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Hidayatz Yahya

Volleyball Lecturer Qutubuddin Budin

Special thanks to them who involve in making of this blog. :)

How To Play Volleyball Video

How to Play Volleyball

Learning How to Play Volleyball

When first learning how to play volleyball, you need to understand the object of the game.
The object of the game is to beat your opponents to a predetermined number of points.
In the old days, volleyball was played to 15 points and a point is scored only when the serving team wins the rally.
Today, rally scoring is primarily used which means a point is scored as a result of each play. Most volleyball games today are rally scoring and played to 25 points.
To win the game, you must score more points than your opponent and be leading by at least 2.
Winning the rallyWhen first learning how to play volleyball, it's important to understand how to score points.
To score a point in volleyball, a team must win a rally. A rally is begun by a server serving the ball into play. The ball is served over the net to the opposing team.
The opponent then gets a maximum of three hits to return the ball back over the net.
A team wins a rally if…

• there opponent isn’t able to successfully return the ball
• a player hits the ball down into their opponents court
• a player hits the ball out of bounds
• the team hits the ball off an opposing player
• a player commits a fault when playing the ball

 

Basic Rules for How to Play Volleyball

Indoor volleyball is played with two 6 player teams. Each team has 3 front row players and 3 back row players. The front row players mainly hit and block. The back row players mainly pass and dig.
The teams are separated by a net over which the ball must cross.
In the men’s game, the net is positioned to 2.43 meters high.
In the women’s game, the net is positioned to 2.24 meters high.

Basic Skills for How to Play Volleyball

There are some basic skills and court positions that you must know before you start playing volleyball.The skills listed here are just basic.
The basic skills for playing volleyball are serving, passing, setting, attacking, blocking and digging.
The serve is what begins the game.
Passing the ball is the skill that’s performed by the player receiving the ball.
Setting is the action of playing the ball to a teammate. Setting is usually done in an overhead motion using the hands. Players that have a hard time getting in good position to hand set may elect to set using a forearm passing motion. This is called bump setting.
Attacking or spiking is the action of sending the ball over the net to the opponent's court. Attacks are usually done by taking steps to approach the net to jump and hit the ball. The volleyball approach and hit is often thought of as the most fun skill in volleyball.
A block is the action of trying to prevent the ball from crossing the net into your court.
Digging is the action of playing the ball in a way that prevents the ball from touching the court after an attack by the opponents.
To get good at these volleyball skills require improving physical proficiency and hand-arm-and-eye coordination. Being able to effectively communicate with your teammates and having an understanding of how to play volleyball will highly influence how well you perform these skills.

On a very basic level, players on the team can be divided into 2 types.

1. Front row players (attack/blocker)
   The front row players responsibility is attacking the ball when the setter sets them. Also, front row players try to block the ball coming from the opponent.
2. Back row players (passer/digger)
   The back row players main responsibility is to pass the ball that comes from the opponent. Back row players are the main passers on the team when receiving the opponents serve. Back row players also dig balls hit by opposing team spikers.

Here are some basic volleyball positions you should become familiar with when learning how to play volleyball.

• Setter
  A setters main job is to set spikers. This is done by waiting for a teammate to pass the ball to them.
• Spiker
  A spiker (attacker) is a player that attacks a ball over the net. The spiker is a front row player and their main job is to spike balls at the net.
• Passer
  A passer is player that passes the ball up to the setter. The better a passer is able to pass, the easier it is for the setter to set which results in a better attack by the spiker.
• Digger
  A digger is a defensive player that passes the ball up to the setter. The digger is skilled at digging hard driven spikes and chasing down off-speed shots by the opponent.
• Server
  The server is the player on the team that puts the ball into play to start the rally. The players that undstand how to play volleyball the best are often the best servers on the team.

