Volleyball Defense Terms - Terminology for Volleyball Blocking and Digging

Defense is a very important part of volleyball. Here are some volleyball defense terms to remember.

Volleyball Defense Terms - Block the Ball!

Attack Block:  An aggressive attempt to block a spiked ball so that is does not cross the net.

Closing the Block:  When all the blockers join to form an impenetratable wall in which the ball has very little chance of getting past the blocks.

Read Blocking or Committed Block?

Offside Block:  Player at the net away from the opponents attack.

Stuff Block:  A tremendous block that sends the ball straight to the floor with force.

Read Blocking: Blockers determine where the setter sets the ball, then they react and move to stop the hitter.

Committed Block:  Blockers commit to stop a specific opponent. I.e. middles often use this "Commit Block" or "Predicted Block" to stop the middle hitter.

Swing Block:  Left and right side players take a starting position inside the court. They take a couple of longer steps together and in cooperation with middle blocker to stop the opponent's left side or right side hitter. When using this style the blocker "flies sideways" to stop the opponent. This is a technique for more experienced players.

Interesting Volleyball Defense Terms

Jedi Defense:  A play where a defender just thrusts out an arm and gives an absolutely perfect pass.

Monument Valley:  The area between two players who play poor defense.

Roof:  When a player jumps high above the net to block and the ball hits the roof of the player's hands sending it straight down to the floor. 

Pancake:  This is when a player slides an outstretched arm palm down on the floor so that the ball bounces off the back of his hand.  An interesting maneuver indeed.

Good defensive effort on the court.

Flipper:  When a player reaches out their arm and contacts the ball with a back hand flipping motion.

Gator:  This is a digging technique used on hard hit balls.  A player forms his hand into the shape of two gator jaws.  Then the player digs the ball first with their bottom hand and then directs it with the hand on top.

Passing on a dime:  When a player is passing on a dime they are passing perfectly. Also called Passing Nails.

More Volleyball Defense Terminology

Roll: when a player passes the ball by laying out an arm and digging the ball then rolling over their shoulder to get back on their feet in a hurry.

Dig:  A dig is an important defense of passing an especially hard hit ball that shoots close to the ground. 

  Rolling or diving?

Diving:  Diving is when a player dives low to the ground and slides while digging the ball.

Down Ball:  This term is usually called out by the defense when it becomes clear that the attacker has no way of hitting a powerful spike so the blockers should not attempt to block.

Related Pages for Volleyball Terms in Defense

Volleyball Hitting Terms
Common Hitting Terms in Volleyball. What is a thirty-two? Slide? Pipe?