Volleyball has so many unique terms, statistics, and abbreviations, you can easily get lost in all the vocabulary. Many of the expressions used have multiple meanings and some may be regional meanings or variations in a particular geographic area.
The following is an alphabetical list of volleyball terminology and acronyms. The numerical terms are listed at the end. I’ve also included many of the acronyms for different leagues and national volleyball associations that may be helpful and included some of their links.
AAU – Amateur Athletic Union. This is an American organization that works to create uniformity and standards in all sports at the amateur level. It is supported by over 150,000 volunteers and over 700,000 participants.
ABVT – Australian Beach Volleyball Tour
Ace – This is listed in the statistics sheets as “SA” – Service Ace. An ace is an in-bound serve that is unreturnable, whether it hits the floor or it’s attempted to be played, but is only touched once and the result of that contact is unplayable. In other words, if the opponent attempts to play the ball and hits it so badly it’s out of play, that’s also an ace.
AE – Attack Error – This is the same as a “Hitting Error” listed below, when the attacker makes an error that automatically loses the rally, hitting into the net or out of bounds.
AES – Advanced Event Systems. This is a resource for club sports that organizes information on tournaments, events, scores, schedules, and rankings. Their app is very useful for tracking your team because it can be updated live throughout tournaments for participants to keep track of their next games and scoring results for all the teams.
Angle – Angle refers to attacking the ball at an angle that goes across the net toward the far sideline. Hitters faced with a block usually have the choice to try to hit down the sideline or on an angle. This can also be called cross-court.
Antenna – The antennae are the skinny poles on each side of the net that rise up above the boundary line. This is to help signify if the ball is out of bounds as it’s crossing the net.
Approach – This is the term that describes the hitter’s step progression leading up to their attack. Players are taught to step left-right-left, and then swing their arms upward, jump with both feet and then strike with their hit.
Arm Sleeves – Protective gear that reduces the impact on the player’s forearms. Learn about the difference between arm sleeves and elbow pads by clicking here.
A – Assist – An assist is a statistic that is tracked in volleyball. It occurs whenever a player passes, digs, or sets the ball to a teammate which is followed by a kill by that teammate.
Assist Attempts – This would be the total of all assists, assist errors and assist zeros.
Assist Errors – This is a set that ends in a loss of point due to a ball-handling error.
Assist Percentage – This can be calculated by subtracting the assist errors from the assists and then dividing by the total assist attempts. So Assists – Assist Errors / Assist Attempts = Assist Percentage.
Assist Zero – This is an assist that results in a zero attack (see “0” attack at the bottom of the list) or in an attack error.
ATK – Attack – The attack hit is usually the third contact for your team. The attacker tries to contact the ball as high as possible, jumping into the air when possible. Using an overhand swing, the attacker hits or spikes the ball to try to end the rally with a point for their team. This term is interchangeable with “hit” or “spike.”
Attack Line – The attack line is also called the 3-meter line or the 10-foot line. This line is 3 meters (or 10 feet) from the centerline and demarks the boundary of the front zone. Only players from the front row positions of the rotation may hit an offensive attack in the air, in this zone inside the attack line. Learn more about the attack line here.
AVA – Alaska Volleyball Association
AVC – Asian Volleyball Confederation
AVCA – American Volleyball Coaches Association
AVP – Association of Volleyball Professionals. This is the American professional beach volleyball league.
Base – This is also called “base defense”. This is the positioning that your coach wants your team to have once the play has developed. Your rotation position is where you start the play, but once the ball has been sent to the other side, you can get to your base to be ready for the next play.
Block – This is a defensive move to stop an attack above the net. The defensive player jumps up, raising both open hands above the net and reaching out toward the ball, to try to contact it on the opponent’s side to keep it from crossing the net. This is a tracked statistic. Learn all about blocking here.
BA – Block Assists – This is a tracked statistic in volleyball. Whenever multiple defensive players work together to block an opponent’s attack and that block results immediately in a point, each of the players gets a block assist. Even if only one player touched the ball, each of those working together is given a block assist because it was a double or triple block.
Back Set – This is a set that is made to a player behind the setter in the right, front position. The setter actually sets the ball behind herself. This is an advanced and challenging move because they are blind to the attacker during most of their approach. Learn all about back setting here.
Barrel Roll – This is a move usually following a dive that brings your momentum to the side. You roll on your side to be able to get back to your feet quickly and to get out of the way for your team to be able to play the ball.
