Volleyball jargon

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of the more common English volleyball jargon terms:

• Ace : When the ball is served to the other team, and it lands in court with no one touching it; can also be used to refer to a serve which is played by the receiving team, but in a way that it is not possible for them to get a second touch on the ball.
• Bomb : Hard driven ball, as in "he's serving bombs" or "he's bombing the hell out of the ball."
• Bump : Similar in motion to a pass, but used to set a ball for an attack.
• Chizzy : When the attacking player hits a ball off of the outside hand of the blocking player and the ball deflects out of bounds.
• Chicken Wing : When a defending player is forced to react very quickly to a ball coming at their upper torso, the player may lift a bent arm in the shape of a chicken wing to dig the ball.
• Cut/Cut Shot/Cutty : An attack with an extreme angle.
• Deep Dish : A set that is held excessively long, typically set from below the shoulders.
• Dig : A defensive contact following an opponent's attack resulting in a playable ball.
• Double : A double contact, typically result of a botched set.
• Doubles : When each team consists of two members.
• 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.
• Facial: When a defending player gets hit in the face with the ball either from an attack by the opposing team or by a deflection off the block.
• Five / Back (set) : Same as a four set, but to the weak-side.
• Five-One : Six player offense where a single designated setter sets regardless of court position.
• Floater/Float : A non-spinning serve that is unpredictable because its path is perturbed by air currents above the court, similar to a knuckleball in baseball.
• Free Ball : A ball that is passed over the net because an attack wasn't possible.
• Four (set): A high set to the outside hitter.
• Four-Two : Six player offense where there are two designated setters and the front row setter sets.
• Fours : A game played with four players to a side.
• Go: A low and very quick set to the outside hitter that is designed to be hit before a proper block can be put up to defend against it.
• Goofy footer : Originated as a skateboarding term; an attacker whose last step in the approach is taken with the foot on the same side as the hitting arm; right hander takes his or her last step with the right foot, left hander with the left foot.
• Hammer : Hitting a ball extremely hard.
• Hubby-Wife/Campfire : When a served ball lands between two players of a doubles team as a result of neither one communicating and instead thinking the other player is going to get the ball. "Campfire" typically refers to an indoor game where there are more than two players standing around a ball.
• Hut : A quicker set to the outside hitter. Faster than a "four" but slower than a "go".
• 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.
• Jump Float : A jumping float server.
• Jump serve/Jumper : a serve made famous by Karch Kiraly; the serving player tosses the ball in the air and into the court, then uses an attack approach to jump and serve the ball.
• Kill : When a team attacks the ball and the defending team is unable to play the ball successfully.
• Kong : A one-handed block, usually because the blocker is late. Sort of a hail mary block.
• Libero : Italian word meaning free. A special defensive indoor position.
• Lift/Carry : An illegal contact where the ball is lifted or sticks.
• One (set - also called Quick) : A type of middle hit when the middle jumps before the setter sets, with the ball being set directly to the middle hitter's hand.
• Pancake : When a player digs the ball by extending his or her hand flat on the floor, bouncing the ball off the back of the hand.
• Pass : First contact of the ball, typically with the arms. However, indoor players can pass the first ball open-handed, similar to a set.
• Pipe (set): A ball set toward the middle of the court for a back-row attack.
• Roll Shot : An attacker hits the set softly putting extreme topspin on the ball so that it will clear the block and drop quickly and directly over the block.
• Shank : When the backrow player passes a serve that does not go to the setter and that usually flys off into another court. The other team cannot return it.
• Shot : An attack where the ball is not driven hard, but contacted in the same manner as a spike. Harder than a dink, but significantly weaker than a spike.
• Shoot: A variation on the quick set except instead of setting the ball to the middle the ball is set to the outside hitter. Also when the ball is deliberately set over the net (usually to a deep corner).
• Side Out : When the team that served the ball loses the rally, causing the other team to serve the next point.
• Six-Two : Six player offense where there are two designated setters and the back row setter sets leaving the front row setter free to attack the ball.
• Sixes : A game played with six players to a side.
• Sky Ball : A unique underhand serve in which the ball is shot unusually high into the air above the oppossing team's court in the attempt to confuse the receiver.
• Slide : An attack where the hitter jumps off one foot and moves parallel to the net, hitting the ball close to the antenna on the weak-side.
• Spach or Spachey : When an attacking player mishits a ball and puts backspin on it causing the ball to go way out of bounds.
• Spike : When an offensive player attacks the ball with a one-arm motion done over the head, attempting to get a kill.
• Stuff/Roof : When a defensive player jumps above the height of the net, blocks the ball, and the ball goes back at the person who attacked the ball.
• Tatoo : When one takes a ball in the face hard enough to leave an imprint of the lettering and seams on the ball.
• Ten (set) : A ball set for a back row attack.
• Tip : A softer or off-speed finesse attack, usually committed with more of the fingers and fingertips than the whole hand as used in an attack.
• Three (set) : A quick lower set to the outside.
• Threes : A game played with three players to a side.
• Tool/Use : An attack which is deflected off an opponent (usually during a block) and is unplayable resulting in a point and/or side out for the attacking team.
• Turn : The turn of the body, and subsequently the angle of the ball, that a hitter performs to avoid the block or to find open court.
• Trap : A ball set too close to the block where the hitter typically gets stuffed.
• Two (set) : A ball set to the middle hitter. Also, a "back two" is the same set set behind the setter.
• Wipe/Swipe : When one player pushes the ball against the opponents block and physically wipes the ball out of bounds. Similar to a tool.