Official Glossary of Volleyball Terms

Quasi-Official Glossary of Volleyball Terms

• assist: awarded when a player passes, sets, or digs the ball to a teammate who attacks the ball for a kill.
• attack: an attempt to terminate the play by hitting the ball to the floor on the opponent's side; can be awarded for a tip.
• attack line: sometimes called "3 meter line" or "10-foot line;" the line parallel to the center line and three meters/10 feet back from the net.
• back row attack: when a back row player attacks the ball by jumping from behind the attack line before hitting the ball; if the back row player steps on or past the line during take-off and sends the ball over after contacting it above the height of the net, the attack is illegal.
• block: awarded when a player thwarts an attack, deflecting the ball onto the opponent’s court for a point.
• block assist: awarded when two or three players participate in a successful block; each player receives credit.
• campfire defense: when a ball falls to the floor in an area that's surrounded by two or more motionless players; it appears the players are encircling and staring dumbfounded at a campfire.
• carry: a misplayed ball involving "prolonged contact;" ("Come on Ref, she carried that ball!"); also called a lift or throw.
• center line violation: player encroaches on opponent's court under the net; no violation if some part of the foot or hand (i.e. the heel) remains in contact with the center line.
• chester: to be hit in the chest (cousin to the dreaded "six-pack").
• coach kill: when an opponent serves the ball into the net or out immediately after a time-out or substitution called by the coach. 
• cover the hitter: players on the attacking team cluster near a spiker in order to retrieve rebounds from the opposing blockers.
• cut shot: a spike from the hitter's strong side that travels at a sharp cross-court angle across the net.
• deep dish: a soft set where the ball is caught, dragged down to chest or even navel level, and then back up before being released; contact lasts long enough for the player to check the ball pressure and read the label; see carry.
• dig: the act of retrieving an attacked ball; awarded when a player successfully passes a ball that has been attacked by the opponent; sometimes called an "up" as in "great up, dude!"
• facial: see six-pack.
• fish: a player who gets caught in the net; see tuna.
• floater:  served ball that doesn't spin; it will suddenly shift its flight path like a "knuckleball" in baseball.
• friendly fire: being hit in the head by a teammate's serve.
• free ball: an easy return from the opponent.
• heat: a particularly hard spike.
• husband-and-wife-play: a ball drops untouched between two players because they failed to communicate;  the situation generally will not improve unless somebody apologizes.
• Jedi defense: play where immobile defender thrusts one arm at the ball, resulting in a miraculously perfect pass and prompting the coach to mutter "Hmm, the force in her, strong it is." 
• joust: two opposing players contact the ball simultaneously above the plane of the net.
• jump serve: a serve in which the server tosses the ball, makes an approach, jumps, and spikes the ball, causing fans to hold their breath and then cheer if it works--but shake their heads and loudly question the coach's I.Q.  if it fails.
• kill: an attacked ball that strikes the floor or lands out of bounds after touching an opponent.
• kong: a one-handed block similar to the move King Kong performed on those biplanes in the original movie.
• line shot: a ball spiked down the opponent's sideline.
• lollipop: a very soft serve; if you serve too many you get licked.
• mintonette: the original name of the game of volleyball.
• monument valley: area between two tall players who can't play defense.
• net violation: illegal for any part of the player's uniform or body  (except for the hair) to contact the net.
• paint brush: when the hitter swings hard but only "brushes" the bottom of the ball; ball often drops behind the blockers for a kill.
• pancake: one-handed defensive save where the hand is extended and the palm is slid flat (like a pancake!) along the floor as the player dives for the ball; timed so the ball bounces off the back of the hand.
• pepper: warm-up drill in which two players pass, set, and hit the ball back and forth.
• prince/princess of whales: a player who spikes the ball as hard as possible no matter what; see whale.
• quick set: a set (usually 2 feet above the net) where the hitter approaches the setter, and may even be in the air, before the setter delivers the ball; requires precise timing.
• rainbow: a soft shot over the blockers that arcs like a rainbow.
• red card: a penalty for extreme misconduct; results in a player/coach being disqualified and the team losing the point.
• redwood: a tall, but not particularly agile, blocker.
• roof: when the blocker smothers the hitter; see stuff.
• screening: a deliberate (and illegal) attempt to obscure the start of a teammate's serve by obstructing an opponent's line of sight.
• service ace: a serve that hits the floor or causes the passer to misplay the ball such that no player can make a second contact.
• set: a maneuver in which a ball is purposely directed to a spiker; however, in the south, it can also mean to be seated: "I reckon y'all better come set here on the bench." 
• shank: an awful pass that flies up into the cheap seats.
• side out: receiving team wins a rally, earning the right to serve.
• six-pack: occurs when a blocker gets hit in the head or face by a spiked ball; also known as a "facial" or "Tachikara tattoo;" if the victim has to come out of the game, it's a "facial disgracial."
• sizzle the pits: hard spike that travels past blocker's raised arms.
• spike: a ball contacted by a player on the offensive team with the intent to terminate the ball on the opponent's side.
• 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 monstrous block straight down into the floor; a true stuff block should hit the ground before the hitter lands; see also roof.
• tandem: a combination play in which one player attacks directly behind another; designed to confuse blockers and parents.
• tip: placement or redirection of the ball with the fingers, sometimes referred to as a dink or dump; a tip is counted as an attack attempt and, if successful, a kill.
• tool: deliberately hitting the ball off the block to score a point--sometimes called a "wipe."
• trap set: a set very tight to the net and often very low, invariably leading to a stuff; a hitter that wants another set, however, knows better than to suggest the setter is at fault.
• tuna: player who commits a very flagrant net violation.
• whale: verb: to heedlessly swing at the ball with maximum force without regard for the blocker's location, the score, ball position, or coach's express instructions.
• yellow card: warning for misconduct indicated by display of a yellow card.

