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GLOSSARY - LEARN THE TERMS

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ACE - A serve that is not passable and results immediately
in a point.

ANTENNA - The vertical rods (normally white and red)

mounted near the edges of the net. The antennas are
mounted directly above the sidelines and are not-in-play.
Antennas are not usually used on outdoor nets.

APPROACH - Fast stride toward the net by a spiker before

he jumps in the air.

ASSIST - Passing or setting the ball to a teammate who

attacks the ball for a kill. This stat is normally only logged for
high school, college, and National/Olympic team play.

ATTACK - The offensive action of hitting the ball. The

attempt by one team to terminate the play by hitting the ball
to the floor on the opponent's side.

ATTACK BLOCK - Receiving players' aggressive attempt to

block a spiked ball before it crosses the net.

ATTACK ERROR - An unsuccessful attack which does one

of the following: 1) the ball lands out of bounds, 2) the ball
goes into the net and terminates play or goes into the net on
the third hit, 3)the ball is blocked by the opposition for a point
or sideout, 4) the attacker is called for a center line violation,
or 5) the attacker is called for illegal contact (lift, double hit...)
on the attack.

ATTACKER - Also "hitter" or "spiker." A player who attempts

to hit a ball offensively with the purpose of terminating play in
his or her team's favor.

ATTACK LINE - A line 3m from the net that separates the

front row players from the back row players. Commonly
referred to as the "10-foot line."

BACKCOURT - The area from the endline to the attack line.

BACK SET - A set delivered behind the setter’s back, which

is subsequently hit by an attacker.

BACK ROW ATTACK – When a back row player attacks the

ball by jumping from behind the 3m line before hitting the
ball. If the back row player steps on or past the 3m line
during take-off, the attack is illegal.

BEACH DIG - An open hand receive of the ball, also called a

"Deep Dish"

BLOCK - A defensive play by one or more players meant to

deflect a spiked ball back to the hitter’s court. It may be a
combination of one, two or three players jumping in front of
the opposing spiker and contacting the spiked ball with the
hands.

BUMP – a common term for forearm passing.

BALL HANDLING ERROR - Any time the official calls a

double hit, a thrown ball or a lift (except on a serve reception
or attack). For our purposes, this category also includes any
blocking errors (when an official calls a blocker for a violation
such as going into the net, centerline violation, reaching over
the net, etc.).

BUMP PASS - The use of joined forearms to pass or set a

ball in an underhand manner.

CAMPFIRE - A ball that falls to the floor in an area that's

surrounded by two, three, four or more players. At the instant
after the ball hits the floor, it appears as if the players are
encircling and staring at a campfire.

CENTER LINE - The boundary that runs directly under the

net and divides the court into two equal halves.

CLOSING THE BLOCK - The responsibility of the assisting

blocker(s) to join the primary blocker and create an
impenetrable block in which a ball cannot fit between the two
individual blockers.

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 - A spike from the hitter's strong side that travels
at a sharp angle across the net.

DECOY - An offensive play meant to disguise the spiker who

will receive the set.

DEEP SET - Set to be hit away from the net to confuse or

disrupt the timing of the blockers.

DIG - Passing a spiked or rapidly hit ball. Slang for the art of
passing an attacked ball close to the floor.

DINK - A legal push of the ball around or over blockers.

DOUBLE BLOCK - Two players working in unison to deflect
an attacked ball at the net back to the hitter’s side.

DOUBLE HIT - Successive hits or contacts by the same

player. (Illegal)

DOUBLE QUICK - Two hitters approaching the setter for a

quick inside hit.

DOUBLES - A game with two players on each side, most

commonly played on a sand court.

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. A "Down Ball" is hit overhand and
driven over the net with topspin while the player remains
standing. "Down Ball," is usually called aloud by the defense
when it becomes apparent the attacker has no chance of
hitting a powerful spike.

FIVE-ONE – A 6-player offensive system that uses five

hitters and one setter.

FIVE SET – A back set to the right front hitter.

FLARE – Inside-out path of an outside spiker who hid

behind a quick hitter.