BE – Blocking Error – A blocking error is assigned to a player whenever they are called for a violation while trying to execute a block. This can be for a net violation, reaching across and interfering with the opponent being able to make a play on the ball, lifting or carrying the ball, or crossing the centerline. This is NOT awarded for simply failing to stop the attack.
BHE – Ball Handling Error – There are many errors and this is the category that catches the errors that don’t fit into the other categories. If you are called for a ball-handling violation (double hit, lift, carry, or thrown ball) and it was NOT during receiving the serve, a kill, or a block, then it’s a BHE.
Box Score – In volleyball, the box score is a format that is used to summarize all the main statistical information that happened in a game. It’s more than just the points for each team in each set. The players’ names are listed down the left-hand column of the box and then there are columns that list attacking stats, setting stats, serving stats, and defensive stats. It’s an effective way to communicate the overall results of both teams in a very compact way.
Bracket – This is the structure used to line teams up in tournaments. Most volleyball tournaments use a double loss system, so your team is not eliminated until they have lost 2 games. If this is the case you will have a Championship Bracket and what is usually called a Contender’s Bracket. Larger tournaments may have more brackets as needed.
BS – Solo Block – A block by a single player. It’s listed this way in the statistics because the idea is BS = Blocks (Solo).
Bump – This is the underhand pass that is one of the most basic skills in volleyball. The player keeps their hands joined together and forms a platform with their arms that they use to “bump” the ball back up into the air. It is more commonly called a pass.
Bump Set – This is a set using your platform pass. This is often the best option for liberos if they have to set from the front zone.
BVAW – Beach Volleyball Around the World
Call The Ball – This is a common expression in volleyball. It means that you are supposed to shout loudly something to indicate that you are going to play the ball so that your teammates know you have it. Typically players call, “MINE” or “GOT IT.”
Carry – This is a violation in the way that the ball is struck. You are allowed a “momentary” contact with the ball on any part of your body, not a catch and throw. If you use an open hand to contact the ball and your palm is facing upward, you may get called for a lift or carry.
CBV – California Beach Volleyball
Centerline – The line that divides the two halves of the court. This line runs under the net.
CEV – Confederation Européenne de Volleyball
Cross-court – Cross-court refers to attacking the ball at an angle that goes across the net toward the far sideline. Hitters faced with a block usually have the choice to try to hit down the sideline or a cross-court. This can also be called hitting “angle”.
Collapse – The act of collapsing your body by bending your knees and folding your elbows to get under the ball and pop it up. This is instead of a dive, if you’re already where the ball is coming, you just need to get down under it.
Cover – Cover is when a player gets to a ball after it has been sent back by a block. So if your team attacks the ball and the other team blocks it, the player who passes it to keep it in play is said to have “covered.”
CVC – Continental Volleyball Conference – an intercollegiate men’s volleyball conference associated with the NCAA’s Division III.
CVL – Chinese Volleyball League – also called the Chinese Volleyball Super League.
Cut Shot – This is an attack where the hitter intentionally hits their spike at a very sharp angle to aim at the floor, within 3 or 4 feet from the net. To aid in the angle outside hitters will twist their pinky down as they follow through, opposite hitters will twist their thumb down.
DE – Dig Error – A dig error is assigned to a player that should have gotten a dig, but didn’t OR a player who made a dig that was unplayable because it was out of control.
Deep – The back row area of the court is “deep.” To hit the ball deep is to send it to the back row.
DG – Dig – This statistic is credited to the defensive player who makes a playable pass after the opposition executes a hard-driven attack on the ball. Learn all about digs here.
Dive – This is the action of getting to the floor in an effort to play the ball. There are many different types of dives.
Dolphin Dive – A dive where your arms are landing on the ground first while your legs kick up. Your body should look like you’re going head over heels.
DB – Double Block – This is a defensive move where two players work together and combine to form a larger block to try to stop the opponent’s attack.
Double Double – When a player has earned double-digit stats in two of the positive stats categories.
Double-elimination – This is a system that’s commonly used in volleyball tournaments. In a double-elimination tournament, your team must lose twice to be knocked out of the tournament. There will be a championship bracket and then the teams that lose are sent to a contender’s bracket.
Double Fault – This can be called by the referee when a player from each team causes a fault simultaneously. The result is a replay of the rally.
Down Ball – A down ball is when an attacker swings and makes an attack on the ball from a standing position instead of jumping. The player stays down and typically the blockers will stay down as well.