Formations

Formations

The three standard volleyball formations are known as "4-2", "6-2" and "5-1", which refers to the number of hitters and setters respectively. 4-2 is a basic formation used only in beginners' play, while 5-1 is by far the most common formation in high-level play.

4-2

The 4-2 formation has four hitters and two setters. The setters usually set from the middle front or right front position. The team will therefore have two front-row attackers at all times. In the international 4-2, the setters set from the right front position. The international 4-2 translates more easily into other forms of offense.
The setters line up opposite each other in the rotation. The typical lineup has two outside hitters. By aligning like positions opposite themselves in the rotation, there will always be one of each position in the front and back rows. After service, the players in the front row move into their assigned positions, so that the setter is always in middle front. Alternatively, the setter moves into the right front and has both a middle and an outside attacker; the disadvantage here lies in the lack of an offside hitter, allowing one of the other team's blockers to "cheat in" on a middle block.
The clear disadvantage to this offensive formation is that there are only two attackers, leaving a team with fewer offensive weapons.
Another aspect is to see the setter as an attacking force, albeit a weakened force, because when the setter is in the front court they are able to 'tip' or 'dump', so when the ball is close to the net on the second touch, the setter may opt to hit the ball over with one hand. This means that the blocker who would otherwise not have to block the setter is engaged and may allow one of the hitters to have an easier attack.

6-2

In the 6-2 formation, a player always comes forward from the back row to set. The three front row players are all in attacking positions. Thus, all six players act as hitters at one time or another, while two can act as setters. So the 6-2 formation is actually a 4-2 system, but the back-row setter penetrates to set.
The 6-2 lineup thus requires two setters, who line up opposite to each other in the rotation. In addition to the setters, a typical lineup will have two middle hitters and two outside hitters. By aligning like positions opposite themselves in the rotation, there will always be one of each position in the front and back rows. After service, the players in the front row move into their assigned positions.
The advantage of the 6-2 is that there are always three front-row hitters available, maximizing the offensive possibilities. However, not only does the 6-2 require a team to possess two people capable of performing the highly specialized role of setter, it also requires both of those players to be effective offensive hitters when not in the setter position. At the international level, only the Cuban National Women's Team employs this kind of formation. It is also used in Women's NCAA play, partially due to the variant rules used which allow 12 substitutions per set (as opposed to the 6 allowed in the standard rules).

5-1

The 5-1 formation has only one player who assumes setting responsibilities regardless of his or her position in the rotation. The team will therefore have three front-row attackers when the setter is in the back row, and only two when the setter is in the front row, for a total of five possible attackers.
The player opposite the setter in a 5-1 rotation is called the opposite hitter. In general, opposite hitters do not pass; they stand behind their teammates when the opponent is serving. The opposite hitter may be used as a third attack option (back-row attack) when the setter is in the front row: this is the normal option used to increase the attack capabilities of modern volleyball teams. Normally the opposite hitter is the most technical skilled hitter of the team. Back-row attacks generally come from the back-right position,known as zone 1, but are increasingly performed from back-center in high-level play.
The big advantage of this system is that the setter always has 3 hitters to vary sets with. If the setter does this well, the opponent's middle blocker may not have enough time to block with the outside blocker, increasing the chance for the attacking team to make a point.
There is another advantage, the same as that of a 4-2 formation: when the setter is a front-row player, he or she is allowed to jump and "dump" the ball onto the opponent's side. This too can confuse the opponent's blocking players: the setter can jump and dump or can set to one of the hitters. A good setter knows this and thus won't only jump to dump or to set for a quick hit, but when setting outside as well to confuse the opponent.
The 5-1 offense is actually a mix of 6-2 and 4-2: when the setter is in the front row, the offense looks like a 4-2; when the setter is in the back row, the offense looks like a 6-2.


