VOLLEYBALL

I.

HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT

Origin of volleyball

William G. Morgan
On February 9, 1895, in Holyoke, Massachusetts (USA), William G. Morgan,
a YMCA physical education director, created a new game called Mintonette as a
pastime to be played (preferably) indoors and by any number of players. The game
took some of its characteristics from tennis and handball. Another indoor
sport, basketball, was catching on in the area, having been invented just ten miles
(sixteen kilometers) away in the city of Springfield, Massachusetts, only four years
before. Mintonette was designed to be an indoor sport, less rough than basketball,
for older members of the YMCA, while still requiring a bit of athletic effort.
The first rules, written down by William G Morgan, called for a net 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
high, a 25 ft 50 ft (7.6 m 15.2 m) court, and any number of players. A match
was composed of nine innings with three serves for each team in each inning, and
no limit to the number of ball contacts for each team before sending the ball to the
opponents' court. In case of a serving error, a second try was allowed. Hitting the
ball into the net was considered a foul (with loss of the point or a side-out)except
in the case of the first-try serve.
After an observer, Alfred Halstead, noticed the volleying nature of the game at its
first exhibition match in 1896, played at the International YMCA Training School
(now called Springfield College), the game quickly became known as volleyball (it
was originally spelled as two words: "volley ball"). Volleyball rules were slightly
modified by the International YMCA Training School and the game spread around the
country to various YMCAs.[2][3]

Refinements and later developments

Japanese American women playing volleyball, Manzanar internment camp,

California, ca. 1943.
The first official ball used in volleyball is disputed; some sources say that Spalding
created the first official ball in 1896, while others claim it was created in 1900. [4][5]
[6]
The rules evolved over time: in the Philippines by 1916, the skill and power of the
set and spike had been introduced, and four years later a "three hits" rule and a rule
against hitting from the back row were established. In 1917, the game was changed
from 21 to 15 points. In 1919, about 16,000 volleyballs were distributed by
the American Expeditionary Forces to their troops and allies, which sparked the
growth of volleyball in new countries.[4]
The first country outside the United States to adopt volleyball was Canada in 1900.
[4]
An international federation, the Fdration Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB), was
founded in 1947, and the first World Championships were held in 1949 for men and
1952 for women.[7] The sport is now popular in Brazil, in Europe (where especially
Italy, the Netherlands, and countries from Eastern Europe have been major forces
since the late 1980s), in Russia, and in other countries including China and the rest
of Asia, as well as in the United States.[2][3][7]

A nudist/naturist volleyball game at the Sunny Trails Club during the 1958 Canadian
Sunbathing Association (CSA) convention in British Columbia, Canada.
Beach volleyball, a variation of the game played on sand and with only two players
per team, became a FIVB-endorsed variation in 1987 and was added to the Olympic
program at the 1996 Summer Olympics.[4][7] Volleyball is also a sport at
the Paralympics managed by the World Organization Volleyball for Disabled.

Nudists were early adopters of the game with regular organized play in clubs as
early as the late 1920s.[8][9] By the 1960s, a volleyball court had become standard in
almost all nudist/naturist clubs.[10]

II.

EQUIPMENT

THE COURT
A volleyball court is 18 m (59 ft) long and 9 m (29.5 ft) wide, divided into 9 m 9 m
halves by a one-meter (40-inch) wide net. The top of the net is 2.43 m (8 ft 0 in)
above the center of the court for men's competition, and 2.24 m (7 ft 4 in) for
women's competition, varied for veterans and junior competitions.
The minimum height clearance for indoor volleyball courts is 7 m (23 ft), although a
clearance of 8 m (26 ft) is recommended.
A line 3 m (9.84 ft) from and parallel to the net is considered the "attack line". This
"3 meter" (or "10-foot") line divides the court into "back row" and "front row" areas
(also back court and front court). These are in turn divided into 3 areas each: these
are numbered as follows, starting from area "1", which is the position of the serving
player:
Rotation pattern
After a team gains the serve (also known as siding out), its members must rotate in
a clockwise direction, with the player previously in area "2" moving to area "1" and
so on, with the player from area "1" moving to area "6". Each player only rotates
one time after the team gains possession of the serve; the next time each player
rotates will be after the other team wins possession of the ball and loses the point.
The team courts are surrounded by an area called the free zone which is a minimum
of 3 meters wide and which the players may enter and play within after the service
of the ball.[16] All lines denoting the boundaries of the team court and the attack
zone are drawn or painted within the dimensions of the area and are therefore a
part of the court or zone. If a ball comes in contact with the line, the ball is
considered to be "in". An antenna is placed on each side of the net perpendicular to
the sideline and is a vertical extension of the side boundary of the court. A ball
passing over the net must pass completely between the antenna (or their
theoretical extensions to the ceiling) without contacting them.

