by Aniruddha

Created on: October 22, 2009   Last Updated: October 26, 2009

Volley ball is an team game in which two teams of six players each play against each other and are separated by a net. The play starts when one team starts the rally by serving the ball over the net into the opponent team's court. The receiving team should not allow the ball to touch the ground and send it back to the serving team. This continues until a team wins a point. A team that reaches 30 points (25 points for women) wins the set. The team that wins 3 such sets wins the match.

Each team tries to score a point by grounding the ball in the opponents' court or forcing a fault on the other team. A team is allowed three consecutive touches to the ball before it is sent back to the opposite team. Typically, the first two touches prepares the ball for an attack, also known as spike, to force the grounding of the ball in the opponent team's court. This process is known as a smash in volleyball terms and requires great coordination between the offensive team.

A smash is executed in three steps. They are pass, set and attack.

The pass is the first contact of the ball and is also referred to as reception. The passer is responsible to put the ball where the setter is standing, quickly and precisely. A pass can be made as underarm pass, where the passer uses the forearm by holding the palms together, or overhead pass, where the passer uses the fingertips. The types of passing are:

Slide step passing - The passer moves left and right and passes.
Front to Back passing - The passer moves backwards and passes.
Pass and Move - The passer passes and moves to a small area.
Pass and Weave - The passer passes and moves in a low position.

The set is usually the second contact and is the important to make a successful smash. The goal of the setter is to bring the ball to a position where the attacker can hit the ball to a precise location. The setter also decides who is ultimately going to attack the ball by coordinating the team's offensive position. The setter can use underarm pass or overhead pass to guide the movement of the ball. A set can also be made as a first contact of the ball if it is very near to the net.

The attack is usually the third contact and follows after the set. The aim of the attacker is to ground the ball in the opponents' court such that it cannot be defended. The attacker makes a series of steps, known as approach, jumps and swings at the ball. For a proper attack, the player should hit the ball when the ball and the player are at its maximum height. At this position, the hand of the attacker is fully extended above the head. When the contact is made with the ball, the player makes a wrist snap to drive the ball to the opponents' court. This requires a lot of practice and coordination with the setter.

If the offensive coordination between the passer, the setter, and the attacker is good, the smash can result in a "kill", which means that the ball cannot be returned by the other team and results in a point for the hitting team. The more precise your smashes are, the better are your chances for a victory.

Learn more about this author, Aniruddha.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.