FLOATER - A serve which does not spin or rotate and

therefore moves in an erratic path. This is similar to a
"knuckle ball" pitch in baseball.

FOREARM PASS - Join your arms from the elbows to the

wrists and strike the ball with the fleshy part of your forearms
in an underhand motion.

FOUL - A violation of the rules.

FOUR SET - A set 1' from the sideline, and 1’ to 2' above the
net.

FOUR-TWO - A 6-player offensive system using four hitters

and two setters.

FREE BALL - A ball that will be returned by a pass rather

than a spike. This is usually called aloud by the defense
instructing players to move into serve receive positions.

HELD BALL - A ball that comes to rest during contact

resulting in a foul.

HIT - To jump and strike the ball with an overhand, forceful

shot.

HITTER - Also "spiker" or "attacker"

HITTING PERCENTAGE - kills vs. attempts

INSIDE SHOOT - A playset or a 33.

ISOLATION PLAY - Designed to isolate the attacker on a

specific defender, normally to exploit a weakness or give a
hitter a chance to hit against a single block.

JUNGLE BALL - Any volleyball game with people who don't

really know how to play volleyball. A common euphemism for
this type of game is "Picnic Volleyball."

JUMP SERVE - A serve that is started by the server tossing

the ball into the air and jumping into and hitting the ball in its
downward motion.

JOUST – When 2 opposing players are simultaneously

attempting to play a ball above the net.
KEY - To predict a team's next play by observation of
patterns or habits.

KILL - An attack that results in an immediate point or side

out.

LINE - The marks that serve as boundaries of a court.

LINE SHOT - A ball spiked down an opponent's sideline,

closest to the hitter and outside the block.

LET SERVE - A serve that contacts the net. If the ball

dribbles over, it's playable just like any other ball that
contacts the net on the way over. If the ball fails to clear the
net, it will become dead when it either hits the serving team's
court, or is contacted by a player on the serving team.

MIDDLE-BACK - A defensive system that uses the middle

back player to cover deep spikes.

MIDDLE-UP - A defensive system that uses the middle back

player to cover dinks or short shots.

MINTONETTE - The original name of the game of volleyball,

created by William Morgan.

MULTIPLE OFFENSE - A system of play using different

types of sets other than just normal outside sets.

OFFSIDE BLOCK - Player at the net, which is on the side

away from the opponent's attack.

OFF-SPEED HIT - Any ball spiked with less than maximum

force but with spin.
OUTSIDE HITTER – a left-front or right-front attacker
normally taking an approach which starts from outside the
court

OVERHAND PASS - A pass executed with both hands open,

controlled by the fingers and thumbs, played just above the
forehead.

OVERHAND SERVE - Serving the ball and striking it with

the hand above the shoulder.

OVERLAP – refers to the positions of the players in the

rotation prior to the contact of the ball when serving.

PANCAKE - A one-handed defensive technique where the

hand is extended and the palm is slid along the floor as the
player dives or extension rolls, and timed so that the ball
bounces off the back of the hand.

PASS – see "Forearm Pass"

PENETRATION – The act of reaching across and breaking

the plane of the net during blocking.

POINT OF SERVICE - A serve that results in a point (an ace

by NCAA standards) as the serve is not returnable due to a
bad pass by the receiver, this number includes aces.

POWER ALLEY - A cross-court hit traveling away from the

spiker to the farthest point of the court.

POWER TIP – A ball that is pushed or directed with force by

an attacking team.

POWER VOLLEYBALL - A competitive style of volleyball

started by the Japanese.
QUICK – a player approaching the setter for a quick inside
hit

QUICK SET – a set (usually 2’ above the net) in which the

hitter is approaching the setter, and may even be in the air,
before the setter delivers the ball. This type of set requires
precise timing between the setter and hitter.

READY POSITION - The flexed, yet comfortable, posture a

player assumes before moving to contact the ball.

RECEPTION ERROR - A serve that a player should have

been able to return, but results in an ace (and only in the
case of an ace). If it is a "husband/wife" play (where the ball
splits the two receivers), the receiving team is given the
reception error instead of an individual.