THE BALL
Circumference
cm (inches)

Mass
grams (ounces)

Internal pressure
kgf/cm (psi)

Standard indoor 65-67 (25.5-26.5)

260-280 (9.2-9.9)

0.3-0.325 (4.3-4.6)

Youth indoor

63-65 (25-26)

260-280 (9.2-9.9)

0.3 (4.3)

Beach

66-68 (26-27)

260-280 (9.2-9.9)

0.175-0.225 (2.5-3.2)

Major brands[edit]
There are several brands of competitive volleyballs in use, including, but not limited
to:

Tachikara

Molten

Wilson

Mikasa

Mizuno

Nike

Spalding

Beta

Most of these brands also make cheaper variations for recreational (noncompetitive) use.
Adopted use[edit]

Mikasa makes the official balls of the Fdration Internationale de

Volleyball and the CEV - European Volleyball Confederation (beach and indoor).
Molten makes the official ball of USA Volleyball (indoor).

Wilson makes the official ball of the Association of Volleyball

Professionals (beach).

III.

SIGNS AND SIGNALS OF THE OFFICIALS

IV.

OFFICIALS AND THEIR DUTIES

Scorers
The official scorer keeps track of the score throughout the volleyball game. Before
the game begins the scorer notes the starting lineup of each team and notifies the
referees if the lineup wasn't received on time.
If a dispute or irregularity arises regarding the score, the scorer uses a buzzer to
notify the first and second referees. Additionally, when a substitution request arises,
the scorer notifies the referees.
Line Judges
At least two, and as many as four, line judges monitor each game. The line judges
stand at the corners of the court watching the lines to indicate whether a ball in
play falls in or out of the court.
If a server steps on the line during a serve, the line judge watching the given line
notifies the referees using a flag. When a player touches an out-of-play ball or if the
ball hits an antenna, the designated line judge also indicates the interference.
First Referee
The first referee stands on the referee stand and controls the play of the entire
game. Whatever issues arise during the game, the first referee determines the call
and the has the final say. After making a call, no player or other referee can argue
the call, although a formal protest can be placed with the scorer. Before the match
begins, the first referee inspects the equipment and the players' uniforms.
The warm-ups and the coin toss also fall under the jurisdiction of the first referee.
Throughout the match, the first referee makes calls regarding faults and scoring
issues. Following the match, the first referee notes the score and signs the official
paperwork.
Second Referee
The second referee works to assist the first referee throughout the game. If for
some reason the first referee cant finish her duties, the second referee may take
the place of the first referee. The second referee stands next to the post opposite
the first referee. In addition to assisting the first referee with determining faults
throughout the game, the second referee is in charge of all substitutions, timeouts
and the actions of the scorers table.

V.

ROLE OF THE PLAYERS

There are 5 positions filled on every volleyball team at the elite level. Setter,
Outside Hitter/Left Side Hitter, Middle Hitter, Opposite Hitter/Right Side Hitter and

Libero/Defensive Specialist. Each of these positions plays a specific, key role in

winning a volleyball match.

Setters have the task for orchestrating the offense of the team. They aim for
second touch and their main responsibility is to place the ball in the air where
the attackers can place the ball into the opponents' court for a point. They have
to be able to operate with the hitters, manage the tempo of their side of the
court and choose the right attackers to set. Setters need to have swift and
skillful appraisal and tactical accuracy, and must be quick at moving around the
court.

Liberos are defensive players who are responsible for receiving the attack or
serve. They are usually the players on the court with the quickest reaction time
and best passing skills. Libero means 'free' in Italianthey receive this name as
they have the ability to substitute for any other player on the court during each
play. They do not necessarily need to be tall, as they never play at the net,
which allows shorter players with strong passing and defensive skills to excel in
the position and play an important role in the team's success. A player
designated as a libero for a match may not play other roles during that match.
Liberos wear a different color jersey than their teammates.

Middle blockers or Middle hitters are players that can perform very fast
attacks that usually take place near the setter. They are specialized in blocking,
since they must attempt to stop equally fast plays from their opponents and
then quickly set up a double block at the sides of the court. In non-beginners
play, every team will have two middle hitters.