Down Ref – The down ref is the second referee. The 1st referee is up above in a chair or stand. The second referee is standing “down” on the court. Learn all about the referees in volleyball here.
DS – Defensive Specialist – This is a position on the team. The defensive specialist is a player who specializes in passing and digging the volleyball as it is served and attacked by the other team.
To learn all about the defensive specialist position, check out our article called Defensive Specialists In Volleyball.
Dump – Also often called the “setter’s dump,” this is when the setter chooses to make the attack on the second contact instead of setting one of their teammates for a kill. This can be performed with two hands but is more often done with one. The setter may do this while standing or jumping.
Elbow Pads – Protective gear to reduce the impact on the player’s elbows when diving. Learn all about the difference between arm sleeves and elbow pads in this post.
End Line – This is the boundary line at the short ends of the court. The server stands just outside the end line to serve.
E – Errors – There are several different types of errors that are tracked in volleyball statistics. These include attack errors, block errors, dig errors, kill errors, service errors, and reception errors.
EVA – English Volleyball Association
FIVB – Federation Internationale de Volleyball. This is the top international governing body of volleyball.
Floater – This is a type of overhand serve. With this serve, the goal is to have no spin on the ball and try to make it “float” in a way that makes it unpredictable and hard to judge for the defense. Learn all about the different serves in volleyball here.
Free Ball – This is when the ball is sent over the net in a non-offensive way. Usually, this is by accident, or when a team has made a mistake running their offense. This allows the receiving team a “free” chance to get an easy play and turn it into a very tough attack. To learn more about freeballs, check out this post.
Foot Fault – When the server steps on or over the line before finishing the contact with the ball.
Front Zone – This is the area of the court between the attack line and the centerline. The front zone is meant for attacking with the players in the front row rotation positions.
G – Game – In volleyball games are also called sets. Games go to 25 points unless it is for a tie-breaking game, then they go to 15. All games are played with a “win-by-2” rule, meaning you have to be leading by 2 points for the game to finish. A match against another team is played to either the best of 3 or best of 5 sets.
HE – Hitting Error – this is the same as “Attack Error”, when the hitter makes an error that automatically loses the rally, hitting into the net or out of bounds.
Hit – The hit is usually the third contact for your team. The hitter tries to contact the ball as high as possible, jumping into the air when possible. Using an overhand swing, the hitter attacks or spikes the ball to try to end the rally with a point for their team. This term is interchangeable with “attack” or “spike.”
Hitter – This is a player that attacks the ball in an offensive way, usually on the third contact.
Hitter’s Box – This is a tool used during practice. There are different variations of a hitter’s box, but they create a platform for a hitter to stand on and be able to reach the top of the net or above without jumping over and over. This is very helpful for coaches and hitters when practicing hitting and digging drills.
Hitting Percentage – This is a column (PCT) on the box score stats sheet in volleyball. The attack percentage is calculated by taking your kills, subtracting your errors, then dividing that number by your total attempts. So (K-E)/TA=PCT. Learn all about hitting percentage here.
IBVL – Interscholastic Beach Volleyball League – A program of the Southern Pacific Volleyball Committee
Inside – This is when the ball is close to the middle of the court.
Interference – This is a violation that occurs when a player reaches over the net and interferes with their opponent being able to make a play on the ball. The interfering player will cause their team to lose the rally.
IVL – Industrial Volleyball League
IVVA – International Veteran Volleyball Association
JAVA – Japanese American Volleyball Association
Joust – When the ball is above the net and players on both sides are battling for the ball and touch it simultaneously.
JOV – Junior Olympic Volleyball. You can find the USA women’s JOV page here and the USA men’s JOV page here.
Jump Serve – When a player uses a jump during their serve. You may jump into the court as long as you jump from behind the end line and you hit the ball in the air before you land. The two most common jump serves are the jump topspin and the jump floater. Learn more about jump serving here.
K – Kill – This is a statistic that is credited to an attacker when they hit the ball and it results in an immediate point. This is either when the ball hits the floor in bounds or the player who tries to dig it can’t control it and their pass is unplayable.
K% – Kill Percentage – This is the same statistic as Hitting Percentage (PCT) listed above, but refers to the individual, while PCT may refer to the overall team.
