Volleyball Jargon - Methods of Contacting The Ball

Methods of Contacting The Ball

• Beach dig : A dig made using both hands and fingers to surround the ball, squeeze and actually slightly lift the ball. Allowed when defending against a hard hit on the beach.
• Bump : Similar in motion to a pass, but used to set a ball for an attack.
• 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.
• Chop Shot : A type of attack usually executed on the beach, instead of contacting behind the ball the player turns their hand sideways and chops the side of the ball, creating side spin and a sharp sideways trajectory along the net. Most easily done with the right hand on the right side, and the left hand on the left side.
• Cobra : With the fingers extended straight and stiff, the ball is poked with the fingertips.
• Crepe : When a player digs the ball by extending his or her leg with the foot flat on the floor, letting the ball bounce off the top of the foot.
• Dinosaur-Dig : When one attempts to block a ball but it falls down between them and the net, so they bring their arms down in front of them like a T-Rex and play the ball up with the backs of their wrists. All the better if accompanied by a dinosaur noise.
• Dump: When on second contact the ball is purposely returned over the net instead of set to a hitter, which may result in a kill when the defense in unaware. Usually enacted by the setter.
• Flipper : A reaching contact made with the outstretched back of the hand in a flipping motion. Popularized by beach player Andy Fishburn.
• Floater/Float : A non-spinning serve characterized by unpredictable, erratic movement during flight caused by airflow interacting with the seams of the ball. Similar to a knuckleball in baseball.
• Gator : A defensive digging technique used on the beach in the defense of a hard hit ball. The hands are formed into the shape of 2 gator jaws. The maneuver involves digging the ball with the bottom hand and then directing it with the upper hand.
• J-Stroke : an emergency play made either running or diving, often with one hand, where a player has to reach well in front of them to contact the ball and follow through in a 'J' motion in order to send the ball back over their head.
• Jay-pass : a forearm or overhead pass that places the setter in a position to only be able to set the passer who initiated the pass. Generally passed low to the ground and immediately in front of the passer.
• Jump float : A float serve with a small hop/jump.
• Jump Serve / Jump spin : a serve made famous by Karch Kiraly; the server tosses the ball high into the air about 3~5 feet away from himself, flicking the wrist making top spin on the ball then taking a spike approach and contacting the ball while in mid air snapping the wrist to cause great forward spin to allow the ball to suddenly drop when the opponent is going to pass the ball.
• Kong : A one-handed block, usually because the blocker is late. Initially popularized by Randy Stoklos.
• Pancake : When a player digs the ball by extending his or her hand flat on the floor, palm facing down, letting the ball bounce off the back of the hand.
• Pokey / Camel toe : A ball contacted with the knuckles especially on the beach.
• 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.
• Sprawl : A type of dig in which the player does not dive forward, but rather places his hands on the ground and pushes his body forward and down. Similar to diving for a ball, but not actually leaving the ground.
• Sky ball : A unique underhand serve in which the ball is shot unusually high into the air above the opposing team's court in the attempt to confuse the receiver.
• Thunder: A spike or attack that requires a lot of force from the arm, and a very high jump. The ball is hit steeply downwards from the point of contact, and is very difficult to receive.
• 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.
• Wipe / Swipe : When one player pushes the ball against the opponents block and physically wipes the ball out of bounds. Similar to a tool.
• Steino : A 3 Knuckle pokey shot in beach Volleyball made famous by AVP Pro and USA Olympian Stein Metzger. Stein Metzger gives credit to the introduction of the shot on the AVP Pro tour to Eduardo Jorge "Anjinho" Bacil Filho better known as Anjinho Bacil.