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84 Volleyball Slang Terms & Definitions

October 26, 2023

Volleyball, like many sports, comes with its unique language. To those unfamiliar, volleyball jargon might sound like a foreign dialect. But for the seasoned player or fan, these terms bring clarity to the game's fast-paced action. Let’s dive into 84 volleyball slang terms and their definitions to get you speaking like a pro during your next volleyball game!

1. Ace: A serve that's not returned by the receiving team.

Example: Anna's serve was so powerful that she scored an ace.

2. Antenna: Vertical rods attached to the net, indicating out-of-bounds.

Example: The spike was out because it hit the antenna.

3. Approach: The steps a hitter takes before jumping and attacking the ball.

Example: A good approach helps in delivering a strong spike.

4. Back Row Attack: A hit from behind the 3-meter line by a back-row player.

Example: Their setter surprised us with a back-row attack.

5. Bump: Another term for a forearm pass.

Example: Bumping is one of the first skills taught in volleyball.

6. Block: Stopping the ball at the net, preventing it from coming to your side.

Example: Tim's height makes him great at blocking.

7. Butter: A perfectly set ball.

Example: That set was butter, making it easy to spike.

8. Campfire: Ball dropping with players just watching.

Example: It was embarrassing; everyone stood around the ball like it was a campfire.

9. Carry: Illegally catching and throwing the ball.

Example: The referee called a carry because she held onto the ball too long.

10. Dig: Passing a spiked or rapidly hit ball.

Example: That was an amazing dig considering how hard the ball was spiked.

11. Double: Two contacts on the ball by one player.

Example: Doubles often happen when trying to set a spinning ball.

12. Dump: When the setter sends the ball over on the second touch.

Example: Smart setters often dump the ball when least expected.

13. Facial: Getting hit in the face by a spike.

Example: The spike was so fast she couldn't dodge it and got a facial.

14. Float Serve: A serve that doesn't spin, making it unpredictable.

FLOAT Serve - How to SERVE a Volleyball Tutorial (part 1/3)

Example: Float serves can be tough to receive due to their erratic movement.

15. Free Ball: An easy ball for the opponent to handle.

Example: Since the set wasn't ideal, they had to send over a free ball.

16. House: Dominating the other team.

Example: With that powerful spike, we showed them the house!

17. Joust: Two players pushing the ball over the net at the same time.

Example: The setter and blocker had an intense joust at the net.

18. Kill: Successfully scoring with a spike.

Example: She had 15 kills in last night's game.

19. Libero: A back-row player specializing in defense. Wears a different jersey.

Example: Our libero saved so many points with her digs.

20. Line Shot: An attack that goes down the sideline.

Example: Their blocker was expecting a cross-court shot, but she did a line shot.

21. Middles: Players who play in the center of the court.

Example: Middles are often great blockers.

22. Off-speed: A slower hit to confuse the defense.

Example: After several powerful spikes, he scored with an off-speed shot.

23. Outside: Players who play on the left front position.

Example: Outsides often get a lot of sets and are primary attackers.

24. Pancake: A defensive move where the hand is flat on the ground, and the ball bounces off it.

Example: It looked like the ball was going to drop, but she saved it with a pancake.

25. Pass: The first touch after a serve, using the forearms.

Example: A good pass is essential for setting up an attack.

26. Quick: A fast set and hit.

Example: The middle hitter and the setter executed a perfect quick.

27. Rally: A series of plays where the ball is kept in play.

Example: That was an exciting rally, with both teams refusing to give up the point.

28. Red Card: A severe penalty resulting in a point and serve for the opponent.

Example: The player argued with the ref and got a red card.

29. Rotation: Players move positions after winning a point while serving.

Example: After serving the ace, we had to rotate.

Volleyball ROTATION BASICS Explained! - How Volleyball Rotations Work

30. Serve: The action that starts a rally.

Example: It's crucial to have a consistent serve in volleyball.

31. Setter: The player who delivers the ball for attackers.

Example: A good setter can control and dictate the pace of the game.

32. Shank: A misdirected pass, usually going sideways.

Example: The serve was so fast that the receiver shanked it.

33. Side Out: Winning a point when the other team served.

Example: We needed a side out, and we got it with that kill.

34. Spike: A forceful hit of the ball to the opponent's floor.

Example: The crowd cheered after that massive spike.

How to Spike a Volleyball (Best Tutorial For Begginers)

35. Stuff: A block that sends the ball straight down on the attacker's side.

Example: Our middle blocker just stuffed their best hitter!

36. Tip: Use the fingers to push the ball just over the blockers.

Example: Seeing the blockers jump early, she tipped the ball over them.

37. Tool: Using the block to your advantage by hitting the ball off it and out of bounds.

Example: He tooled the blockers by hitting the ball off their outside hand.

38. Underhand Serve: Serving by striking the ball below the waist.

Example: Beginners often start with an underhand serve.

4 Steps to Master the Underhand Serve | How to Serve a Volleyball for Beginners

39. Weak Side: The right side of the court for right-handed hitters.

Example: He's a lefty, so he plays on the weak side.

40. Whip: A fast arm movement during a spike.

Example: That whip-like arm action resulted in a powerful spike.

41. Yellow Card: A warning given by the referee.

Example: After delaying the game, the player received a yellow card.

42. Zone Serve: Serving the ball to a specific court area.

Example: She targeted the weak receiver with a zone serve.

43. 10-foot line: A line 10 feet from the net, which back-row players must stay behind when attacking.

Example: The back-row attacker took off from behind the 10-foot line to stay legal.

44. 6-2 Rotation: A lineup with 6 hitters and 2 setters.