KE – Kill Error – When a kill is attempted, there are only 3 possible outcomes. First, there can be a successful kill. Second, there’s what’s called a zero attack – the attack was made, but the defense dug the ball and kept the play going. All other results are considered a kill error. So whether you hit the ball into the net, out of bounds, or some other bad result, it’s considered a kill error.
Knee pads – required safety gear in many volleyball leagues.
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KPG – Kills Per Game – This is simply a statistic that tracks how many kills a player gets in an average game. To calculate this you just take their total kills and divide it by the number of games they’ve played.
K/S – Kills Per Set – This is the same as KPG, how many kills does the player get per set?
Let – This is when the ball hits the net on a serve. This used to be a fault, but it is not a violation anymore. In today’s volleyball, it either crosses the net and is a live ball, or it fails to cross the net and is dead.
LH – Left Side Hitter – This is the hitter position that, in your base plan, will play on the left front of the court, or position 4. This is also called “outside hitter”.
Libero – This is a unique position on the team. This player is designated ahead of time in the line-up to be a purely defensive player. They will replace players along the back row at any point in the game. They have a whole list of unique rules with this position.
To learn all about the libero position, read our article called Master Guide To Liberos In Volleyball: Rules, Rotation, And Tips.
Lift – This is a violation that is called when a player misplays the ball. You can’t play the ball by lifting it up with an open palm. To avoid this you can hit with a closed fist or your forearms. Here’s our article about lifts in volleyball.
Line – Besides describing the lines on the court, the word line is used in expressing the area of the court along the line, especially in reference to the target when hitting. For example, “The coach told me when they double block me, to try to hit line.”
Line Judge – Line judges are part of the officiating crew during a volleyball game. They will be stationed at opposite corners of the court, or on all 4 corners if there are 4 line judges. At high school levels and below in school volleyball, they will be volunteers. During club tournaments, a team will be assigned to “work” the game which includes 2 line judges. Their responsibilities include calling the ball in or out, calling a server for stepping over the line, and calling the touch if a player made contact before the ball went out of bounds.
For more information about line judges, check out our article called Volleyball Officials: Meet The Refs.
Line-up – Before the game begins, the coach is responsible for handing in a line-up that lists the starting players on their team in the order of the rotation that they will begin. The captain or the coach will hand the line-up to the down ref (the second referee) who verifies the correct players are on the court before the game begins.
Linesman – this is another name for the Line Judge.
Match – The match is the entire meeting between two teams, so the total competition of all the sets. Depending on the league or tournament rules, matches are usually played until a best-of-3 sets or a best-of-5 sets has been determined. In many tournaments, the round-robin play is shortened to 2 sets regardless of the outcome. In this case, the total number of sets won that the teams amass throughout that round are compiled to rank the teams.
Match Point – When a team just needs one more point to win the match.
MB – Middle Back – The position on the court that is the center of the back row. This is also called position #6. In your base plan, this is usually going to be played by a libero or defensive specialist.
MB – Middle Blocker – This is the position on the team that plays the middle front row. They are also referred to as the “middle hitter.” This is commonly played by the tallest players on the team. They should be heavily involved in the blocking defense, combining with the other hitters when possible.
MF – Middle Front – The position on the court that is the center of the front row. This is also called position #3.
MH – Middle Hitter – This position on the team, also known as the “middle blocker” usually occupies the middle of the front row.
Mintonette – This is actually the original name for volleyball when it was invented by William Morgan. The name comes from a play off of the name of Badminton.
Learn all about the creation and history of volleyball by reading our article called Who Invented The Game Of Volleyball?
MP – Matches played – When listed in the box score, this simply tallies the number of matches a player has played in.
NCAA – National College Athletic Association – has two different sites – this is for the organization, and this site is for following teams and results.
NCCAA – National Christian College Athletics Association
NCSA – Next College Student Athlete. This is a recruiting service for athletes who play any sport that want to begin the recruiting process. You can click the link above to create a free profile and learn about what they have to offer.
NECVL – New England Collegiate Volleyball League
NFSHSA – National Federation of State High School Associations. This is the governing body over American High School Sports.
NVA – National Volleyball Association
Off – This describes when the ball is far away from the net. For example, “She set the ball off, and I had to play it safe and gave them a free ball.”
Officials – This refers to the staff that is refereeing the game. This includes the first and second referees, the scorekeeper, and the line judges. Learn all about the referees here.
OH – Outside Hitter – This is the position on the team that typically plays the left front or position 4 on the court. It’s also known as the “left-side hitter.”
