The volleyball dig can keep your team in the game and is a key skill to develop.

When the ball is attacked

by your opponent, your job is to keep the ball from hitting the floor. A dig is a pass of a hard-driven ball
from the other team. Like a pass, your arm position and platform remain the same. The difference is that
the ball is coming from a high point above the net and hit in a downward trajectory. When passing the
ball is coming from 30 feet away and usually below the height of the net. You must react quickly and
adjust accordingly.

A volleyball spike or attack is the strategy used to send the ball over the net to the opponent in such a
manner that ball is not returnable.

The spike is performed by moving the arm in a way such that you angle the ball to land on the ground of
your opponent's side of the court.

Usually a spike is hit with great force at a downward angle.

However, more skilled spikers use other volleyball strategies for attacking to trick the opponent while
positioned to receive the ball. One way to catch the opponents off guard is to tip or dink the ball.

A block occurs when a front-row player close to the net reaches higher than the net and contacts the ball
as it is coming over from the opponent. A block attempt is when the blocker reaches higher than the net
but does not contact the ball, and a completed block is when the blocker does make contact with the
ball.

Block contacts can be by more than one player and consecutive, as long as it is all one action. So if the
ball is coming over, and two different players jump up and both make contact with the ball, it is one
block.

This is important because block contacts are not counted as team hits. So after the block contact, if the
ball stays on the blocker's side, the team still gets three hits.
A blocker can reach over the net, but they are not allowed to interfere with an opponent's play. Basically,
this means that the blocker cannot touch the ball until an opponent has made an attack hit.

To address your scenarios, if the block prevents the ball from coming on to the blocker's side and the ball
remains in play, it is still considered a block. The blocker touching the ball resets the team hit count, and
the opposing team gets another three team hits.

The rules on blocks are found in Chapter 14 of the FIVB Official Volleyball Rules, which are the rules used
in Olympic play.

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Types of Serves in Volleyball

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Volleyball jump serve

FatCamera/Getty Images

by

Beverly Oden

Updated May 24, 2019

There are different types of serves in volleyball, depending on your skill level and the competitive
situation. For beginners, the underhand serve is the most common because it is the easiest to learn.
For competitive volleyball, there are three main types of overhand serves: the floater, the topspin, and
the jump serve. Try them all to find out which one suits you best, but keep in mind that you will want to
be somewhat proficient in all three.

Underhand Serve

This serve is used mainly in recreational volleyball. It does not require the level of skill or coordination
that the other types of serves do. With one foot stepped back, you hold the ball in your opposite hand.
Then with your other hand fisted, shift your weight forward and hit the ball just below the center (or
equator) of the ball.

Overhand Serves

In high school and college competitive volleyball, the overhand serves are most common, and the two
main overhand, or overhead, serves are the topspin and the float.

For all overhand serves, you start with your dominant-side foot back and the ball held extended in your
non-dominant hand. Then you toss the ball up in front of you hitting hand. How you hit it depends on
the type of overhand serve you want to create. The biggest difference between the types of overhand
serves is the server's body position, where contact is made on the ball, and the follow-through.

Floater

A float serve or a floater is a serve that does not spin. It is called a floater because it moves in
unpredictable ways, making it difficult to pass. A float serve catches the air and can move unexpectedly
to the right or the left or it can drop suddenly.

To hit a floater, you make contact in front of your body with your hand hitting behind the middle of the
ball. The arm follows through but only partway. By hitting directly behind the ball, you ensure there's no
spin.

Topspin
A topspin serve does exactly that—spins rapidly forward from the top. This serve has a much more
predictable movement than a floater, but can be difficult to handle because of its quick speed and
difficult to pass because it drops rapidly.

To serve a topspin, you toss the ball a little higher, step under the toss, and strike the ball underneath,
toward the top of the back in a down and outward motion. The arm follows all the way through with a
wrist snap.

Jump Serve

The jump serve is more advanced and utilizes an even higher toss that should be several feet in front of
the server. You uses more of an attack approach, jumping and striking the ball with the heel of your hand
while you're in the air. With this serve, your wrist remains stiff, then you hold (stop) your palm in position
facing the target.

Intercept and control a ball towards another companion in good condition to play it. Low balls are
received with forearms to the front at the height of the waist and high with fingers, over the head. In
other cases more spectacular moves are needed. It is common to see the player throwing in iron on the
abdomen by stretching the arm so the ball pot on hand instead of on the ground and thus avoiding the
point.

Forearm, volley, nod or blow techniques are used with any part of the body as a last resort. Apply
different techniques for the reception of the drawdown, to defend against different attacks or even to
retrieve balls poorly controlled in a lock or previous touch.