Talking Volleyball

A service error is a serve that fails: into the net, out of the court or another fault.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

Serve receive is the receiving team's job of passing the serve to the setter.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

A short serve falls in front of the receivers, close to the net.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

Tough serving takes risk to make the opponents' pass difficult.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

A serve that touches the net and goes over is played on; only one that stays on the server's side is a fault.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

Many servers bounce the ball and breathe the same way each time to stay calm and consistent.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

The server jumps but hits the ball without spin, so it still floats and wobbles.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

The underhand serve is gentlest; the jump topspin serve is the fastest of all.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · aplicación

Get the ball, prepare, wait for the whistle, then toss and hit.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · aplicación

The gap between two receivers is the seam; serving into it causes doubt about who takes it.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · aplicación

A perfect pass reaches the setter's target spot, so every attack option is open.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

A shank is a mishit pass that sprays off the arms, often out of the court.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

The first touch is usually a pass from a serve or a dig from an attack.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

A free ball is an easy return without an attack, so the team gets ready to build its own attack.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

A down ball is attacked from the ground, without a jump, so it comes over more slowly.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

Off the net means the pass is a few metres back, which makes the set harder.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

A tight pass arrives very close to the net, where the opponents' blockers can reach it.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

On target is best, a pass off target is playable, a shank usually loses the point.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · aplicación

A call, quick positioning, a pass to the setter and an attack.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · aplicación

A pass that goes straight over the net gives the opponents an easy ball.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · aplicación

A quick goes just above the net to a middle hitter who is already in the air.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

A bump set uses a forearm pass to set, when an overhead set is not possible.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

Instead of setting, the setter sends the second touch over, often with a soft tip.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

Setting from a jump makes the set quicker and lets the setter threaten to attack.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

When the pass is poor, the setter often sends a high, safe set to the outside.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

A shoot set travels low and fast along the net to a hitter at the antenna.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

Like a quarterback, the setter decides which hitter gets each ball.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

Quick sets barely clear the net; shoot sets are flat; high balls go well above it.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · aplicación

The dump looks like a set until the last moment, then drops into open court.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · aplicación

Setting backwards over the head to the right side is a back set.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · aplicación

A kill is an attack that ends the rally in the attacking team's favour.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

The hitter aims at a blocker's hands so the ball deflects off them and out of the court.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

The hitter swings slowly and rolls the ball over the block with topspin into open court.

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Taking pace off the attack catches defenders who expect a hard hit.

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A cross-court attack travels diagonally across the opponents' court.

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In a pipe, a back-row player attacks from behind the attack line in the middle of the court.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

The middle hitter runs behind the setter and takes off from one foot, like a lay-up.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

A tip is a touch, a roll shot a slow swing, a spike a full hit.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · aplicación

Aim at the outside hand, glance the ball off it and send it out.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · aplicación

A line shot goes straight down the side line, as path A does.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · aplicación

A stuff sends the attack straight back down for a point.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

Good blockers press their hands over the net into the opponents' space.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

The second blocker joins the first so the ball cannot pass between their hands.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

Blockers watch the setter's body and the ball to judge where the set will go.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

Blockers may touch it and the team still has three hits left to play.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

A commit blocker jumps with a chosen hitter, often the middle, whatever the set.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

Like a hitter's approach, a swing block uses a run and arm swing to jump higher.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

Short moves use a step-close, longer ones a crossover, the longest a run.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · aplicación

A closed block sends the attack straight back down on the attackers' side.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · aplicación

A joust is a fight for the ball above the net between two opposing players.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · aplicación

Base is where defenders wait before they read the attack and move.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

Attacks aimed at the seam make two defenders hesitate.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

In a sprawl the defender stretches out flat on the floor to reach a low ball.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

Collapsing lets a defender go straight down to play a ball that is hit at the feet.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

One defender stays close behind the block to pick up tips and roll shots.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

An out call warns the player not to touch a ball that will land out.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

Hustle is effort: going after balls that look lost.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

Leave base, read, be still at contact, then dig.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · aplicación

Cover keeps a blocked ball alive for another attack.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · aplicación

Team-mates cover the hitter, ready to dig a ball that comes back off the block.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · aplicación

Three players are in the front row and three in the back row.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

As the team rotates, it passes through six line-ups, called rotations.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

The opposite stands opposite the setter in the line-up, usually attacking from the right.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

Middles block in the centre and hit quick sets.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

Outside hitters attack from the left side and also pass serves.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

A DS is a back-row substitute who comes on to pass and defend.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

The starting six are on court for the first serve of a set.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

Positions run 1 back right, 2 front right, 3 front middle, 4 front left.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · aplicación

Squad, starting six, line-up sheet, then play.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · aplicación

Position 1 is back right, the spot the server rotates into.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · aplicación

Momentum is the feeling of a team on a run, often broken by a time-out.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

A sub replaces a player on court.

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Calling balls and encouraging each other keeps a team organised.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

A game plan sets out how to serve, block and attack against one opponent.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

Scouting means watching and analysing opponents to prepare a plan.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

A team can challenge a call and have it checked on video.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

Assistants help with tactics, statistics and practice.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

Request, huddle, instructions, back to play.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · aplicación

Scouting leads to a game plan that is shared before the match.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · aplicación

A short huddle with the coach during a set is a time-out.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · aplicación

A six-pack is a spike that hits a defender in the face.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

Each player thinks the other will take it, and the ball drops between them.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

Several players stand around the ball as it falls, like people round a campfire.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

A hitter who is roofed sees the attack come straight down off the block.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

A kong is a block made with one arm, usually when the blocker is late.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

A chicken wing pops the ball up off a bent arm when there is no time for a proper pass.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

An ugly win is a win in a poor performance, still worth the points.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

Doubt between two players leaves the ball to fall.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · aplicación

A roof scores, a soft block keeps the ball alive, a miss lets it through.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · aplicación

The sky ball is a very high underhand serve, made famous on the beach.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · aplicación

An assist is credited, mostly to the setter, for a set that a team-mate kills.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

Hitting efficiency is (kills - errors) / attempts.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

A player's points are kills plus stuff blocks plus aces.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

(10 - 2) / 20 = 0.400.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · aplicación

Reception figures show how many serves a player passed and how well.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

The setter sets most balls, so most assists go to the setter.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

When two or three players stuff a ball together, each gets a block assist.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · recuerdo

A higher figure means more kills and fewer errors per attempt.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · aplicación

Kills minus errors, then divided by the attempts.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · aplicación

Teams use statisticians who log every touch for the coaches.

Fuente: General volleyball reference · aplicación