Opposite Hitter – This is the position on the team that typically plays opposite of the setter in the rotation. They play on the right side of the court and may be the backup setter on some teams because of their proximity to the setter target position. They are also referred to as the “right-side hitter”.
Outside – When the ball is sent out of bounds, it’s said to be “outside”. This can be intentional, when setting attackers, they may have an advantage by playing from an angle that starts outside the boundary of the court.
OverPass – This is when a player tries to pass a serve reception or a dig, but they don’t control the ball and it crosses back to the other side of the net, or dangerously close to the net.
Overhand Serve – This is serving the ball to begin a rally, using an above the head toss and an overhead strike with one hand. Variations include the floater, the topspin and jump serve.
Overhand Dig – An overhand dig is used when defending an attack. It is using your hands to deflect the ball upward, contacting the ball above your shoulders. It may appear the player is volleying the ball, but the dig is much more of a push or deflection, less of a volley.
Pancake – This is a specific kind of one-armed save where you stretch out and use one hand to let the ball bounce off it, instead of the floor.
Performing a pancake is an advanced technique, you can read more about it here.
Pass – The first contact with the ball after it crosses the net. This is when the ball is sent to a specific target, usually the setter. This can be a platform pass using the underhand bump with both forearms or two open hands in a volley.
PAVO – Professional Association of Volleyball Officials
PCT – This stands for percent, and in volleyball, it reflects the hitting percentage. This statistic is a column in the box score sheet. The attack percentage is calculated by taking your kills, subtracting your errors, then dividing that number by your total attempts. So (K-E)/TA=PCT. Learn more about what a good hitting percentage is here.
Penetrate – This is interchangeable with “Press”, a blocker reaches across the net and angles their hands towards the ball to make contact on the other side and force the ball to bounce down on the opposing side.
Pepper – This is a common drill or warm-up exercise where two players hit the ball back and forth to each other in close range. They pass, set, and hit to each other and are able to do so because they are directly trying to make it playable for each other. Learn all about how to pepper in this article.
Pin – This is another name for the antennae that are a part of the net. On each side of the net, you should have an antenna that extends up toward the ceiling above the sideline, indicating the side boundary of the net. These are sometimes called pins.
Pin Hitter – This simply refers to the hitters that play on the side portions of the court near the pins, as opposed to the middle hitter who typically plays in the center of the court.
Platform – Your platform is the surface that you create with your forearms for bumping a pass.
PNTS – Points – A point is awarded at the end of each rally, to the team that won the rally. Games are played to 25 unless it’s a tie-breaking set, which goes to 15. All sets must be won by 2 points and will continue until a team has a two-point lead.
Pole – The actual post that holds up the net. In indoor volleyball this will be metal, in beach volleyball, it may be wooden.
POS – Position – This refers to the player’s position (role) on the team.
Pool Play – This is when teams are seeded and placed in a pool for a tournament. Every team plays the other members in their pool and then will be ranked according to their results for the next stage of the tournament.
Power Tip – A power tip is a specific type of forceful tip that’s more aggressive. Click here to learn all about how to use power tips.
Press – This is interchangeable with “Penetrate”, a blocker reaches across the net and angles their hands towards the ball to make contact on the other side and force the ball to bounce down on the opposing side.
PVL – Premier Volleyball League
Quicks – This is the slang term often used for quick set listed below. For example, “Let’s go, Coach said we’re running quicks.”
Quick Set – This is a set that is purposely set very close to the top of the net. In an effort to be as aggressive as possible and throw off the timing of the defense, a team can mix these into their offense. This is an advanced move because the hitter and the setter have very little room for error because the ball will only be above the net for a split second.
RA – Reception Attempt – This statistic is credited to a player when they attempt to receive their opponent’s serve.
Rally – Every time the ball is put into play it begins a rally. The rally goes until one team can’t keep the ball in flight, the ball is sent out of bounds, or the referee calls some other violation of the rules and awards a point.
Rally Point Scoring – The modern scoring system, where every single rally is worth a point. Learn more about this is in Rally Scoring in Volleyball explained.
Ready Position – This is a stance where the player is flexed and ready for action, yet comfortable.
RE – Reception Error – This is charged to a player when a serve should have been able to be played, but results in an ace. For every ace there will be a reception error accounted to someone. Whether the player made contact or not, if the ball is not kept in play, then it’s considered a reception error. If more than one player could have gotten the ball and let it drop between them, the team is charged with the RE, not just one individual. A reception error will also be assigned to a team when an “out of rotation” violation is called.
