DEFENSIVE SPECIALIST - The position on a team who is responsible for digging and

passing the ball in the back row.

DIG - The act of successfully receiving a ball.
DINK or DUMP - A pinpoint and aggressive push of the ball over the net.
DOUBLE BLOCK - Two players working in unison to intercept a ball at the net.
DOUBLE HIT/Contact - Successive hits by the same player. (Illegal)
DOUBLES - A game with two players on a side
DOWN BALL - A ball the blockers elect not to attempt to block because it has bee
n set too far from the net.
Down-Referee - Secondary referee.
FIVB/IVBF - Federation Internationale de Volleyball / International Volleyball F
ederation
FIVE-ONE (5-1) - An offensive system that uses five hitters and one setter.
FLOATER - A serve with no spin that follows an unpredictable path.
Focus - To concentrate attention or effort.
FOOT FAULT - The illegal act of placing a foot on or inside the end line prior t
o the serve.
Forearm Pass - Contacting the ball with the forearms in order to deliver the bal
l to the setter in an underhanded manner.
FOUL - A violation of the rules that was called by a referee.
FOUR-TWO - An offensive system using four hitters and two setters.
FREE BALL - A ball that is delivered over the net to the opposing team in a nonthreatening manner because the ball was hit more like a pass rather than a spike
.
HELD BALL (carry) - A ball that comes to rest for more than the maximum allowabl
e time period during contact resulting in a foul. Again, this is a subjective ca
ll.
HIT - To offensively strike the ball in an effort to terminate the rally for a s
ideout or point.
HITTING PERCENTAGE - A statistical category calculated by subtracting the number
of errors from the number of kills and dividing this result by the number of ki
ll attempts.
ISOLATION PLAY - A play normally designed to deliver the ball to Michael Jordan
to work his "magic" whenever Craig Ehlo of the Cleveland Cavaliers is guarding h
im.
JOUST - The act of simultaneously making contact with the ball by opposing playe
rs immediately above the net. Usually, both players use both hands to forcefully
"push" the ball over the net and onto the other player's side of the court.
JUMP SERVE - One of the most feared serves in all of volleyball when executed co
nsistently, the jump serve involves the server tossing the ball up and making co
ntact with the ball as it falls by jumping up in the air.
KILL - A successful attack that terminates a play or rally resulting in an immed
iate point or side out by the team making the kill.
LET SERVE - A legal serve attempt where the ball makes contact with the net whil
e still managing to go over on the serve receiving team's side of the court.
LIBERO - A player who can be substituted into a game freely in the back row for
defensive purposes, i.e., digging, passing. Required to wear a striking and diff
erent color jersey, the libero is prohibited from serving or attacking the ball.
LINE SHOT - In contrast to a cross-court shot, a line shot refers to a hit attem
pt where the ball is directed along an opponent's sideline closest to the hitter
and usually outside the block.
Line Judge - Officials located at the corners of the court; each linesman is res
ponsible for ruling if the ball is legally in play along the lines for which or
she is responsible.
MIDDLE BACK - A defensive system that uses the middle back player to cover deep
spikes.
MIDDLE HITTER/BLOCKER (MH OR MB) - The position on a team who is primarily respo
nsible for blocking.
MIDDLE UP - A defensive system that uses the middle back player to cover dinks o
r short shots.

MINTONETTE - The original name for the sport of volleyball given by founder Will
iam Morgan.
Missile - A spike or serve that rockets out of bounds.