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Volleyball Attacking Rules: What Is A Spike In Volleyball?

These volleyball attacking rules and regulations for the spike govern how an "attack hit" which is any playing action, that is not a serve or is not a block that drives the ball into the opposing court. 

Volleyball Attacking: if you choose to hit the ball hard, after taking your spike approach to the ball and jumping in the air to hit it, that's called a spike. (Jaroslaw)

An attack, is any playing action that drives the ball into the opponent's court. That is, anything that is not a serve or is not a block. 

So technically, that could include a kick, couldn't it? 

Of course, if you choose to hit the ball hard, after taking your spike approach to the ball and jumping in the air to hit it, that's called a spike.

Volleyball Attacking: if you choose to hit the ball hard, after taking your spike approach to the ball and jumping in the air to hit it, that's called a spike. (Shaun Calhoun)

Spiking the ball is a high speed attack option for a player who's sending the third contact over the net and into the opponent's court with the intent of scoring a point or sideout for their team. 

You are spiking the ball, in an attempt to generate enough

• speed, 
• power
• and force,

so that the ball is not blocked by any of the three defensive players at the net nor is it dug up by any of the players in the back row on defense.

Spiking the ball is a high speed attack option for a player who's sending the third contact over the net and into the opponent's court with the intent of scoring a point or sideout for their team.

You are purposefully trying to beat the block and the defense with your high reach, hard paced, well placed, high intensity, quick arm rotation attack hit. 

You are purposefully trying to beat the block and the defense with your high reach, hard paced, well placed, high intensity, quick arm rotation attack hit. 

Go ahead!

Count how many adjectives I stuffed into that sentence!

When you attack a ball, whether spiking tipping or off speed hitting, you have to attack the ball from your side of the court. (Ralph Arvesen)

Remember your attack hit happens after your setter or another player has delivered the ball to you, high enough or fast enough for you to, ideally, take a three step or four step spike approach to hit it over the net.  

Your attack hit happens after your setter or another player has delivered the ball to you to ideally, take a three step or four step spike approach to hit it over the net. (Jaroslaw)

Volleyball attacking rules and regulations state that you can use a soft speed attack known as "the tip" to drive the ball into the opposing team's court in an attempt to score a point, or during a rally.  

Volleyball Attacking the Tip: Midway through your swing, you slow down your arm while keeping your elbow high, to make contact with your fingertips on the ball. (Jaroslaw)

The tip or tipping the ball, is done with the same spike approach footwork to the ball, and the same arm swing.

Midway through your swing, you slow down your arm while keeping your elbow high, to make contact with your fingertips on the ball. 

Your goal is to place or push the ball over the block and in an open space on the opponent's court in order to score a point or sideout. (Ralph Arvesen)

Your goal is to place or push the ball over the block and in an open space on the opponent's court in order to score a point or sideout. 

When tipping the ball, you must make a clean contact, without catching it or letting the ball come to a rest in the palm of your hand. 

Official USA volleyball game rules and regulations state that if you 

• "catch" the ball, or
• "lift" the ball, or
• if the referee thinks the ball has come to a complete stop while in your hand,

he/she will blow the whistle and award the ball to the opposing team. 

When tipping the ball, you must make a clean contact, without catching it or letting the ball come to a rest in the palm of your hand. (Ralph Arvesen)

Also according to indoor volleyball rules and regulations the playing action of an attack hit, whether high speed or slow, is completed once the ball has crossed the plane of the net or a player on the opposing team has contacted the ball.

When you attack a ball, whether spiking tipping or off speed hitting, you have to attack the ball from your side of the court. (Ralph Arvesen)

When you attack a ball, whether spiking tipping or off speed hitting, you have to attack the ball from your side of the court.

So if you reach over and tip or hit a ball and your arm or elbow is over the net inside the opposing team's court, the referee would blow the whistle and award the ball to the other team. 

How do you know what's "too far over" the net? 

If you reached through the wall and contacted the ball while it was on the opposing team's side ...the referee would blow the whistle. (Fossil Mike)

Imagine there's an imaginary wall, that starts at the top of the net and goes all the way up to the ceiling.

If you reached through the wall and contacted the ball while it was on the opposing team's side ...the referee would blow the whistle.

Fault!

Point and the ball are given to the other team. 

If you reached through the wall and contacted the ball while it was on the opposing team's side ...the referee would blow the whistle. (CE Andersen)

When you contact the ball, whether spiking or however, you need to be on your side or...you can be right on top of the net, 50-50.

But the minute, you reach over, expect to hear the whistle.   

Thanks for visiting. Be sure to check out more of my volleyball passing articles by clicking one of the links below! (April Chapple)

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

I share alot of individual, partner and easy-to-do volleyball serving drills we do in class with my followers.

Many of these volleyball practice drills you can do at home by yourself or try at your next practice with your teammates.

If you're a B team or JV player trying to make varsity next year...your goal should be to complete 1000 reps a day of at least three of the basic skills on your own...volleyball passing, serving and setting should be at the top of the list. 

Good times! Where do you need to go now? Here are three options: 

1. Learn more about the Rules.
2. Follow the suggested reading on our Sitemap page Learning How To Play (Sitemap)
3. Or visit the pages in the Volleyball Rules section in the drop down menu at the top of the page.  

If your athlete struggles with consistent serve receive, gets subbed out, or is overlooked for playing time—this is the fix you’ve been looking for.

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I help talented passers tired of getting pulled from games because of inconsistent serve receive skills  BUILD passing confidence without expensive private lessons using the same 3-step system that's helped dozens of my athletes get recruited.

Download my eBook for $17.99 and start building the passing confidence that keeps you on the court—and gets you seen by college coaches.

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