Understanding volleyball formations is important to be successful in volleyball.

Just before your opponent puts the ball into play with a serve, your team gets ready by lining up on the court in serve reception.


When deciding on what formation, there are two main things to consider...

1. How effective it is get a successful pass
2. and how effective is the attack hit that results from the pass and set

The object of serve receive is to successfully direct the ball to the target player. The target is usually the setter that moves to the target area ready to set the ball.

At the beginning of serve receive, most teams position the setter about 10 feet off the net near the right sideline. As the ball is being "passed" the setter moves toward the target area as the served ball is in the air.

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The most commonly used volleyball formations are...

1. The U formation. The U serve receive formation uses 4 players lined up to receive the serve.
2. The W formation. The W serve receive formation uses 5 players lined up to receive the serve.

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Variations of the W Serve Receive Formation

Split Formation
A good formation for when the middle player is one of the better players on the team.



























Right and Left Slant Formation
The right and left slant formations are good for when you want to have the setter and quick attackers closer to the net.

Moving the quick attacker closer to the net brings them away from having to pass the serve which makes it easier for them to attack.
(Left Slant)



























(Right Slant)



























Shift Left Formation
This is a popular formation for when running a 5-1 and only having two attackers in the front row.



























Shift Right Formation
A less popular and effective formation. This formation could be effective for setting a back row attacker out of the left back position.



























Deep Formation
A possible formation to effectively pass a hard deep court serve. This is best when the front row players are the best passers.



























Down Formation
In this formation, two back row players stand near the endline ready to make an adjustment to a deep hard serve.



























Shallow Formation
This formation teaches players to improve communication because of their closeness. This is best against float serves that drop quickly to the center of the court.

Coaching

Coaching

Basic

Coaching for volleyball can be classified under two main categories: match coaching and developmental coaching. The objective of match coaching is to win a match by managing a team's strategy. Developmental coaching emphasizes player development through the reinforcement of basic skills during exercises known as "drills." Drills promote repetition and refinement of volleyball movements, particularly in footwork patterns, body positioning relative to others, and ball contact. A coach will construct drills that simulate match situations thereby encouraging speed of movement, anticipation, timing, communication, and team-work. At the various stages of a player's career, a coach will tailor drills to meet the strategic requirements of the team. The American Volleyball Coaches Association is the largest organization in the world dedicated exclusively to volleyball coaching.

Strategy

An image from an international match between Italy and Russia in 2005. A Russian player on the left has just served, with three men of his team next to the net moving to their assigned block positions from the starting ones. Two others, in the back-row positions, are preparing for defense. Italy, on the right, has three men in a line, each preparing to pass if the ball reaches him. The setter is waiting for their pass while the middle hitter with no. 10 will jump for a quick hit if the pass is good enough. Alessandro Fei (no. 14) has no passing duties and is preparing for a back-row hit on the right side of the field. Note the two liberos with different color dress. Middle hitters/blockers are commonly substituted by liberos in their back-row positions.

Player specialization

There are 5 positions filled on every volleyball team at the elite level. Setter, Outside Hitter/Left Side Hitter, Middle Hitter, Opposite Hitter/Right Side Hitter and Libero/Defensive Specialist. Each of these positions plays a specific, key role in winning a volleyball match.

• Setters have the task for orchestrating the offense of the team. They aim for second touch and their main responsibility is to place the ball in the air where the attackers can place the ball into the opponents' court for a point. They have to be able to operate with the hitters, manage the tempo of their side of the court and choose the right attackers to set. Setters need to have swift and skillful appraisal and tactical accuracy, and must be quick at moving around the court.
• Liberos are defensive players who are responsible for receiving the attack or serve. They are usually the players on the court with the quickest reaction time and best passing skills. Libero means 'free' as they have the ability to substitute for any other player on the court during each play. They do not necessarily need to be tall, as they never play at the net, which allows shorter players with strong passing and defensive skills to excel in the position and play an important role in the team's success. A player designated as a libero for a match may not play other roles during that match. Liberos wear a different color jersey than their teammates.
• Middle blockers or Middle hitters are players that can perform very fast attacks that usually take place near the setter. They are specialized in blocking, since they must attempt to stop equally fast plays from their opponents and then quickly set up a double block at the sides of the court. In non-beginners play, every team will have two middle hitters.
• Outside hitters or Left side hitters attack from near the left antenna. The outside hitter is usually the most consistent hitter on the team and gets the most sets. Inaccurate first passes usually result in a set to the outside hitter rather than middle or opposite. Since most sets to the outside are high, the outside hitter may take a longer approach, always starting from outside the court sideline. In non-beginners play, there are again two outside hitters on every team in every match.
• Opposite hitters or Right side hitters carry the defensive workload for a volleyball team in the front row. Their primary responsibilities are to put up a well formed block against the opponents Outside Hitters and serve as a backup setter. Sets to the opposite usually go to the right side of the antennae.

