•
Ace: A serve which lands in the opponent's court without being touched, or is touched but unable to be kept in play by one or more receiving team players directly resulting in a point scored for the serving team. •
Assist: Usually the second of a team's three contacts, an assist is awarded for any set ball that results in a kill on the ensuing attack •
Attack: Usually the third of a team's three contacts, an attack is any attempt by the offense to score a point against the defense (this does not include free balls or over-passes) •
Breakpoint: A point scored on the team's own serve. In the scoring system prior to 1999, these were the only scored points (except for sanction points). Even in the present scoring system, these are the points that really count, as the side outs cancel each other •
Cross-court shot: An individual attack directed at an angle from one end of the offensive team's side of the net to the opposite sideline of the defensive team's court •
Cut shot or
cutty: attack with an extreme angle (nearly parallel to the net) •
Dig: A defensive contact following an opponent's attack resulting in a playable ball. Arms can be in a platform position or in an overhead position like a set. The player digs the ball when it is coming at a downward trajectory •
Double contact or
Double touch: A fault in which a player contacts the ball with two body parts consecutively. A double is commonly called on a setter when making a faulty touch on the ball resulting in a quick succession of touches. However, multiple leagues such as the women's side of the NCAA have done away with this judgment call. •
D.S.: DS, or "defensive specialist," is a player skilled at back-row defense. His specialties include passing and diving. Unlike Libero, he can switch positions with anyone on the court. •
Dump: A surprise attack usually executed by a front row setter to catch the defense off guard; many times executed with the left hand, sometimes with the right, aimed at the donut or area 4 on the court •
Five-One: Six-player offensive system where a single designated setter sets regardless of court position. The player is responsible for the second touch on every reception of serve, and ideally every defensive play •
Four Step Approach: The sequence of steps a hitter takes to meet a ball. Consisting of four steps. For right-handed hitters the sequence is: right, left, right, left. For Left-handed hitters: left, right, left, right •
Free ball: A ball that is passed over the net because an attack wasn't possible, thus making it an easy ball to receive and allowing the defensive team to run a full in system offences. •
Free ball kill: A celebratory term when an easy pass is sent over the net and scores a point •
Four-Two: Six player offense where there are two designated setters and the front row setter sets •
Goofy: When a player jumps with wrong foot first (while attacking) (commonly known as
goofy footed) •
Illegal Block(er): When a back row player attempts to block an opponent's offensive action by making contact with the ball above the plane of the net •
Joust: when the ball is falling directly on top of the net, two opposing players jump and push against the ball, trying to push it onto the other's side •
Let: a serve in which the ball hits the net on the side of the court served on, but still makes it over the net and onto the opposing side's floor, resulting in a point. This used to be a service error prior to 2001. Also, any rally that results in a re-play without awarding any points (e.g. when two faults happen at the same time) •
Kill: successful, legal, point-scoring play. It can be from a spike attack, tip or dump •
Mis-hit: A hit in which a player swings but does not contact the ball as intended, giving it a different speed, direction, and spin than the player intended •
On-Two: When the player making the second contact on the ball decides to play the ball over the net instead of setting up their teammate. Most often used in court volleyball by the setter, it is often called a "setter dump" or a "turn and burn", but on the beach it is colloquially referred to as an "on-two" •
One-Two-Two Coverage: Attack coverage system where one player covers directly under the block, two players cover 1–3 meters away, and two players cover 4–5 meters away •
Opposite hitter: The player which plays in the rotation opposite the setter and usually attacks from the right side •
Over pass: An error forced by a passer, causing the ball to go back over the net rather than to a passing target, giving the opposite side a chance to score. •
Pancake: When a player digs the ball by extending a hand flat on the floor, palm facing down, letting the ball bounce off the back of the hand, often used as a last second desperation to prevent the ball from hitting the floor giving the attacking team a point. •
Pepper: A drill in which players hit a ball back and forth in a pass, set, spike, pass, set, spike, etc. pattern without a net •
Perimeter defense: A defensive formation of back row players where players set up along the edges of the court to dig. Middle back is deep in the center and right while left-back shift back and towards the sidelines. This formation leaves a hole in the center of the court for the opposing team to score in •