RED CARD – a severe penalty in which an official displays a

red card. The result of a red card may be a player is
disqualified, the team loses the serve, or the team loses a
point. A red card may be given with or without a prior yellow
card as a warning; it is up to the official’s discretion.

ROLL - a certain way to pass a ball in which the digger, or

passer lays out an arm, passes the ball, and rolls over the
shoulder (over the shoulder roll) or back (barrel roll) after
passing the ball. This is a quick way to return to action after
the play.

ROOF - A ball that when spiked is blocked by a defensive

player such that the ball deflects straight to the floor on the
attacker’s side.

ROTATION - The clockwise movement of players around the

court and through the serving position following a side out.
SERVE - One of the six basic skills; used to put the ball into
play. It is the only skill controlled exclusively by one player.

SERVER - The player who puts the ball into play.

SERVICE ERROR - An unsuccessful serve in which one or

more of the following occurs: 1) the ball hits the net or fails to
clear the net, 2) the ball lands out of bounds, or 3) the server
commits a foot fault.

SERVICE WINNER - A point the serving team scores when

this player has served the ball. The point can be an
immediate (in the case of an ace) or delayed (a kill or
opponent attack error after a long rally). Therefore, the sum
of the team's service winners equals their score.

SET - The tactical skill in which a ball is directed to a point

where a player can spike it into the opponent's court.

SETTER – the player who has the 2nd of 3 contacts of the

ball who "sets" the ball with an "Overhand Pass" for a
teammate to hit. The setter normally runs the offense.

SIDE OUT - Occurs when the receiving team successfully

puts the ball away against the serving team, or when the
serving team commits an unforced error, and the receiving
team thus gains the right to serve.

SIX PACK – Occurs when a blocker gets hit in the head or

face by a spiked ball.

SIX-TWO – A 6-player offense using 2 setters opposite one

another in the rotation. Setter 1 becomes a hitter upon
rotating into the front row as setter 2 rotates into the back
row and becomes the setter.
SPIKE - Also hit or attack. A ball contacted with force by a
player on the offensive team who intends to terminate the
ball on the opponent's floor or off the opponent's blocker.

STRONG SIDE - When a right-handed hitter is hitting from

the left-front position or when a left-handed hitter is hitting
from the right-front position.

STUFF - A ball that is deflected back to the attacking team's

floor by the opponent's blockers. A slang term for "block."

TURNING IN – the act of an outside blocker turning his/her

body into the court so as to ensure the blocked ball is
deflected into the court and lands in-bounds.

UNDERHAND SERVE – a serve in which the ball is given a

slight under-hand toss from about waist high and then struck
with the opposite closed fist in an "underhand pitching"
motion.

WEAK SIDE – When a right-handed player is hitting from

right-front position or when a left-handed player is hitting
from the left-front position.

WIPE – when a hitter pushes the ball off of the opposing

block so it lands out of bounds

YELLOW CARD – a warning from an official indicated by the

display of a yellow card. Any player or coach who receives
two yellow cards in a match is disqualified. A single yellow
card does not result in loss of point or serve.

BUILD A VOLLEYBALL COURT

Building a Sand Volleyball Court

Net Height: Net height is 7' 11 5/8" for men and 7' 4 1/8" for
women. Co-ed competition is played on a men's height net.
The official height measurement is made in the center of the
net. The height of the net at the sidelines can be no more
than 3/4" higher than the official height. If you're playing on
sand, the measurements are made with the sand raked
level, and no accomodation is made for your feet sinking in
the sand. If you're playing on grass, the measurements are
made to the ground, and not the top of the grass.

The Site: The dimensions of a volleyball court are 29'-6"

wide by 59'-0" long, measured from the outside edges of the
boundary lines. In addition, you should have 10' (more is
even better) clear around the boundaries. The result is a
complete playing area of 49'-6" wide by 79'-0" long.
Court Dimensions

The pole may need to be longer in the northern climates. In

northern climates footing should be located below the frost
line. Locating the footing of the pole below the frost line will
prevent "frost heave" of the footing. Check with the local
building code for the frost depth.
When planning the layout pay special attention to the
direction of the court. The court should run lengthwise
North/South. If the court runs East/West, the court will be
virtually unusable in the early morning say, for the start of a
tournament and early evenings, such as playing after work.
In the morning, the team on the West side of the court stares
at the morning sun and in the evening, the team occupying
the East court is blinded. The area above the playing surface
should be clear and free of all obstructions such as tree
branches and power lines.