Outside hitters or Left side hitters attack from near the left antenna. The
outside hitter is usually the most consistent hitter on the team and gets the
most sets. Inaccurate first passes usually result in a set to the outside hitter
rather than middle or opposite. Since most sets to the outside are high, the
outside hitter may take a longer approach, always starting from outside the
court sideline. In non-beginners play, there are again two outside hitters on
every team in every match.

Opposite hitters or Right-side hitters carry the defensive workload for a

volleyball team in the front row. Their primary responsibilities are to put up a
well formed block against the opponents' Outside Hitters and serve as a backup
setter. Sets to the opposite usually go to the right side of the antennae.

At some levels where substitutions are unlimited, teams will make use of
a Defensive Specialist in place of or in addition to a Libero. This position does not
have unique rules like the libero position, instead, these players are used to
substitute out a poor back row defender using regular substitution rules. A
defensive specialist is often used if you have a particularly poor back court defender
in right side or left side, but your team is already using a libero to take out your
middles. Most often, the situation involves a team using a right side player with a
big block who must be subbed out in the back row because they aren't able to
effectively play back court defense. Similarly, teams might use a Serving Specialist
to sub out a poor server situationally.

VI.

BASIC SKILLS

Competitive teams master six basic skills: serve, pass, set, attack, block and dig.
Each of these skills comprises a number of specific techniques that have been
introduced over the years and are now considered standard practice in high-level
volleyball.

Serve

Setting up for an overhand serve.

A player making a jump serve.

A player stands behind the inline and serves the ball, in an attempt to drive it into
the opponent's court. The main objective is to make it land inside the court; it is
also desirable to set the ball's direction, speed and acceleration so that it becomes
difficult for the receiver to handle it properly. A serve is called an "ace" when the
ball lands directly onto the court or travels outside the court after being touched by
an opponent.
In contemporary volleyball, many types of serves are employed:

Underhand: a serve in which the player strikes the ball below the waist
instead of tossing it up and striking it with an overhand throwing motion.
Underhand serves are considered very easy to receive and are rarely employed
in high-level competitions.

Sky ball serve: a specific type of underhand serve occasionally used in beach
volleyball, where the ball is hit so high it comes down almost in a straight line.
This serve was invented and employed almost exclusively by the Brazilian team
in the early 1980s and is now considered outdated. In Brazil, this serve is
called Jornada nas Estrelas (Star Trek).

Topspin: an overhand serve where the player tosses the ball high and hits it
with a wrist span, giving it topspin which causes it to drop faster than it would
otherwise and helps maintain a straight flight path. Topspin serves are generally
hit hard and aimed at a specific returner or part of the court. Standing topspin
serves are rarely used above the high school level of play.

Float: an overhand serve where the ball is hit with no spin so that its path
becomes unpredictable, akin to a knuckleball in baseball.

Jump serve: an overhand serve where the ball is first tossed high in the air,
then the player makes a timed approach and jumps to make contact with the
ball, hitting it with much pace and topspin. This is the most popular serve
amongst college and professional teams.

Jump float: an overhand serve where the ball is tossed high enough that the
player may jump before hitting it similarly to a standing float serve. The ball is
tossed lower than a topspin jump serve, but contact is still made while in the air.
This serve is becoming more popular amongst college and professional players
because it has a certain unpredictability in its flight pattern.

Pass

A player making a forearm pass or bump.

Also called reception, the pass is the attempt by a team to properly handle the
opponent's serve, or any form of attack. Proper handling includes not only
preventing the ball from touching the court, but also making it reach the position
where the setter is standing quickly and precisely.
The skill of passing involves fundamentally two specific techniques: underarm pass,
or bump, where the ball touches the inside part of the joined forearms or platform,
at waist line; and overhand pass, where it is handled with the fingertips, like a set,
above the head. Either are acceptable in professional and beach volleyball, however
there are much tighter regulations on the overhand pass in beach volleyball.
Set

Jump set
The set is usually the second contact that a team makes with the ball. The main
goal of setting is to put the ball in the air in such a way that it can be driven by an
attack into the opponent's court. The setter coordinates the offensive movements of
a team, and is the player who ultimately decides which player will actually attack
the ball.
As with passing, one may distinguish between an overhand and a bump set. Since
the former allows for more control over the speed and direction of the ball, the
bump is used only when the ball is so low it cannot be properly handled with
fingertips, or in beach volleyball where rules regulating overhand setting are more
stringent. In the case of a set, one also speaks of a front or back set, meaning
whether the ball is passed in the direction the setter is facing or behind the setter.
There is also a jump set that is used when the ball is too close to the net. In this
case the setter usually jumps off his or her right foot straight up to avoid going into
the net. The setter usually stands about of the way from the left to the right of
the net and faces the left (the larger portion of net that he or she can see).
Sometimes a setter refrains from raising the ball for a teammate to perform an
attack and tries to play it directly onto the opponent's court. This movement is
called a "dump".[22] This can only be performed when the setter is in the front row,
otherwise it constitutes an illegal back court attack. The most common dumps are
to 'throw' the ball behind the setter or in front of the setter to zones 2 and 4. More
experienced setters toss the ball into the deep corners or spike the ball on the
second hit.
As with a set or an overhand pass, the setter/passer must be careful to touch the
ball with both hands at the same time. If one hand is noticeably late to touch the

