Terms for Volleyball Spikes
Hitting, Spiking, Attacking?

Terms for volleyball spikes... Sending the ball over the net with intention to score a point.

Spiking defined as... a basic strategy for scoring points is attacking the ball by hitting an offensive shot attempting to hit the ball in such a manner opponents can't return it.

This is normally done by an attacker jumping up into the air and then hitting the ball in a downward direction towards the opponent's floor.

Basic Terms for Volleyball Spikes 

Attacker
A volleyball attacker is also called a hitter or spiker. An attacker is a player who attempts to hit a ball towards the opponents court with the purpose of finishing the volley and scoring a point for his/her team.

Attack Hit
An attack is any ball that is sent over the net to the opponent. An attack is an offensive action of hitting the ball, attempting to terminate the play by hitting the ball to the floor on the opponent's side or off the opponent's blockers.

Back Row Attack Hit
A back row attack is when a back row player attacks the ball by jumping from beyond the attack line. If the back row player steps on or in front of attack line during take-off and the ball is contacted when the ball is completely above the height of the net, the attack is illegal as soon as it is completely crosses the net or is contacted by the opponent.

Spike
Hitting the ball at a strong downward angle into the opponents court is called a spike.

Hard-driven Spike
A hard-driven spike is a hard hit ball that travels forcefully down towards the opponents court.

Off-speed Spike
An off-speed spike is a controlled spike ball placed in an open area of the court.

Standing Spike
A standing spike is attacking a ball from a standing position. A standing spike is also referred to as a down ball.

Open Hand Tip
Open hand tipping is directing the ball with the fingers when attacking.

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Volleyball Spikes with Finesse

Slide Attack
A volleyball approach that involves a one leg take-off similar to a basketball lay up.

Cross-Court Shot
An individual attack directed across the net at an angle from one side (left side) of the court to the other side (right side) of the court. This is also referred to as hitting angle.

Line Shot
A line shot is attacking the ball down an opponent's sideline. The ball is usually hit down the line just outside the outside blocker or over the top of the outside blocker.

Off-Speed Hit
A ball that is spiked with less force is an off-speed hit. Off-speed hits are a popular option for attacking if a player is just trying to place the ball or just trying to keep the ball in play.

Cut Shot
A cut shot is a spike that's hit from the hitter's strong side and travels at a sharp angle across the net. A cut shot is like a cross-court hit except that the ball is hit at a much sharper angle. Cut shots are also a much softer hit ball.

Volleyball Spikes and Tipping

Dink
A dink is attacking the ball by legally pushing the ball around, through or over blockers. A dink is a soft shot done by the fingertips used to fake out the opponents. A dink is also called an open hand tip.

Power Tip
A power tip is attacking the ball by pushing or directing the ball with the finger tips. With power tips you have more control over the ball and therefore are more likely to be called for a lift because of the prolonged contact.

Volleyball Spikes Related Pages

Hitting strategies

Hitting Skills

Hitting Drills