Rally scoring: The sport's current scoring system, in which each rally ends with a point being scored. •
Roll Shot: An offensive play that is slightly similar to a hit or spike. Unlike a hit or spike, rolls shots are performed by making contact underneath the ball and moving your arm in an upwards motion rather than making contact on top of the ball and swinging your arm downwards in a fast motion. A roll shot is not a fast offensive hit aimed away from the net, nor a tip aimed near the net, but it is meant to go high enough to avoid a block, but not too far back. Roll shots are generally aimed around 10–15 feet away from the net or into deep corners •
Rotation Defense: A defensive formation of back row players where players "rotate" to cover a deep line shot. This formation closes the hole in the center of the court, but leaves space over the block in middle back for opposing attackers •
Seam: When serving, the area between passers on serve receive; when attacking, the area between blockers or back row defenders •
Set: The setter, located in the center or right front, hits the ball high above the net so that a spiker can spike it across. The setter always takes the second hit, if possible •
Shank: When a player unintentionally passes a ball in a wild manner, rendering it unplayable to their teammates •
Shot: An offensive play in which a set ball, rather than being spiked hard, is directed to an open area of the court. This is a play requiring less power and more precision to be done accurately. •
Side out: When a team that served the ball loses the rally, it results in a "sideout," which means the serving opportunity shifts to the opposing team. Previously, until the 1990s, a team could only score a point on their serve. So, sideout at that mean gaining the right to serve •
Six-Two: Six player offense where there are two designated setters and the back row setter sets. Called six-two because there are two setters and six other players (two outsides, two middle hitters, and two right-side hitters) •
Six-back: Defensive system where the player in "six" (the middle position in the back-court) plays deep in the court covering attacks through the seam in the block, attacks over top of the block, and attacks that go high off the block. With certain blocking schemes, the player in "six" might also be responsible for deep line roll shots •
Six-up: Defensive system where the player in "six" (the middle position in the back-court) plays up behind the block with the responsibility of defending against a tip attack •
Six-zero: Six player offense where there are no designated positions. Instead, the designated setter is just the player in position 3 (or sometimes 2) •
Spike (a.k.a. Hit): When an offensive player attacks the ball with a one-arm motion done over the head, attempting to get a kill •
Spatch: When a player contacts the ball incorrectly during a hit causing the ball to propel unlike how the hitter intended •
Strong side: The left side of the court, so called because it is usually the easier side for right-handed players to attack from. Also referred to as the "on-hand" side •
"The Gap" or "push": A spike between area two and area three that the middle hits. It's always the same distance from the setter no matter where the setter is positioned on the set •
The "W": A common serve receive formation at lower levels where 5 players prepare to pass with 1 designated setter. So named because from above, the 5 passers are assembled on the five points of a "W". Alternatively, possibly a Serve Screening formation by the serving team, also named for resembling a W •
Three across: A common passing formation where three passers start in a line across the back row to receive a serve •
Three Step Approach: The sequence of steps a hitter takes to meet a ball. Consisting of three steps. For right-handed hitters the sequence is: left, right, left. For Left-handed hitters: right, left, right •
Tool: when an attacker manages to force the ball off a blocker, causing the ball to go out of bounds giving the attacker the kill. This is often done by hitting the ball off "high hands" causing the ball to go out the back of the court, or off the side of a blocker's arms causing the ball to go out the side lines. •
Whiff: When a hitter swings for the ball in attempt to attack but instead misses the contact entirely. •
Two-Three Coverage: Attack coverage system where two players cover 1–2 meters away from the block, and three players cover 2–4 meters away •
Weak Side: The right side of the court, so called because it is generally easier for right-handed players to attack from the left ("strong") side. Also known as the "off-hand" side •
Swing Blocking: A blocking technique that allows a blocker to use their arms for added momentum to block higher with a full approach, this requires the blocker to turn their body parallel with the net and requires more advanced footwork than that of stagnant blocking or shuffle blocking. •
Shuffle Blocking: a blocking technique in which a blocker keeps their shoulders square to the net and "shuffles" or side steps across the net to reach the attacker. unlike the swing block, the shuffle block footwork is simple but reduces the max height a blocker can reach. ==Types of sets==