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

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.

ATTACK BLOCK - Receiving players' aggressive attempt to block a spiked ball before it crosses the net.  Players can not attack the serve.  Rule of thumb is the setter is not allowed to attack the serve.

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.

BACK SET - A set delivered behind the setter's back, which is subsequently hit by an attacker.

BACK ROW ATTACK - When the middle-back player attacks the ball, which is legal in outdoor volleyball.

BEACH DIG - The player receives an attack (any overhand strike) open hand not the serve. The player will be called for a double hit or held ball if the ball is bump passed over the net. A beach dig may look like the player is catching the ball but is legal unless the player holds the ball more than a couple of seconds.

BLOCK - A block results in the defensive player contacting the ball and stopping the attacker from a kill. The blocker may not touch the net, reach, or interfere under the center line. If the ball is dead before the blocker touches the net, then blocker will not be called for a net violation.

BUMP or PASS - A common term for forearm contact.

CAMPFIRE - A ball that falls in the middle of the court or two or three players, 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.

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.

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

DINK - A legal set over the net. Any rotation of the ball may be called for a violation except for slight or ½ forward rotation. Note: Novice - B players are not allowed to dink in The Sand Club unless established before the game.

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

DOUBLE HIT - A violation of successive hits or contacts by the same player.

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.

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.

FOOT FAULT - A violation of the server's foot touches the back line before the ball is served.

FOUL - A violation of the rules.

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

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 violation of the ball that comes to rest during contact.

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

HITTER - Also "spiker" or "attacker"

JUNGLE BALL - Any volleyball game with people who do not understand the rules or call obvious violations. Jungle Ball is not allowed at The Sand Club in order to avoid injuries caused by players coming under the net or colliding with players.

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.

KNUCKLE - A legal contact with the knuckles to avoid a push violation.

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.

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.

NET - A violation of any player touching the net while the ball is in play.

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 with open hands but one hand is over the other hand and touching each other, just above the forehead.

OVERHAND SERVE - Serving the ball and striking it with the hand above the shoulder.

PANCAKE - A one-handed defensive technique where the hand is extended and the palm is slid along the sand as the player dives or extension rolls, and timed so that the ball bounces off the back of the hand.

PASS or BUMP - A common term for forearm contact.

PENETRATION - The act of reaching across and breaking the plane of the net during blocking yet not touching the ball before the offense.

PLANE - There is an imaginary plane above the net that the offensive and defensive player may not cross and touch the ball.

POWER VOLLEYBALL - A competitive style of volleyball started by the Japanese.

PUSH - A violation of the offensive or defensive player that makes contact with the ball with a straight arm and redirects the ball or wrist without a swinging motion.

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.

RALLY SCORING - Every side out is a point.

REACH - A violation of either the offense or defense illegally reaching over the net. The defensive player may not reach over the net and touch the ball before the offensive player until the ball breaks the plane or the offensive player touches the ball. Similarly, the offensive player may not reach over the net and touch the ball after the ball breaks the plane even if it is the offensive second or third hit.

READY POSITION - The flexed, yet comfortable, posture a player assumes before moving to contact the ball.

RED CARD - A red card is used by an official for severe poor sportsmanship (swearing at a player, throwing the ball with aggression, kicking the ball with aggression), which results in disqualification, 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.

ROOF - A ball that when spiked is blocked by a defensive player such that the ball deflects straight to the sand on the attacker's side.

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 every time the ball hits the sand. In the case of indoor volleyball, a side out is critical because the serving team can't lose a point. In outdoor volleyball, a side out is referred to as breaking the serve or the defense winning the point.

SIX PACK - Occurs when a blocker gets hit in the head or face by a spiked ball.

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 side 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 side 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.

YELLOW CARD - a warning from an official indicated by the display of a yellow card. Any player who receives two yellow cards in a match is disqualified. A single yellow card does not result in loss of point or serve. Usually given to players crossing under the net or beginning stages of aggression.