Receive – This is when you are being served the ball by the other team. This is the same as “serve receive”.
Referee – Volleyball usually has two referees to officiate the game. The one on a stand or chair is called the 1st referee or the “up ref”. The second referee stands on the opposite side of the court, near the scorer’s table, and is called the “down ref”. Learn about the referees in volleyball here.
Replacement – This is similar to substitution, but is used with the libero. The libero doesn’t check in with the officials, she simply replaces the other player during any stoppage of play.
RH – Right Side Hitter – This is the position on the team that typically plays the front right position or position #2 on the court. They may also be called the “opposite hitter” because in some offenses they are opposite the setter.
Roll Shot – A roll shot is an attack where the hitter makes a similar motion to a regular attack, but instead of a traditional hard swing, they slow their arm speed and contact the ball a little lower, and roll their hand up over the back of the ball. This is for placing the ball over the block somewhere deeper on the court.
Rotation – This word has several meanings within volleyball:
1. The clockwise movement from one position to the next going around the court in the 6 different spots. Your team rotates one position each time it regains possession of the serve.
2. The game plan your coach implements as far as positions (roles) played on your team and the positioning (spacing) during the play.
If you would like to learn more, visit this article: The 8 Parts To Understanding Rotation In Volleyball
Rotational Home – This is the rotational position that you are in when the play is stopped. These are the positions 1 through 6 that you rotate clockwise through each time your team wins possession of the serve.
Round Robin – This is when all the teams in a given field, play each other team. Usually, your team will be placed in a pool of 3 or 4 during a tournament and play each other before the next stage of the tournament. In many leagues, the league’s season is actually simply a single round-robin format.
RS – Right Side Hitter – This is a variation of RH listed above.
Scorebook – Also sometimes simply called “the book.” This is the official book that scorekeepers use to track the lineup, the score, timeouts, substitutions, and sanctions. You can find our recommended scorebooks here, whether you’re looking for indoor volleyball or beach volleyball.
Screening – A violation where a player or players on a team try to block the view of the server or the ball during the serve so that the opposition can’t see.
Seeding – This is ranking the teams in a given field based on past results. This can be used to rank teams at the beginning of a tournament or using the results at the beginning of the tournament, a re-seeding can be done before the second stage of the tournament.
S – Setter – This is the position on the team where the player specializes in the second contact with the ball. Their job is to set the attacks up for their team, feeding the ball to their attackers to kill. If you’re new to setting, this is an article for beginners.
SA – Service Aces – Same as “Aces” listed above, listed this way to keep statistics in a game. An ace is an in-bound serve that isn’t successfully returned. It may hit the floor or the opposition may attempt to play it, but it is only touched once and the result of that contact is unplayable. So if the opponent tries to play the ball and hits it so badly it’s out of play, that’s also counted as an ace.
Save – This is when a player makes a play to keep the ball alive or bring it back into play.
Seam – The space between two defenders. When serving, the space between to players that you plan to place the ball. When hitting, the space between two blockers.
SE – Service Errors – This is an attempt to serve that results in a lost point. When the ball does not cross the net or when it is served out of bounds, it’s a service error.
Serve – The serve is the first contact that begins a rally by sending the ball from behind the end line on one side of the court, over the net, and in-bounds on the other side of the court.
Server – The player who serves the ball to begin the rally.
Serve Receive – This is the formation a team uses when they are receiving the ball being served by the other team. During this part of the game, players must be in their rotational home until the server has made contact with the ball. Players and coaches may adjust their positioning on the court based on very specific rules of the game.
Set – This is the second contact with the ball on your team’s side of the net. This is when the ball is delivered to an attacker so that it can be struck in an offensive way. The most common way is through a traditional volley. Variations include the bump set, quick set, and backset. If you would like to learn to set, begin here.
S – Setter – This is the position on the team that specializes in making the sets. Their role is to play the second contact and deliver the ball to the attackers in a position to hit for a kill. When the S is listed in a diagram as a position, it’s referring to the setter. For setting tips and drills, visit this article: 13 Volleyball Setting Tips (Plus 4 Bonus Drills).
Shag – Picking up volleyballs that are scattered during practice or warm-ups.
Shank – This is when someone tries to dig or pass a ball and hits it so poorly it’s impossible to play it. This can be because it goes far to the side, back over their head or in any direction in an uncontrolled way. Learn all about shanks in volleyball here.
