Volleyball Glossary

Plain-English definitions of the words you'll hear from coaches, referees and commentators. Rule terms follow the FIVB Official Volleyball Rules 2025–2028, with a short US note only where US rules differ in a way you'd notice in play, and each term links to its full guide where we have one.

Glossary A–Z

Ace

A serve that scores directly: it lands untouched, or the receiving team touches it but cannot keep it in play. See types of serves.

Antenna

One of the two flexible rods on the net, above each sideline, that mark the sides of the crossing space; a ball that touches an antenna is out. See court dimensions.

Assist

The pass — almost always the set — that leads directly to a teammate's kill. See setting.

Attack (spike)

An offensive hit that drives the ball into the opponent's court to try to score. See attacking.

Attack line (10-foot line)

The line 3 m (about 10 ft) from the center line on each side of the net, measured from the middle of the center line. A back-row player who attacks a ball that is completely above the top of the net must take off from behind it. See court dimensions.

Back row / front row

The three players nearest the net (zones 4, 3 and 2) are the front row; the three behind them (zones 5, 6 and 1) are the back row. Only front-row players may block, and back-row players may attack a ball that is completely above the net only from behind the attack line. See court zones.

Block

A defensive play at the net by front-row players, who reach above the net to stop or slow an attack. Indoors, a block touch doesn't count as one of the team's three contacts. Two or three players blocking together form a double or triple block. In stats, a block that scores a point is credited as a solo block (one player) or as block assists (each of two or three players). See blocking.

Center line

The line under the net that splits the court into two halves. Your foot may touch or cross it as long as part of the foot stays on, or directly above, the line. See court dimensions.

Defensive specialist (DS)

A back-row substitute who comes in to pass, dig and serve. Unlike the libero, a DS wears a normal jersey and enters with a regular substitution. See defensive specialist.

Dig

Keeping an opponent's attack in play, usually with the forearms. Passing a serve is called serve receive, not a dig. See digging.

Double contact (double hit)

A fault where one player touches the ball twice in a row. Exceptions: on the team's first contact, the ball may hit several body parts in one action, and a player who touches the ball on the block may play it again. US note: some US rules now allow multiple contacts in one action on the team's second contact (usually the set); see the double-contact rule.

Down ball

A standing attack hit over the net without a full jump. It is harder to pass than a free ball, so defenders stay low. See defense systems.

Float serve

A serve hit with almost no spin, so it wobbles and moves unpredictably in the air. See types of serves.

Foot fault

A serving fault: at the moment the server hits the ball (or takes off for a jump serve), they are touching the end line, the court, or the floor outside the service zone. A foot that lands completely across the center line is a different fault, usually called a center-line fault.

Forearm pass (bump)

Passing the ball off both forearms held together as a flat platform. It's the usual way to receive a serve or dig an attack. See how to pass.

Free ball

An easy ball the opponent sends over with a pass or a set instead of an attack, giving your team time to run its full offense. See free balls on the defense page.

Free zone

The area around the court, at least 3 m (9 ft 10 in) wide. Players may chase and play the ball there, but a ball that lands in it is out. See court dimensions.

Hitting percentage

(Kills − attack errors) ÷ total attack attempts: the standard measure of how efficient a hitter is. See scoring and stats.

Joust

When two opposing players contact the ball at the same time above the net. It is not a fault: play continues, and the team that ends up with the ball gets three more contacts.

Jump float

A float serve hit out of a small jump, for a higher contact point and a tougher angle. See types of serves.

Jump serve

A topspin serve hit out of a running approach and jump, like a spike from behind the end line. It is the most powerful serve, and the riskiest. See types of serves.

Kill

An attack that directly ends the rally in your team's favor — the opponent cannot return it.

Libero

A back-row defensive specialist in a contrasting jersey who can replace any back-row player without using a substitution (with at least one completed rally between replacements). The libero cannot serve or block, and cannot attack a ball that is completely above the top of the net. US note: NFHS, NCAA women's and USAV rules let the libero serve in one rotation. See positions.

Lift (carry)

A fault where the ball comes to rest in the hands or is thrown rather than cleanly hit.

Man-up / man-back (6-up / 6-back)

Where the middle-back defender (zone 6) plays: up near the attack line to cover tips (man-up), or deep near the end line to dig hard spikes (man-back). See defense systems.

Middle blocker

The front-row center player who leads the block and hits quick sets. See middle blocker.

Off-blocker

The front-row player who isn't in the block. They drop off the net to dig or to cover tips. See defense systems.

Opposite (right-side hitter)

The attacker who plays on the right side, opposite the setter in the rotation. See opposite.