To keep the sand in the court, where it belongs, and grass

and dirt out, there are several schools of thought. The most
popular solution is to line the perimeter with railroad ties. The
railroad ties establish a very durable boundary, keep the
sand in its place, and holds back the encroaching grass. On
the downside, they pose a serious safety hazard. Some
recommend padding the railroad ties with various materials
such as foam pipe insulation, etc. I personally believe the
simplest way to deal with the hazard is by establishing a
ground rule: "If during the play of the ball, or the continuation
after playing the ball, the player touches the railroad ties or
leaves the playing area, the ball is dead." This is much like
an indoor rule that prevents a player from wildly chasing a
ball that enters an adjacent court.

Preparing for the excavation

In most areas, excavating to a depth of 3 feet will be

necessary. The first and foremost safety precaution is to call
your local "Diggers Hotline" and have them locate any buried
power lines and utilities. Be sure to call them ahead of time,
as they may need a few days notice.

The best tool for the dig is a front-end loader or "bobcat"

which can excavate the base evenly, remove the dirt, and
also haul and spread the stone and sand. This equipment
can be rented for a few hundred dollars for a weekend. If
you're not up to the task of handling heavy equipment, a
good landscaping company can be contracted to excavate
and haul the stone and sand. Excavate the playing area to
the desired depth and pitch the base to one end or corner. A
drainage ditch should be dug leading away from the court at
its lowest point. Once the base is excavated you can begin
laying the drainage pipe. The closed end of the drainage
pipe should be placed in the highest point of the excavation
and should zig-zag with the open end of the pipe terminating
at the lowest point. The drainage pipe should be laid with the
perforated side down. This allows water to wick-in from the
bottom and sides and be carried away. It is an extremely
good idea to wrap the drainage pipe with landscaping fabric
before laying the pipe. The landscaping fabric prevents the
eventuality of sand and dirt clogging the pipe.
Locate and dig the holes for the net standards. The holes
should be dug at least 3' deep and set in concrete. A couple
of bag mixes per standard should do the job. Some home
improvement centers carry a special "post setting mix" in
which all the components for the concrete can just be
dumped in the hole without prior mixing. Once the
standard is located in the hole, plumb the standard in
two opposing directions, and fasten supports so the post
cannot move as the concrete is being dumped in the
hole. Repeat this process for the opposite standard.

Filling it in

Once the poles are set, cover the base and drainage
pipe with gravel and spread uniformly. Roll out and cover the
gravel base with landscape fabric. The landscape fabric will
keep the sand from filtering its way into the gravel. The final
step is to spread the sand, uniformly and evenly throughout
the playing area.

Click Here for Suggested Sand Volleyball Court

Equipment

HISTORY OF VOLLEYBALL

In 2008, the sport of Volleyball is 113 years old!

The sport originated in the United States, and is now just

achieving the type of popularity in the U.S. that it has
received on a global basis, where it ranks behind only soccer
among participation sports.
Today there are more than 46 million Americans who play
volleyball. There are 800 million players worldwide who play
volleyball at least once a week.

In 1895, William G. Morgan, an instructor at the Young Men's

Christian Association (YMCA) in Holyoke, Mass., decided to
blend elements of basketball, baseball, tennis, and handball
to create a game for his classes of businessmen which
would demand less physical contact than basketball. He
created the game of Volleyball (at that time called,
mintonette). Morgan borrowed the net from tennis, and
raised it 6 feet 6 inches above the floor, just above the
average man's head.

During a demonstration game, someone remarked to

Morgan that the players seemed to be volleying the ball back
and forth over the net, and perhaps "volleyball" would be a
more descriptive name for the sport. On July 7, 1896 at
Springfield College the first game of "volleyball" was played.