Short – This is the opposite of “deep” and refers to the ball being close to the net. If a ball is served between the net and a front-row player, that would be short.
Short Set – This is another name for “quick set”. This is a set that is just above the top of the net, made to be very aggressive as far as timing.
Sideline – The outer boundaries of the court, which are the long sides of the rectangle.
Side-out – When the other team is serving and your team wins the rally, it’s called a side-out. It’s winning the rally and regaining possession of the serve. In the years before rally scoring was introduced, this was more emphasized because you were stopping the other team from getting a point.
Single Elimination – A tournament format where after each match, whichever team loses is eliminated from the competition.
SP – Sets Played – When listed in the box score, this simply indicates the number of sets a player has played.
Spike – The spike is usually the third contact for your team. The spiker tries to contact the ball as high as possible, jumping into the air when possible. Using an overhand swing, the spiker hits or spikes the ball to try to end the rally with a point for their team. This term is interchangeable with “hit” or “attack.”
Sprawl – The action of getting on the floor in an attempt to play or save the ball. This is interchangeable with the term “dive”.
Stuff Block – This is when a defender successfully denies the opposition’s attack and keeps the ball on their side of the net, making it fall to the ground for a point.
Substitution – This is when a player switches off of the bench, onto the court for another player, taking their position. Both players approach the sideline in the substitution zone (between the net and the attack line), one on each side of the line, and wait to be recognized by the second referee. The bookkeeper will record all substitutions. There is a maximum of 15 substitutions per game. Learn all about volleyball substitutions in this article.
TA – Total Attempts – This is a statistic that tracks the total number of attack attempts. This should equal all kills, plus errors, plus “0” attacks. So K+E+0=TA
Target – In volleyball, a target is a place the passer or setter is imagining that they intend to send the ball. So the passer is attempting to send their pass to the setter and the specific area on the court where the setter is supposed to be is their target. When the setter chooses a hitter to set, they must envision a target in the air that would be the ideal location for the hitter to strike the ball and then deliver the ball to that space.
Ten-Foot Line – This is the line that’s 10 feet from the center of the court, running parallel to the centerline. It is also called the attack line or the 3-meter line. Learn more about the ten-foot line here.
Tight – When the ball is close (usually to the net). For example, “She set the ball too tight, I couldn’t get past the block.”
Timeout – The referee, the coach, or the captain of the team may call a timeout. This is a stoppage of play. It is often used for the team to regroup, rest, and strategize. Other times it is for the officials to make sure everything is correct with the game or to attend to an injury.
Tip – A tip is an offensive move, using one open hand to guide the ball to a location on the opponent’s side of the court. This is instead of driving the ball with a hit, the tip uses the fingertips and is a controlled, softer contact.
Learn all about tipping in our article called What is a Tip in Volleyball?
Top Spin – This spin is created both in serving and spiking. When hitting the ball the hand should contact the ball behind, but then snap the wrist over top of the ball, creating a forward spin. This helps the ball to curve downward so that it doesn’t just keep flying out of bounds.
Top Spin Serve – This is the most common overhand serve. The player strikes the ball and snaps their wrist over the top of the ball to create the spin to hopefully create a lot of speed and yet keep the ball in bounds. To learn about all kinds of serves, visit this article.
TB – Triple Block – This is when 3 players on one team work together on defense to form a combined block to stop their opponent’s attack.
Toss – This is the action of sending the ball into the air before serving. You are allowed to toss with either hand or both hands.
Total Team Blocks – This is the total number of points won by blocks.
Transition – The switch from defense to offense. In volleyball, this happens quickly and frequently. As soon as the ball is received on your side of the net, if you are not the person playing that first contact, you should transition to your offensive positioning and posture.
Triple Double – When a player has earned double digits in 3 different positive stats categories.
Under Hand Serve – This
USAV – United States of America Volleyball – This is the organization that leads the national volleyball teams for the USA.
USYVL – United States Youth Volleyball League – This is a league dedicated to promoting youth volleyball throughout the United States for ages 7 to 15 boys and girls.
UVC – United Volleyball Conference – a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III men’s volleyball conference located in the northeastern United States.
VE – Volleyball England. This is the national governing body for volleyball in England.
VEBT – Volleyball England Beach Tour. This is the beach division of the national volleyball program in England.
VPI – Volleyball Performance Index. This is a research-based scoring system used to evaluate players being considered for college. Statistically, players with a higher VPI score have consistently had better success at the college level.
