Federation Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) is the global governing body for indoor and beach volleyball. An attack hit is a shot you hit over the net intentionally to score. With the exception of serves and blocks, every time you hit the ball over the net the shot is an attack hit, according to FIVB rules. Your attack hit might be a hard shot or a soft one. The shot may have a deceptive spin or change direction at the last moment. You might direct a shot diagonally across court or just inside the near boundary line.
Rules
Indoor volleyball is played by two teams of six players each on a court divided by a net. Beach volleyball is played on a sand court with two-player teams. One team serves the ball over the net to the opposing team. The two teams keep the ball in play, back and forth over the net, until a point is scored. Players may not hold on to or throw the ball. Your team has up to three hits to return the ball to its opponent. The team with the most points wins a set. The first team to win three sets wins the match. You score points when an attack hit lands on the opposition’s floor or court, or the opposing team fails to return the ball within the rules of play.
Shots
Every shot you make has the potential to be blocked by an opposing team. A dink is a quick little push you can make that moves the ball around or over opposing blockers. A spike, also called a hit or attack, is a hard shot made with enough force to slam the ball to the floor before opposing players are able to stop it. An off-speed hit is a shot that has less force but features a spin. If you are a setter -- usually the second player to touch the ball when passing to an attacking teammate -- you may dump an off-speed shot over the net and surprise your opponent. A tip, or power tip, is a ball you push or redirect with force.
Direction
Avoiding blockers and keeping your opponents off balance with a variety of shots is a good strategy that can be even more effective if you practice smart shot placement, too. A line shot is a spike you direct down the near sideline, outside the block. A power-alley shot crosses the court diagonally away from you to the farthest corner of the court. A cut shot is a spike you can make that travels downward at a sharp angle. A cross court shot is similar to a cut shot, but you direct the ball from your side of the court to the opposite sideline at a sharp angle. If you are a back-row player other than the libero -- a defensive specialist -- you can jump up and slam the ball over the net in a back-row attack as long as you stay in position until you've made contact with the ball.
Unintentional Attacks
Not all balls hit over the net are attack hits. Your intent must be considered. If you hit the ball simply to keep a rally alive and a weak shot heads over the net, it’s a free ball and not an attack hit. If your free ball hits the opposing team’s court, however, it becomes an attack hit and earns you a kill. The defensive team may call out, “Down ball” and choose not to set a block when it’s clear that your team's set is so far away from the net or your hitter is too awkwardly placed to hit the ball well. Down balls are often sent overhand across the net by standing players. Not all unintentional hits over the net are harmless, though. Your dig might fly across the net and find the floor, earning you a dig and a kill. Your serve reception may become a reception attempt and a kill if the ball drops to the opposing team’s floor.
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