What Do You Call A Pass In Volleyball
A Shank, Overpass, Passing Dimes

The shank, the overpass, a reception error and passing dimes are what you call a pass in volleyball depending on how well you contact the ball in serve receive.

Volleyball passing is the way to contact the ball so it travels from one player to another player or over the net. 

Did you know that certain passing errors have special volleyball slang terms and names?

To a normal person, using everyday language a shank has three possible meanings:

a) it could be a sharp object used to stab something

b) the lower part of a person's legs usually describing the knee to the ankle

c) for the third possible meaning in volleyball jargon a "shank" means to mishit a ball or badly contact a ball sending it in a direction you weren't aiming for.

If you shank the ball after being served, your angled platform arms sends the ball in a direction you weren't even aiming for. 

A shank is a passed ball that doesn't go to its intended target and is unplayable ending in a sideout and point for the other team. 

In normal everyday language an overpass is the bridge road cars drive on to cross over a river, a railroad or a freeway. 

An overpass is one of the most common volleyball passing errors that beginner players make. 

They occur when you have

• a) applied too much swinging movement during the pass with your shoulders
• b) applied too much movement with your platform or pass with bent elbows instead of straight arms
• c) don't get your feet stopped when contacting the ball to pass

it, so the forward movement of your body helps propel the ball over the net instead of to its intended target, your setter.

Teams and players spend hours in practice trying to improve their passing technique especially when faced with high speed serves from the opposing team.

Because when it occurs its easy for the other team to score a direct point by just blocking or hitting the ball back into your court.

This action usually happens so fast that the team that committed the overpass, doesn't have time to get set up in defense, so the overpass has forced them into a situation that's extremely hard to defend against. 

Finally!

One of the few names for a pass in volleyball that actually is not a volleyball slang term. 

If your team keeps stats while they play, then whenever a player on your team is unable to receive serve  that results in the ball going to the setter or another player,  then that player gets"credited"  on the volleyball stat sheet for a reception error.

Okay let's make it simple.

Passing dimes, or setting dimes means you are passing or setting balls right to the intended target!

So yes, this actually is a good thing!

If a player uses the word 'dime" for example in a phrase like "She passed the ball on a dime" then they are describing a situation where you made a perfect forearm pass or bumped the ball right to the intended target.

In almost all cases the target is the setter, or the setter's hands if she's on the move or to the setter's area if she's coming from her starting position in serve receive.

Basically, its the latest, greatest coolest way of complimenting someone for making  a perfect pass!

1. Improve Your Volleyball Performance with Vegas VB Coach April Chapple
 ›
2. What's This Volleyball Word? Basic Terms, Slang and Volleyball Lingo
 ›  ›
3. What Do You Call A Pass In Volleyball A Shank, Overpass, Passing Dimes

Follow me on Instagram @coach_apchap to improve your game even faster!