ball this could result in a less effective set, as well as the referee calling a 'double
hit' and giving the point to the opposing team.

Attack

A Spanish player, in red outfit, about to spike towards the Portuguese field, whose
players try to block the way.
The attack, also known as the spike, is usually the third contact a team makes with
the ball. The object of attacking is to handle the ball so that it lands on the
opponent's court and cannot be defended. A player makes a series of steps (the
"approach"), jumps, and swings at the ball.
Ideally the contact with the ball is made at the apex of the hitter's jump. At the
moment of contact, the hitter's arm is fully extended above his or her head and
slightly forward, making the highest possible contact while maintaining the ability to
deliver a powerful hit. The hitter uses arm swing, wrist snap, and a rapid forward
contraction of the entire body to drive the ball. A 'bounce' is a slang term for a very
hard/loud spike that follows an almost straight trajectory steeply downward into the
opponent's court and bounces very high into the air. A "kill" is the slang term for an
attack that is not returned by the other team thus resulting in a point.
Contemporary volleyball comprises a number of attacking techniques:

Backcourt (or backrow)/pipe attack: an attack performed by a back row

player. The player must jump from behind the 3-meter line before making
contact with the ball, but may land in front of the 3-meter line.

Line and Cross-court Shot: refers to whether the ball flies in a straight
trajectory parallel to the side lines, or crosses through the court in an angle. A

cross-court shot with a very pronounced angle, resulting in the ball landing near
the 3-meter line, is called a cut shot.

Dip/Dink/Tip/Cheat/Dump: the player does not try to make a hit, but touches
the ball lightly, so that it lands on an area of the opponent's court that is not
being covered by the defense.

Tool/Wipe/Block-abuse: the player does not try to make a hard spike, but hits
the ball so that it touches the opponent's block and then bounces off-court.

Off-speed hit: the player does not hit the ball hard, reducing its speed and
thus confusing the opponent's defense.

Quick hit/"One": an attack (usually by the middle blocker) where the

approach and jump begin before the setter contacts the ball. The set (called a
"quick set") is placed only slightly above the net and the ball is struck by the
hitter almost immediately after leaving the setter's hands. Quick attacks are
often effective because they isolate the middle blocker to be the only blocker on
the hit.

Slide: a variation of the quick hit that uses a low back set. The middle hitter
steps around the setter and hits from behind him or her.

Double quick hit/"Stack"/"Tandem": a variation of quick hit where two hitters,

one in front and one behind the setter or both in front of the setter, jump to
perform a quick hit at the same time. It can be used to deceive opposite
blockers and free a fourth hitter attacking from backcourt, maybe without block
at all.

Block

3 players performing a block

Blocking refers to the actions taken by players standing at the net to stop or alter
an opponent's attack.
A block that is aimed at completely stopping an attack, thus making the ball remain
in the opponent's court, is called offensive. A well-executed offensive block is
performed by jumping and reaching to penetrate with one's arms and hands over

the net and into the opponent's area. It requires anticipating the direction the ball
will go once the attack takes place. It may also require calculating the best foot
work to executing the "perfect" block.
The jump should be timed so as to intercept the ball's trajectory prior to it crossing
over the net. Palms are held deflected downward about 4560 degrees toward the
interior of the opponents court. A "roof" is a spectacular offensive block that
redirects the power and speed of the attack straight down to the attacker's floor, as
if the attacker hit the ball into the underside of a peaked house roof.
By contrast, it is called a defensive, or "soft" block if the goal is to control and
deflect the hard-driven ball up so that it slows down and becomes easier to defend.
A well-executed soft-block is performed by jumping and placing one's hands above
the net with no penetration into the opponent's court and with the palms up and
fingers pointing backward.
Blocking is also classified according to the number of players involved. Thus, one
may speak of single (or solo), double, or triple block.
Successful blocking does not always result in a "roof" and many times does not
even touch the ball. While it's obvious that a block was a success when the attacker
is roofed, a block that consistently forces the attacker away from his or her 'power'
or preferred attack into a more easily controlled shot by the defense is also a highly
successful block.
At the same time, the block position influences the positions where other defenders
place themselves while opponent hitters are spiking.