• 1895: William G. Morgan (1870-1942) created the

game of volleyball.
• 1900: a special ball was designed for the sport.
• 1916: in the Philippines, an offensive style of passing
the ball in a high trajectory to be struck by another
player (the set and spike) were introduced.
• 1917: the game was changed from 21 to 15 points.
• 1920s: there are unconfirmed whispers of men’s teams
playing on the beach in Hawaii, but most accounts
place the sport's origin in Santa Monica, California
where the first Volleyball courts are put up on the beach
at the Playground. Families play 6 vs. 6..
• 1920: three hits per side and back row attack rules
were instituted.
• 1922: the first YMCA national championships were held
in Brooklyn, NY. 27 teams from 11 states were
represented.
• 1928: it became clear that tournaments and rules were
needed, the United States Volleyball Association
(USVBA, now USA Volleyball) was formed. The first
U.S. Open was staged, as the field was open to non-
YMCA squads.
• 1930s: the first two-man beach volleyball game is
played in Santa Monica, California..
• 1934: the approval and recognition of national volleyball
referees.
• 1937: at the AAU convention in Boston, action was
taken to recognize the U.S. Volleyball Association as
the official National Governing Body (NGB) in the U.S.
• 1947: the Federation Internationale De Volley-Ball
(FIVB) was founded.
• 1948: the first two-man beach tournament was held.
• 1949: the initial World Championships were held in
Prague, Czechoslovakia.
• 1964: Volleyball was introduced to the Olympic Games
in Tokyo.
• 1965: the California Beach Volleyball Association
(CBVA) was formed.
• 1974: the World Championships in Mexico were
telecast in Japan.
• 1975: the U.S. National Women's team began a year-
round training regime in Pasadena, Texas (moved to
Colorado Springs in 1979, Coto de Caza and Fountain
Valley, CA in 1980, and San Diego, CA in 1985).
• 1977: the U.S. National Men's team began a year-
round training regime in Dayton, Ohio (moved to San
Diego, CA in 1981).
• 1983: the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP)
was formed.
• 1984: the U.S. won their first medals at the Olympics in
Los Angeles. The Men won the Gold, and the Women
the Silver.
• 1986: the Women's Professional Volleyball Association
(WPVA) was formed.
• 1988: the U.S. Men repeated the Gold in the Olympics
in Korea.
• 1989: the FIVB Sports Aid Program was created.
• 1990: the World League was created.
• 1995: the sport of Volleyball was 100 years old! This
Web site - [Link] goes live!
• 1996: 2-person beach volleyball debuted as an Olympic
Sport.
• 1997: Dain Blanton (with Canyon Ceman) becomes the
first African-American professional beach volleyball
player to win a tournament on the Miller Lite/AVP Tour.
• 1998: For the first time in the FIVB World Tour, men
and women players are rewarded at the same level with
$170,000 in total prize money per Open event.
• 1999: For the first time beach volleyball was included in
the Pan American Games which were held in Canada.
• 2000: Olympic Beach Volleyball Men's Gold medallists:
Eric Fomoimoana & Dain Blanton (USA). The women's
Beach Volleyball America (BVA) announces their
inaugural season of play.
• 2001: Christopher "Sinjin" Smith plays the final match
of his impressive career, a 21-19 and 24-22 loss with
George Roumain to Dax Holdren and Todd Rogers in
the 4th round of the contender's bracket at the AVP
Manhattan Beach Open. Sinjin retires as the leader in
tournaments played with 416, 2nd in all-time victories
with 139, and 4th in all-time winnings with over US$1.6
million earned.
• 2002: Beach volleyball court dimensions reduced to 8m
x 8m per side.
• 2003: Karch Kiraly becomes the first player to earn
US$3M in prize money and oldest player to win an AVP
tournament at age 42 years, 9 months and 14 days.
(You're never too old for volleyball!)
• 2004: Kerri Walsh and Misty May Win the Women's
Olympic Beach Volleyball Title
• 2005: Olympic gold medalists Kerri Walsh and Misty
May-Treanor win their second Association of Volleyball
Professionals (AVP) Open women's title and the 2005
overall women's championship.
• 2006: Elaine Youngs' second place finish (with Rachel
Wacholder) in Seaside Heights pushes her career
earnings past $1 million. She becomes the third
American woman to achieve that mark.
• 2006: In Seaside Heights, both Casey Jennings (with
Matt Fuerbringer) and Kerri Walsh (with Misty May-
Treanor) won titles, becoming just the second husband-
wife duo to win pro beach events on the same
weekend. They join Mike and Patty Dodd, who
accomplished the feat four times in 1989, but each time
in different locations.
• 2006: Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor win in
Chicago as Walsh joins the millionaire club. She is the
18th person worldwide to win over $1 million in her
career, and did so in fewer events (90th tournament) as
well as being one of just four to reach the mark before
turning 28 years old.
• 2007: Misty May-Treanor passes Brazilians Adriana
Behar and Shelda Bede as the winningest player since
the women's competition on the international beach
volleyball circuit began in 1992.
• 2007: Misty May-Treanor becomes the women's all-
time wins leader by capturing her 73rd victory,
surpassing Holly McPeak's record by winning with Kerri
Walsh in Hermosa Beach. She reached this total in just
123 tournaments -- winning 57.5% of her events.
• 2007: In a championship match that lasted 1:41, Nicole
Branagh and Elaine Youngs defeat Jennifer Boss and
April Ross 21-19, 18-21, 16-14 in Seaside Heights. The
marathon set the record for the longest match in rally
scoring, men or women, in domestic or international
play.
• 2007: Karch Kiraly retires to close an impressive career
on the beach, leaving as the all-time wins leader and
money earner. His longevity was marked by the fact he
won a tournament in 24 different years, and he
advanced to the semifinals in over 75% of all the events
he ever played and was named as the AVP's MVP a
record-most six times.
• 2008: Hot Winter Nights, a series of 19 events in
January and February, kicks off in Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma marking the first ever indoor beach volleyball
tour. Mark Williams and Nancy Mason are the first
winners in the "King of the Beach format" events.