Example: We're running a 6-2 because we have so many strong hitters.

45. 5-1 Rotation: A lineup with 5 hitters and 1 setter.

Example: With our strong setter, we can run a 5-1 rotation.

How to Run a 5-1 Volleyball Rotation (slowed down and explained)

46. Beach Dig: Using an open hand to dig the ball. Legal in beach volleyball.

Example: The beach dig can be more precise than a bump.

47. Bic: A fast-paced hit from the back row.

Example: The setter and back-row hitter executed a perfect bic.

48. Closed Block: Blockers join hands or close the space between them to stop the ball.

Example: Their closed block left no gaps for our hitters.

49. Cross-Court Shot: A hit diagonally from one end to another.

Example: She hit a sharp cross-court shot that was impossible to dig.

50. Cut Shot: A type of spike hit at a sharp angle.

Example: The defender expected a line shot, but she delivered a cut shot.

(To maintain readability and the desired word count, I'll list the remaining 50 terms with shorter definitions and examples)

51. Deep Dish: A prolonged contact, typically a high set in beach volleyball.

Example: He set a deep dish for his partner to spike.

52. Dive: Jumping or lunging to save a ball.

How to DIVE for a Volleyball - Volleyball Defense Tutorial

Example: That dive saved a crucial point for us.

53. Double Quick: Two players doing quick hits simultaneously.

Example: Their double quick confused our blockers.

54. Five-One: A rotation with one setter and five attackers.

Example: We're playing a five-one, focusing on our primary setter.

55. Four-Two: A lineup with four hitters and two setters.

Example: The four-two system provides a balanced attack.

How to Run a 4-2 in Volleyball [Serving Rotations]

56. Go Ball: A fastball set to the outside hitter.

Example: The go-ball caught the defense off-guard.

57. Hit: Sending the ball over the net with force.

Example: That was a powerful hit, scoring us the point.

58. Hitter: A player tasked with attacking or "hitting" the ball.

Example: Our main hitter is great at finding gaps in the defense.

59. Hubby-Wife Play: In beach volleyball, when a serve drops between two partners, neither goes for it.

Example: They lost the point due to a hubby-wife play.

60. J-Pass: A high forearm pass.

Example: The serve was too powerful for a normal bump, so she used a J-pass.

61. Karch Kiraly: Named after the legendary player, a move where a player passes and then spikes.

Example: She pulled a Karch Kiraly, passing and then spiking the ball herself.

62. Let Serve: A serve that grazes the net but still lands in the opponent's court.

Example: That let serve caught everyone by surprise.

63. Middle Back: A defensive player positioned in the back-middle of the court.

Example: The middle back is crucial for defending against back-row attacks.

Volleyball Middle Back Defense HEAT MAP

64. Net Violation: Touching the net during play.

Example: We would have scored, but our hitter had a net violation.

65. Off the Net: A call to tell the setter to set the ball a little away from the net.

Example: The pass was too tight, so the call was "off the net."

66. Pipe: A back-row attack from the middle of the court.

Example: Their setter surprised us with a pipe set.

67. Power Tip: Pushing the ball with force using fingertips.

Example: When the blockers jumped early, she used a power tip.

68. Quick: A fast set to the middle hitter.

Example: Their quick sets are hard to block.

Volleyball Attack Names - The "1" or "Quick"

69. Roll Shot: An attack where the ball is hit with a topspin, causing it to drop quickly.

Example: The roll shot dropped just behind their blockers.

70. Seam: The gap between two blockers or defenders.

Example: The hitter aimed for the seam, finding a gap in the block.

71. Short Serve: A serve that lands close to the net.

Example: The short serve disrupted their usual formation.

Volleyball Serving | Why the Short Serve Could be Your SECRET Weapon!

72. Slide: A play where the middle attacker takes a lateral approach, hitting the ball behind the setter.

Example: Their middle executed a perfect slide, scoring a point.

73. Split: The gap between blockers.

Example: The hitter aimed for the split and scored easily.

74. Strong Side: The left side of the court for right-handed players.

Example: Our strong side attacker is excellent at hitting line shots.

75. Swing Block: A blocking technique where the player swings their arms to jump higher.

Example: The swing block managed to stop their best hitter.

QUICK VOLLEYBALL TUTORIAL : How to Swing Block (Footwork)

76. Transition: Moving from playing defense to setting up an attack.

Example: Good teams are excellent at the transition, quickly shifting from defense to offense.

77. Triple Block: Using three players to block an attacker.

Example: We used a triple block to stop their main hitter.

78. Twist: A serve or spike with a sidespin.

Example: His twist serve always confuses the receivers.

79. Underhand Pass: Passing the ball using the forearms.

Example: The underhand pass is a fundamental volleyball skill.

80. Volley: Keeping the ball in play by passing it back and forth.

Example: The volley went on for minutes, with both teams refusing to give up.

81. Weak Side: The right side of the court for right-handed players.

Example: Our weak side hitter is great at cross-court shots.

82. Wipe: Hitting the ball off the blockers' hands out of bounds.

Example: When faced with a tall block, she tried to wipe it off the block.

83. X-Play: A play involving two hitters crossing paths before attacking.

Example: Their X-play was perfectly timed, confusing our blockers.

84. Yellow Card: A warning given to a player or coach.

Example: After disputing a call, the coach received

VOLLEYBALL TERMS no one's going to tell you || will make you sound like a pro

Volleyball, with its rich lexicon, is more than just a sport – it's a language in itself. Whether you're a novice or a seasoned pro, understanding these terms will enhance your appreciation for the game. So, the next time you're in a match or watching one, impress your peers with your newly acquired volleyball vocabulary!

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