Dig

Player going for a dig.

Digging is the ability to prevent the ball from touching one's court after a spike or
attack, particularly a ball that is nearly touching the ground. In many aspects, this
skill is similar to passing, or bumping: overhand dig and bump are also used to
distinguish between defensive actions taken with fingertips or with joined arms. It
varies from passing however in that is it a much more reflex based skill, especially
at the higher levels. It is especially important while digging for players to stay on
their toes; several players choose to employ a split step to make sure they're ready
to move in any direction.
Some specific techniques are more common in digging than in passing. A player
may sometimes perform a "dive", i.e., throw his or her body in the air with a forward
movement in an attempt to save the ball, and land on his or her chest. When the
player also slides his or her hand under a ball that is almost touching the court, this
is called a "pancake". The pancake is frequently used in indoor volleyball, but rarely
if ever in beach volleyball because the uneven and yielding nature of the sand court
limits the chances that the ball will make a good, clean contact with the hand. When
used correctly, it is one of the more spectacular defensive volleyball plays.
Sometimes a player may also be forced to drop his or her body quickly to the floor
to save the ball. In this situation, the player makes use of a specific rolling
technique to minimize the chances of injuries.

VII.

TERMINOLOGIES

10 Ball or Pipe - A high set around the 10-foot line, intended for a back row
hitter.
10-foot line or attack line - A line on the court 10 feet from the net, parallel
with the net. Players in the back row cannot attack the ball above the net while
in front of this line; however, if a player jumps from behind the line toward the
net and hits the ball before landing on the court in front of the line, the attack is
legal.
ACE - A serve that results directly in a point without further action by players on
the serving team. Typically, the ace can be detected due to an inability to touch
the served ball or a shanked pass by a player on the receiving team. However, if

the serve-receiving player passes the ball to another player and that second
player can make a play on it, but doesn't, this serve is not considered an ace.
ANTENNA - The vertical rods along the outside edge of the net extending 32
inches above the net to indicate out-of-bounds along the sideline. Any ball that
touches the antenna is considered out.
ASSIST - Passing or setting the ball to a teammate who attacks the ball for a kill.
The typical assist is a set, but generally, any ball delivered by one player to a
second player to allow that second player to make a kill is an assist.
ATTACK - A broad term that can mean many different things. At a high level, this
term is used to describe the offensive scheme or pattern with which a team
attempts to score a point. At a lower level, this term refers to the attempt by a
player to score a point by hitting the ball in some manner.
Attack Attempt - The attempt by a player to terminate a play by hitting the ball
to the floor on the opponent's side.
BACK SET - A set made when the player who is setting the ball has his/her back
toward the hitter. Normally the setter back sets but occasionally, a player other
than the setter decides to get fancy and back sets to the designated hitter. It
looks more difficult than it really is. Many players master back setting at an early
age.
BACK ROW ATTACK - Typically, a player who has rotated to the back row jumps
behind the 3-meter line to hit the ball. When done by a flashy player who puts
some heat on the ball, the play is visually spectacular. However, regardless of
whether a player takes off, any play involving a back row player attacking the
ball is considered a back row attack. When accomplished by a short defensive
specialist, the crowd goes wild with delight.
BLOCK - The first line of defense where one or more players successfully
terminate a rally or play in their favor by stopping the ball from traveling over
the net. Typically, the blocking player(s) jump in front of the opposing hitter at
the net to make contact with the ball in such a way that the ball lands inbounds
on the opposing hitter's court or hits the opposing hitter before falling out of
bounds. See ROOF.
Blocking Error - A violation that consists of touching the net, crossing the
center line, blocking a set or any other violation which occurs while making a
block attempt.
BUMP - The use of the forearm to pass or set the ball in an underhand manner.
CARRY - An illegal maneuver in which a player makes an underhand contact
with the ball where the duration of the contact last for more than the maximum
amount of time. Needless to say, this is a very subjective call.