Outside hitter

The left-side attacker, usually the team's main hitter and a key passer. See outside hitter.

Overlap

A positional fault: at the moment of the serve, a player is not in the correct spot relative to the teammates beside them or in front of or behind them. (Serving out of turn is a different fault, a rotation fault.) Only the receiving team must be in rotational order at the serve (FIVB rules since 2025). US note: USA Volleyball, NFHS (high school) and NCAA women's rules apply it to both teams, except the server; in NCAA men's play from the 2026–27 season, players may leave their positions once the server's motion begins. See overlap rules.

Overpass

A pass that accidentally goes over the net to the opponent. Coaches rate it 0 on the 0–3 pass scale, but while the ball stays in play it is not an ace or a reception error in the stats.

Pancake

A one-handed defensive save with the hand flat on the floor so the ball rebounds off the back of the hand and stays in play. See digging.

Pass rating

A coaching score from 0 to 3 for each serve-receive pass (a common convention, not an FIVB rule or official stat): 3 = perfect, the setter has every option; 2 = good, some options; 1 = poor, only one option, usually a high set; 0 = no playable pass (an ace, a shank or an overpass). See scoring and stats.

Penetrate

When a back-row setter runs forward to the setting spot at the net as soon as the serve is hit. See positions.

Pepper

A common warm-up drill in which two players pass, set and hit the ball back and forth to each other.

Perimeter defense

A defense system in which the back-row defenders spread to the deep corners and edges to dig hard-driven spikes. See defense systems.

Positions

The roles players fill: setter, outside hitter, middle blocker, opposite, libero and defensive specialist. Careful: coaches and the official rulebook also say “positions 1–6” for the six spots on the court, which this site calls zones. See positions.

Quick set

A fast, low set to a middle blocker who is already jumping, usually just in front of the setter. See setting.

Rally

The sequence of play from the serve until the ball is dead and a point is scored. See the rules.

Roll shot

An off-speed attack: the hitter swings normally but rolls the ball softly over the block into open court. See attacking.

Rotation

The clockwise shift of all players by one zone when the team wins back the serve. See court zones.

Rotation fault

Serving out of turn: the wrong player serves. The other team gets the point and the serve. See overlap rule.

Rotational defense

A defense system in which the back row rotates toward the attack and one defender moves up behind the block to cover tips. See defense systems.

Screen

A fault where serving-team players hide the server or the ball's flight from the receivers, for example by bunching together or, under FIVB rules, raising their hands above their heads. See hand signals.

Seam

The gap between two passers or defenders (or between two blockers in a block). Tough serves and attacks often land there, so teammates agree who covers it and call the ball early. See serve receive.

Serve

The hit that starts every rally, made from the service zone behind the end line. See types of serves.

Serve receive

Passing the opponent's serve, and the lineup a team uses to do it. See serve-receive formations.

Service zone

The 9 m (29.5 ft)-wide area behind the end line, between the extended sidelines, where the server must be when hitting the ball. See court dimensions.

Set

The overhead contact, usually the second touch, that delivers the ball to an attacker. See setting.

Setter

The player who takes the team's second contact and sets the attackers: the playmaker of the offense. See setter.

Setter dump

Instead of setting, the setter tips or pushes the ball into an open spot on the second contact to surprise the defense. A back-row setter may not dump the ball from in front of the attack line if the ball is entirely above the top of the net at contact. See setting.

Shank

A badly mis-hit pass that flies off course.

Side-out

Winning a rally while receiving serve, so the receiving team earns the serve — and, under rally scoring, the point.

Six-pack

Slang for being hit in the face or head by an attacked ball.

Stuff

A block that sends the ball straight to the floor for a point. See blocking.

Substitution

Replacing one player on court with another. Each team may make six per set, and libero replacements don't count. US note: US high school and college allow more.

Tip (dink)

A soft, one-handed attack that places the ball just over or around the block instead of hitting it hard. Not allowed in beach volleyball, where players use a knuckle poke or cobra instead. See attacking.

Topspin serve

An overhand serve hit with forward spin, so it drops fast after crossing the net. See types of serves.

Transition

Switching from defense to attack: after a dig or a free ball, the setter runs to the net and the hitters back up to approach. See defense systems.

W formation

A beginner serve-receive pattern in which five players stand in a W shape and share the court. See serve-receive formations.

Zone

One of the six numbered spots on each side of the court: 1 back right, 2 front right, 3 front center, 4 front left, 5 back left and 6 back center. Coaches and the rulebook also call them positions 1–6. See court zones.

Frequently asked questions