VSA – Volleyball South Africa
W-L – This is a team’s Win-Loss record.
WPVA – Women’s Pro Beach Volleyball Association
YVL – Youth Volleyball League
“0” Attack – Zero Attack – Also referred to as an AA – Attack Attempt. This is an attack that is kept in play and the rally continues.
3-Meter Line – This is the line that’s 3 meters from the center of the court, running parallel to the centerline. It is also called the attack line or the 10-foot line. Learn more about the 3-meter line in this article.
4-2 Rotation – The strategic plan or scheme that a coach implements, that involves 4 hitters and 2 setters.
To read all about rotation, visit our article called: The 8 Parts To Understanding Rotation In Volleyball.
5-1 Rotation – The strategy of playing with 1 setter playing all the way around the court and 5 hitters.
6-2 Rotation – The strategy of playing with 2 setters on the court at all times who are also strong hitters. In this way, you have 6 people on the court who can always hit when on the front row, 2 of which are setters. Whichever setter is on the back row, as far as rotation, plays the setter roles at the time.
Beach Volleyball Terms
Here are a few terms that are specific to beach volleyball. You’ll notice that many of these are slang terms, the beach game is filled with these.
Boom – A ball spiked straight down into the sand.
Break – A quick change of direction when the attacker is approaching for a hit.
Butter – A perfect set.
Chop Shot – Instead of a normal hard hit, the attacker chops the ball hitting it sideways to give the ball side spin and send it parallel, along the net.
Chowder – A terrible set.
Co-Ed – A mixed team, one man and one woman.
Dime – The perfect pass.
Dink – This is similar to a tip, a one-handed touch on the ball to play it just over the net or the defender’s block instead of hitting with power. Because of the beach volleyball rule against open hand tipping, a dink is done with the knuckles of a closed fist.
Fish – A player who gets caught in the net.
Killshot – When a defender is struck in the neck or chest area by an attack.
Kong – A huge one-handed block.
Lip – A good dig.
Nectar – A perfect set.
Poke – A ball contacted with the knuckles.
Rainbow – A shot made deep over the defender to the open court.
Sauce – The perfect set.
Sand Anchors – These are used to keep the lines in place. They are attached to a cord that holds on to the boundary lines.
Shot – When the ball is set, but instead of a hard hit, the player makes a calculated hit to a strategic spot.
Silver Bullet – Another name for an ace.
Six-pack – When a player takes a hit directly to the face by the opponent’s attack.
Sky Ball – An underhand serve where the ball is struck incredibly high to make the ball come straight down on the court. This is used to confuse defenders and can be very unpredictable if there are windy conditions.
Spader – Another name for an ace.
Trap – When the set is too close to the net and the hitter can easily be stuffed.
Zone – A designated area of the court or the net. This is useful in communicating assignments or serving intentions.
Related Questions
Who Makes The Rules For Volleyball?
The FIVB (Federation Internationale de Volleyball) is the international governing body of volleyball. They release updated rules about once every four years to keep the game current and evolving.
Each country and each region may adopt all of the rules or modify them. In the United States, the NCAA adopts the majority of the international rules but has a few changes. In the lower school and club levels, there are even more variations of the rules.
Is It Called A Volleyball Game Or Match?
The match is the overall meeting between the two teams. The games are the sets that make up the match. So the winner of the match will be determined by whichever team wins the best of 5 games first.
Can You Hit A Volleyball With One Hand?
You can certainly hit the volleyball with one hand! You have to be careful not to lift or carry the ball when you do only use one.
In fact, you can hit the volleyball with any body part. The exception to this would be in the United States, most leagues have a rule against kicking the ball, but by international rules, even kicking is legal.
To learn all about improving your hitting, check out our article called 8 Fantastic Volleyball Hitting Drills And 2 Exercises.
Photo credits:
Homepage feature image by Paul Simpson on flickr.com: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/, cropped to resize.
Feature image by Tania Van den Berghen from Pixabay.
Ace image by Artem Marchenko on flickr.com: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/, cropped.
Block assist image by Eric Guo on flickr.com: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/, cropped.
Dig error image by Ron Hall on flickr.com: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/, cropped.
Quick set image by K.M. Klemencic on flickr.com: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/
Ten-foot line image by Joe Martin from Pixabay.
Beach image by Paf – Games Sport Casino on flickr.com: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/
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