CENTER LINE - The boundary that runs under the net and divides the court into
two equal playing areas.
CLOSING THE BLOCK - The responsibility of the assisting blocker(s) to angle
their body relative tot he first blocker.
Court Dimensions - 59 feet from end line to end line and 29 feet, 6 inches wide
(18m x 9m).
Courage - The capacity to meet danger or difficulty with firmness; bravery.
Mental or moral strength to resist opposition or hardship
CROSS COURT SHOT - An angular shot made from one side of the offensive
team's side of the court to the opposite side of the defensive team's side of the
court.
CUT SHOT - A spike from the hitter's strong side that travels at a sharp angle
across the net.
DEFENSIVE SPECIALIST (DS) - The position on a team who is responsible for
digging and passing the ball in the back row. These players are normally short
and substituted out when they rotate to the front row. As befits their name, these
players are not expected to contribute to the team's offensive production. Some
of the greatest defensive specialists in the history of the game include Nalani
Yamashita (Hawaii) and Jaimi Gregory (Stanford).
DIG - The act of successfully receiving a ball. Almost always, the dig refers to the
act of recovering an attacked ball close to the court floor. Some of the best
diggers in collegiate volleyball include Nalani Yamashita (Hawaii), Stacy Sykora
(Texas A&M), Jaimi Gregory (Stanford), and usually, any of Kathy Gregory's UCSB
teams.
DINK or DUMP - A pinpoint and aggressive push of the ball over the net. 99% of
the time, this play is made by the setter. Usually performed by the setter, who
delivers the ball into the opponent's court on the second contact.
DOUBLE BLOCK - Two players working in unison to intercept a ball at the net.
DOUBLE HIT/Contact - Successive hits by the same player. (Illegal)
DOUBLES - A game with two players on a side
DOWN BALL - A ball the blockers elect not to attempt to block because it has
been set too far from the net or the hitter is not under control.
Down-Referee - Secondary referee. He/she stands on the floor at the opposite

end of the net as the up-referee.

FIVB/IVBF - Federation Internationale de Volleyball / International Volleyball
Federation http://www.fivb.org/
FIVE-ONE (5-1) - An offensive system that uses five hitters and one setter. The
setter is usually not a hitter. Most younger teams and players are used to the 6-2
system but the more advanced teams utilize the 5-1 system. The vast majority
of the college teams utilize a 5-1 system.
FLOATER - A serve with no spin that follows an unpredictable path. Usually, the
ball arcs high up at less than full speed and then, defying all laws of physics,
drops to the floor with the force of a 10-ton truck.
Focus - To concentrate attention or effort. To direct toward a common center or
objective.
FOOT FAULT - The illegal act of placing a foot on or inside the end line prior to
the serve. Like tennis, the server's foot must always be located behind the end
line until the server serves the ball.
Forearm Pass - Contacting the ball with the forearms in order to deliver the ball
to the setter in an underhanded manner.
FOUL - A violation of the rules that was called by a referee. If the referees don't
call it, you get away with it. No different from any other sport.
FOUR-TWO - An offensive system using four hitters and two setters. The setters
set from the front row.
FREE BALL - A ball that is delivered over the net to the opposing team in a nonthreatening manner because the ball was hit more like a pass rather than a
spike. When this occurs, players on the opposing team normally and collectively
yell "free!" while moving backwards away from the net to receive the free ball
and set up a transition offensive play. Usually, but not always, the receiving team
moves into its serve receive positions.
HELD BALL (carry) - A ball that comes to rest for more than the maximum
allowable time period during contact resulting in a foul. Again, this is a subjective
call.
HIT - To offensively strike the ball in an effort to terminate the rally for a sideout
or point. The hit can be either an overhand or underhand shot so long as the hit
is made to terminate the rally.
HITTING PERCENTAGE - A statistical category calculated by subtracting the
number of errors from the number of kills and dividing this result by the number
of kill attempts. For example, a player who records 7 kills, 2 errors, and 10 kill
attempts has a hitting percentage of 0.500 (Hitting Percentage = (kills -

errors)/kill attempts). Typically, a setter's performance has a high correlation to a