Skills

Skills

Competitive teams master six basic skills: serve, pass, set, attack, block and dig. Each of these skills comprises a number of specific techniques that have been introduced over the years and are now considered standard practice in high-level volleyball.

Serve

Setting up for an overhand serve.

A player making a jump serve.

A player stands behind the inline and serves the ball, in an attempt to drive it into the opponent's court. His or her main objective is to make it land inside the court; it is also desirable to set the ball's direction, speed and acceleration so that it becomes difficult for the receiver to handle it properly. A serve is called an "ace" when the ball lands directly onto the court or travels outside the court after being touched by an opponent.
In contemporary volleyball, many types of serves are employed:

• Underhand: a serve in which the player strikes the ball below the waist instead of tossing it up and striking it with an overhand throwing motion. Underhand serves are considered very easy to receive and are rarely employed in high-level competitions.
• Sky Ball Serve: a specific type of underhand serve occasionally used in beach volleyball, where the ball is hit so high it comes down almost in a straight line. This serve was invented and employed almost exclusively by the Brazilian team in the early 1980s and is now considered outdated. In Brazil, this serve is called Jornada nas Estrelas (Star Trek).
• Topspin: an overhand serve where the player tosses the ball high and hits it with a wrist span, giving it topspin which causes it to drop faster than it would otherwise and helps maintain a straight flight path. Topspin serves are generally hit hard and aimed at a specific returner or part of the court. Standing topspin serves are rarely used above the high school level of play.
• Float: an overhand serve where the ball is hit with no spin so that its path becomes unpredictable, akin to a knuckleball in baseball.
• Jump Serve: an overhand serve where the ball is first tossed high in the air, then the player makes a timed approach and jumps to make contact with the ball, hitting it with much pace and topspin. This is the most popular serve amongst college and professional teams.
• Jump Float: an overhand serve where the ball is tossed high enough that the player may jump before hitting it similarly to a standing float serve. The ball is tossed lower than a topspin jump serve, but contact is still made while in the air. This serve is becoming more popular amongst college and professional players because it has a certain unpredictability in its flight pattern.

Set

The set is usually the second contact that a team makes with the ball. The main goal of setting is to put the ball in the air in such a way that it can be driven by an attack into the opponent's court. The setter coordinates the offensive movements of a team, and is the player who ultimately decides which player will actually attack the ball.
As with passing, one may distinguish between an overhand and a bump set. Since the former allows for more control over the speed and direction of the ball, the bump is used only when the ball is so low it cannot be properly handled with fingertips, or in beach volleyball where rules regulating overhand setting are more stringent. In the case of a set, one also speaks of a front or back set, meaning whether the ball is passed in the direction the setter is facing or behind the setter. There is also a jump set that is used when the ball is too close to the net. In this case the setter usually jumps off his or her right foot straight up to avoid going into the net. The setter usually stands about ⅔ of the way from the left to the right of the net and faces the left (the larger portion of net that he or she can see).
Sometimes a setter refrains from raising the ball for a teammate to perform an attack and tries to play it directly onto the opponent's court. This movement is called a "dump". The most common dumps are to 'throw' the ball behind the setter or in front of the setter to zones 2 and 4. More experienced setters toss the ball into the deep corners or spike the ball on the second hit.

Pass

A woman making a forearm pass or bump.

Also called reception, the pass is the attempt by a team to properly handle the opponent's serve, or any form of attack. Proper handling includes not only preventing the ball from touching the court, but also making it reach the position where the setter is standing quickly and precisely.
The skill of passing involves fundamentally two specific techniques: underarm pass, or bump, where the ball touches the inside part of the joined forearms or platform, at waist line; and overhand pass, where it is handled with the fingertips, like a set, above the head. Either are acceptable in professional and beach volleyball, however there are much tighter regulations on the overhand pass in beach volleyball.