SPORTS INJURIES

Common Volleyball Injuries

Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy

The rotator cuff muscles control rotation of the shoulder.

They consist of the infraspinatus, teres minor and
supraspinatus [Link] muscles are put under a great
deal of strain especially in sports where your arm is above
your head a lot. A sudden sharp pain in the shoulder would
indicate a possible rupture of a tendon, while a gradual onset
is more likely to be inflammation .... more info
Suprascapular Neuropathy

This is a condition found in Volleyball players and other

'overhead sports' where the nerve that runs along the top of
the shoulder blade becomes compressed. It is thought to be
caused by the "floater serve" where the player must stop the
overhead follow through immediately after striking the ball.
Hand Injuries

Hand injuries are common when attempting to block a a

spiked ball. Sprains and strains are most common, followed
by fractures and contusions and dislocations with the thumb
and little finger being most at risk. The metacarpophalangeal
joint of the thumb is the most commonly injured ligament in
the hand (known as a thumb sprain ) along with finger
sprains .
Patella Tendinitis (Jumpers Knee)

A common overuse injury resulting in pain on just below the

bottom of the kneecap or patella. The patella tendon (or
ligament as it is sometimes called) connects the kneecap to
tibia bone. Under extreme stresses such as those involved in
jumping a partial rupture can occur. This can often lead to
inflammation and degeneration of the tissue. Symptoms
include pain when pressing in at the bottom of the patella,
aching and stiffness after training and pain when you
contract the quadriceps muscles or jumping..... more info
Ankle Sprain

The most common type of ankle injury is a sprain. A sprain is

stretching and tearing of ligaments. (You sprain a ligament
and strain a muscle). The most common damage done in
ankle sprain is to the talo-fibula ligament. If the injury is
worse you might also damage the calcanao-fibula ligament.
In addition to the ligament damage you could well have
damaged tendons as well..... more info
Back Injuries
Back injuries account for up to 14% of all Volleyball Injuries.
The back is placed under a huge amount of strain when
jumping, bending backwards and twisting. Back injuries can
be complex in nature and require the attention of expert and
experienced therapists.