FUNDAMENTAL SKILL DEVELOPMENT
The following is a list of basic fundamental volleyball skills. The goal is for all participating athletes to
establish the same fundamental skills as their teammate. However, remember that children all learn and
develop at different rates and no child should ever be criticized for not picking-up a skill as quickly as their
peers. The plan should be used as a guideline for putting together practice outlines and for teaching the
‘know-how’ of the game of volleyball. It is essential to the overall success of PAC’s youth volleyball program
that all coaches aim to teach the fundamentals and sport knowledge.
Game Knowledge
The Court
How to Score
Rules on Touches (3 and over)
Court Positions
Court Communication
Terminology
Ace - A serve that is not passable and results immediately in a point.
Antenna - The vertical rods (normally white and red) mounted near the edges of the net. The antennas
are mounted directly above the sidelines and are not-in-play. Antennas are not usually used on outdoor
nets.
Approach - Fast stride toward the net by a spiker before he jumps in the air.
Attack - The offensive action of hitting the ball. The attempt by one team to terminate the play by hitting
the ball to the floor on the opponent's side.
Attack Line - A line 3m from the net that separates the front row players from the back row players.
Commonly referred to as the "10-foot line."
Backcourt - The area from the end line to the attack line.
Block - A defensive play by one or more players meant to deflect a spiked ball back to the hitter’s court. It
may be a combination of one, two or three players jumping in front of the opposing spiker and contacting
the spiked ball with the hands.
Bump – a common term for forearm passing.
Center Line - The boundary that runs directly under the net and divides the court into two equal halves.
Dig - Passing a spiked or rapidly hit ball. Slang for the art of passing an attacked ball close to the floor.
Forearm Pass - Join your arms from the elbows to the wrists and strike the ball with the fleshy part of
your forearms in an underhand motion.
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.
Hit - To jump and strike the ball with an overhand, forceful shot.
Hitter - Also "spiker"
Kill - An attack that results in an immediate point or side out.
Line - The marks that serve as boundaries of a court.
Overhand Serve - Serving the ball and striking it with the hand above the shoulder.
Pepper - A warm-up drill in which two players pass, set, and hit the ball back and forth.
Rally - The exchange of plays that decides each point.
Rally Point - A point is recorded for every single rally no matter who is serving. Unforced errors or missed
serves also results in a point for the other team.
Ready Position (defensive stance) - The flexed, yet comfortable, posture a player assumes before moving
to contact the ball.
Rotation - The clockwise movement of players around the court and through the serving position
following a side out.
Serve - One of the six basic skills; used to put the ball into play. It is the only skill controlled exclusively
by one player.
