‐handed hitter is hitting from
POINT OF SERVICE – A serve those results in a point (an the left‐front position or when a left‐handed hitter is hitting
ace by NCAA standards) as the serve is not returnable due to a from the right‐front position.
bad pass by the receiver, this number includes aces. STUFF – A ball that is deflected back to the attacking team’s
POWER ALLEY – A cross‐court hit traveling away from the floor by the opponent’s blockers. Another word for block.
spiker to the farthest point of the court. TURNING IN – the act of an outside blocker turning his/her
POWER TIP – A ball that is pushed or directed with force by body into the court so as to ensure the blocked ball is deflected
an attacking team. into the court and lands in‐bounds.
POWER VOLLEYBALL – A competitive style of volleyball UNDERHAND SERVE – a serve in which the ball is given a
started by the Japanese. slight under‐hand toss from about waist high and then struck
QUICK – a player approaching the setter for a quick inside hit with the opposite closed fist in an “underhand pitching” motion.
QUICK SET – a set (usually 2’ above the net) in which the WEAK SIDE – When a right‐handed player is hitting from
hitter is approaching the setter, and may even be in the air, right‐front position or when a left‐handed player is hitting from
before the setter delivers the ball. This type of set requires the left‐front position.
precise timing between the setter and hitter. WIPE – when a hitter pushes the ball off of the opposing block
READY POSITION – The flexed, yet comfortable, posture a so it lands out of bounds.
player assumes before moving to contact the ball. YELLOW CARD – a warning from an official indicated by
RECEPTION ERROR – A serve that a player should have the display of a yellow card. Any player or coach who receives
been able to return, but results in an ace (and only in the case of two yellow cards in a match is disqualified. A single yellow
an ace). If it is a “husband/wife” play (where the ball splits the card does not result in loss of point or serve.
two receivers), the receiving team is given the reception error
instead of an individual.
RED CARD – a severe penalty in which an official displays a
red card. The result of a red card may be a player is disqualified,
the team loses the serve, or the team loses a point. A red card
may be given with or without a prior yellow card as a warning;
it is up to the official’s discretion.
ROLL ‐ a certain way to pass a ball in which the digger, or
passer lays out an arm, passes the ball, and rolls over the
shoulder (over the shoulder roll) or back (barrel roll) after
passing the ball. This is a quick way to return to action after the
play.
ROOF ‐ A ball that when spiked is blocked by a defensive
player such that the ball deflects straight to the floor on the
attacker’s side.
ROTATION ‐ The clockwise movement of players around the
court and through the serving position following a side out.
SERVE – One of the six basic skills; used to put the ball into
play. It is the only skill controlled exclusively by one player.
SERVER – The player who puts the ball into play.
SERVICE ERROR ‐ An unsuccessful serve in which one or
more of the following occurs:
1) the ball hits the net or fails to clear the net,
2) the ball lands out of bounds, or
3) the server commits a foot fault.
SERVICE WINNER – A point the serving team scores when
this player has served the ball. The point can be an immediate
(in the case of an ace) or delayed (a kill or opponent attack error
after a long rally). Therefore, the sum of the team’s service
winners equals their score.
SET – The tactical skill in which a ball is directed to a point
where a player can spike it into the opponent’s court.
SETTER – the player who has the 2nd of 3 contacts of the ball
who “sets” the ball with an “Overhand Pass” for a teammate to
hit. The setter normally runs the offense.
SIDE OUT – Occurs when the receiving team successfully puts
the ball away against the serving team, or when the serving team
commits an unforced error, and the receiving team thus gains
the right to serve.
SIX PACK – Occurs when a blocker gets hit in the head or face
by a spiked ball.
SIX‐TWO – A 6‐player offense using 2 setters opposite one
another in the rotation. Setter 1 becomes a hitter upon rotating
into the front row as setter 2 rotates into the back row and
becomes the setter.