Attack

The attack, also known as the spike, is usually the third contact a team makes with the ball. The object of attacking is to handle the ball so that it lands on the opponent's court and cannot be defended. A player makes a series of steps (the "approach"), jumps, and swings at the ball.
Ideally the contact with the ball is made at the apex of the hitter's jump. At the moment of contact, the hitter's arm is fully extended above his or her head and slightly forward, making the highest possible contact while maintaining the ability to deliver a powerful hit. The hitter uses arm swing, wrist snap, and a rapid forward contraction of the entire body to drive the ball. A 'bounce' is a slang term for a very hard/loud spike that follows an almost straight trajectory steeply downward into the opponent's court and bounces very high into the air. A "kill" is the slang term for an attack that is not returned by the other team thus resulting in a point.
Contemporary volleyball comprises a number of attacking techniques:

• Backcourt (or backrow)/pipe attack: an attack performed by a back row player. The player must jump from behind the 3-meter line before making contact with the ball, but may land in front of the 3-meter line.
• Line and Cross-court Shot: refers to whether the ball flies in a straight trajectory parallel to the side lines, or crosses through the court in an angle. A cross-court shot with a very pronounced angle, resulting in the ball landing near the 3-meter line, is called a cut shot.
• Dip/Dink/Tip/Cheat/Dump: the player does not try to make a hit, but touches the ball lightly, so that it lands on an area of the opponent's court that is not being covered by the defense.
• Tool/Wipe/Block-abuse: the player does not try to make a hard spike, but hits the ball so that it touches the opponent's block and then bounces off-court.
• Off-speed hit: the player does not hit the ball hard, reducing its speed and thus confusing the opponent's defense.
• Quick hit/"One": an attack (usually by the middle blocker) where the approach and jump begin before the setter contacts the ball. The set (called a "quick set") is placed only slightly above the net and the ball is struck by the hitter almost immediately after leaving the setter's hands. Quick attacks are often effective because they isolate the middle blocker to be the only blocker on the hit.
• Slide: a variation of the quick hit that uses a low back set. The middle hitter steps around the setter and hits from behind him or her.
• Double quick hit/"Stack"/"Tandem": a variation of quick hit where two hitters, one in front and one behind the setter or both in front of the setter, jump to perform a quick hit at the same time. It can be used to deceive opposite blockers and free a fourth hitter attacking from backcourt, maybe without block at all.

Block

3 players performing a block

Blocking refers to the actions taken by players standing at the net to stop or alter an opponent's attack.
A block that is aimed at completely stopping an attack, thus making the ball remain in the opponent's court, is called offensive. A well-executed offensive block is performed by jumping and reaching to penetrate with one's arms and hands over the net and into the opponent's area. It requires anticipating the direction the ball will go once the attack takes place. It may also require calculating the best foot work to executing the "perfect" block.
The jump should be timed so as to intercept the ball's trajectory prior to it crossing over the net. Palms are held deflected downward about 45-60 degrees toward the interior of the opponents court. A "roof" is a spectacular offensive block that redirects the power and speed of the attack straight down to the attacker's floor, as if the attacker hit the ball into the underside of a peaked house roof.
By contrast, it is called a defensive, or "soft" block if the goal is to control and deflect the hard-driven ball up so that it slows down and becomes more easy to be defended. A well-executed soft-block is performed by jumping and placing one's hands above the net with no penetration into the opponent's court and with the palms up and fingers pointing backward.
Blocking is also classified according to the number of players involved. Thus, one may speak of single (or solo), double, or triple block.
Successful blocking does not always result in a "roof" and many times does not even touch the ball. While it’s obvious that a block was a success when the attacker is roofed, a block that consistently forces the attacker away from his or her 'power' or preferred attack into a more easily controlled shot by the defense is also a highly successful block.

At the same time, the block position influences the positions where other defenders place themselves while opponent hitters are spiking.

Dig

Woman going for a dig.

Digging is the ability to prevent the ball from touching one's court after a spike or attack, particularly a ball that is nearly touching the ground. In many aspects, this skill is similar to passing, or bumping: overhand dig and bump are also used to distinguish between defensive actions taken with fingertips or with joined arms.
Some specific techniques are more common in digging than in passing. A player may sometimes perform a "dive", i.e., throw his or her body in the air with a forward movement in an attempt to save the ball, and land on his or her chest. When the player also slides his or her hand under a ball that is almost touching the court, this is called a "pancake". The pancake is frequently used in indoor volleyball.
Sometimes a player may also be forced to drop his or her body quickly to the floor in order to save the ball. In this situation, the player makes use of a specific rolling technique to minimize the chances of injuries.