team's hitting percentage.
ISOLATION PLAY - A play normally designed to deliver the ball to Michael
Jordan to work his "magic" whenever Craig Ehlo of the Cleveland Cavaliers is
guarding him. Umm, waitIn volleyball, an isolation play is designed to isolate
the attacker on a specific defender due to a perceived advantage.
JOUST - The act of simultaneously making contact with the ball by opposing
players immediately above the net. Usually, both players use both hands to
forcefully "push" the ball over the net and onto the other player's side of the
court. The joust normally involves two players of equal heights but sometimes, a
short setter is matched against a middle blocker and the result is not as
predictable as you think.
JUMP SERVE - One of the most feared serves in all of volleyball when executed
consistently, the jump serve involves the server tossing the ball up and making
contact with the ball as it falls by jumping up in the air. The resulting served ball
usually has more power, arc, and spin than the normal serve. However, it is a
risky serve for the serving team as most players cannot execute it perfectly.
Some of the best jump servers in college volleyball include Logan Tom (Stanford)
and Brittany Hochevar (Long Beach State).
KILL - A succesfful attack that terminates a play or rally resulting in an
immediate point or side out by the team making the kill.
LET SERVE - A legal serve attempt where the ball makes contact with the net
while still managing to go over on the serve receiving team's side of the court.
LIBERO - A player who can be substituted into a game freely in the back row for
defensive purposes, i.e., digging, passing. Required to wear a striking and
different color jersey, the libero is prohibited from serving or attacking the ball.
LINE SHOT - In contrast to a cross-court shot, a line shot refers to a hit attempt
where the ball is directed along an opponent's sideline closest to the hitter and
usually outside the block.
Line Judge - Officials located at the corners of the court; each linesman is
responsible for ruling if the ball is legally in play along the lines for which or she
is responsible.
MIDDLE BACK - A defensive system that uses the middle back player to cover
deep spikes.
MIDDLE HITTER/BLOCKER (MH OR MB) - The position on a team who is
primarily responsible for blocking. Middle hitters or blockers are usually the
tallest players on the team. Because of their proximity to the setter, the middle
hitter usually receives most of the quick and lower height sets. Because of the
variety of ability levels and heights, setting the middle is considered one of the

most difficult sets to make in all of volleyball. However, setting the middle is
indispensable to opening up the offense and keeping the opposing defenders on
their toes. In practice, middles get yelled at a lot because they tend to get in the
way of the setter. Some of the greatest middles in the history of the game
include Deitre Collins (Hawaii), Kim Oden (Stanford), Elaina Oden (Pacific), and
Danielle Scott (Long Beach State).
MIDDLE UP - A defensive system that uses the middle back player to cover
dinks or short shots.
MINTONETTE - The original name for the sport of volleyball given by founder
William Morgan.
Missile: A spike or serve that rockets out of bounds.
OFF SPEED SHOTS - Any ball spiked with less than maximum force but with
spin.
Open Up - An exlamation made by a player telling his teammate in back of him
that the ball is his/her.
OUTSIDE HITTER (OH) - The position on a team who is normally responsible for
attacking the ball on the left side of the team's side of the court. These players
usually get the most kills and all the glory. Some of the best outside hitters in the
collegiate game include Tara Cross-Battle (Long Beach State), Teee Williams
(Hawaii), Natalie Williams (UCLA), and Elsa Stegemann (Pacific).
Overlap - A violation called when a team lines up out of rotation on a service
attempt.
OVERHEAD PASS - A ball-handling skill using both hands simultaneously to
contact the ball above the head and direct it to the intended target.
PANCAKE DIG - a spectacular dig that should not be tried at home without the
supervision of a trained professional, unless you are Kerri Walsh. As the ball falls
toward the floor (as gravity dictates), a player literally dives head first toward
the ball by stretching at least one arm to place his/her palm on or near the floor
and under the ball to prevent the ball from touching the floor. The hand is as flat
as a pancake on the floor. Clear enough?
PASS - The act of receiving and delivering the ball to the setter. Technically, a
pass is made by joining the arms from the elbows to the wrists and making
contact with the ball on the forearms in an underhand motion to direct the ball to
the setter. The pass is considered the most important fundamental element of
volleyball.
PIPE - A play which involves the setter delivering the ball high and to the middle
of her side of the court so that a back row player (usually an athletic hitter who

happened to be in the back row at the time due to the rotation) can leap and
strike the ball with maximum force to terminate the play for a point or sideout
for the offensive team. This is a special case of a BACK ROW ATTACK, because
the location of the set ball and the hitter is somewhere along the middle of the
offensive side of the court.
POWER ALLEY - A cross court hit traveling away from the spiker to the farthest
point of the court.
READY POSITION - The flexed, yet comfortable, posture a player assumes
before moving to the point of contact.
Red Card - A more severe sanction given by the up-referee.
RIGHT-SIDE HITTER (RS) or OPPOSITE (OPP) - The position on a team who is
responsible for shutting down the opponent's best left side hitters. Right-side
hitters don't record a lot of kills or receive a lot of glory but they are
indispensable to the success of the team. In addition to blocking and hitting, the
right-side hitter is also considered the second option for setting purposes when
the setter cannot set the ball. Some of the greatest right-side hitters in the
history of the game include Kerri Walsh (Stanford), Jenny Manz (Florida), and
Nancy Meendering (Nebraska).
RALLY POINT SCORE (or RPS) - Simply put, every play will result in a point
regardless of who served. Rally score has been used in international play for
years but the United States high school and collegiate games were played with
the conventional sideout scoring system.
ROLLSHOT - an offspeed shot where the ball is hit in such a way that it travels
at less than full speed and arcs over the blockers' hands, requiring the back row
defenders to make a play on the ball. Of course, the term is most famous for
being the name of a webzine. http://www.rollshot.com/
ROOF - A colloquial term that is used to describe a successful block attempt.
See BLOCK.
ROTATION - The collective clockwise movement of players on a team around
their side of the court following a side out. Each rotation determines the identity
of the server.
SCREENING - The illegal act of obstructing the view of the opposing team by
preventing them from visually seeing the server with players on the server's
team at the time of the serve. Typically, players on the server's team gather
together in close proximity to create a "wall" or "screen" so that the opposing
team cannot determine how, when, and where the server will serve. The players
on the server's team must be separated from each other by at least 1 meter.
SERVE - The act by one player to put the ball into play. The serving player is
usually identified by the current rotation. When serving, the player must be

located in a designated area behind the back line.

SETTER (S) - The position on a team who is considered the leader and
"quarterback" (to use an overused analogy) who is normally responsible for
delivering the ball to one of the other players for an attack attempt. In the past,
setters were usually shorter and were not expected to contribute to blocking and
the team's offensive production. Recently, the trend is to train athletic taller
players so that they can also block and attack the ball when necessary. Some of
the greatest setters in the history of the game include Debbie Green (USC, 197677), Lisa Sharpley (Stanford, 1994-97), Robyn Ah Mow (Hawaii, 1993-96), and
Misty May (Long Beach State, 1995-98).
SIDEOUT - In contrast to the rally point scoring system, the sideout scoring
system mandates that the only time a team scores a point is when the play ends
in the serving team's favor. Also, the term refers to a situation where a play ends
in the serve receiving team's favor so that the serve receiving team now earns
the right to serve the next play.
SIX-TWO (6-2) - An offensive system that uses six hitters and two setters.
Obviously, all six players on the court are considered hitters, including the
setters. Most younger teams and players are used to the 6-2 system but the
more advanced teams utilize the 5-1 system. One of the more successful and
well-known 6-2 systems was Stanford's 1994 and 1995 teams which used Lisa
Sharpley and Cary Wendell as the setters.
SLIDE -The play involves the setter setting the ball to a hitter who is moving
laterally with the net, takes off on one foot, and hits the ball forcefully near the
antenna. Although this play was invented by the Asian teams to compete (very
successfully) against the taller Russian and other Western teams, it is now a
common maneuver and technique in all team's offensive repertoire.
STUFF - A colloquial term that is used to describe a successful block attempt.
See BLOCK. A ball that is deflected back to the attacking team's floor by the
opponent's blockers.
Substitution - Allows one player to replace another player already on the court.
Each team is allowed 15 substitutions per game. Each player is allowed an
unlimited number of entries.
Tandem - A combination in which one player attacks immediately behind
another.
TEN-FOOT LINE (or 3-METER LINE) - The two lines that are parallel to the
CENTER LINE. Each line is located approximately 10 feet (or 3 meters) from the
center line on both sides of the court. This line specifies the boundary between
the front row and the back row on each side of the court.
TOOL - Commonly used in the phrase "tool the block" or "tooling the block," this
term refers to the act of striking the ball in a savvy manner so that the ball

deflects off the defender's hand/arm and fall to the floor for a sideout or point for
the offensive team. This play normally occurs near the sidelines by the antenna.
UNDERHAND SERVE - Although most players serve overhand for greater
power, the underhand serve was successfully employed by the Japanese teams.
Arguably, the underhand serve is a more conservative, "safer," and accurate
serve than the overhand serve.
Up Referee - The main referee. He/she stands up on a stand.
USAV - United States Volleyball (formerly USVBA) http://www.usavolleyball.org/
USPV - United States Professional Volleyball
WIPE - the act of deflecting the ball off the opponent's hand(s) and then out-ofbounds by a "brushing" or "wiping" manner for a point or sideout. The wipe is
usually made by an outside hitter near the antenna.
Yellow Card - Warning given by the up-referee.

ASSIGNMENT IN P.E. 4

TEAM SPORTS
VOLLEYBALL

DR. OQUENDO
VILLACURA,
JAYSON CLINT O.
INSTRUCTOR
STUDENT