Spike
A forceful downward attacking hit in volleyball, driving the ball sharply into the opponent’s court.
Definition
A spike, also called an attack or hit, is the main scoring shot in volleyball. A player jumps and strikes the ball hard and downward over the net, aiming to make it land in the opponent’s court or to beat their block and defence.
A spike is usually the final touch of a team’s three allowed contacts, set up by a pass and then a set. Its power and steep angle make it difficult to defend, which is why teams build their attacking play around creating good spiking chances.
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Equipment
- VolleyballA soft, inflated ball struck with the hands and arms in volleyball.
- Tennis racquetA strung frame with a handle used to hit the ball in tennis.
- Pickleball paddleA solid, flat paddle used to hit the perforated plastic ball in pickleball.
- Cricket batA flat-fronted wooden bat used by batters to hit the ball in cricket.
- Squash racquetA slim strung racquet used to hit the ball against the walls in squash.
Rules
- Three-hit ruleThe volleyball rule that a team may contact the ball at most three times before it must cross the net.
- Touching the netA net-play rule that penalises a player for contacting the net during a rally in net-divided sports.
- Ball-handling faultsVolleyball faults for catching, carrying or double-contacting the ball rather than cleanly hitting it.
- GoaltendingA basketball violation for interfering with a shot while the ball is on its downward path to the basket or above the rim.
- Foot faultA serving fault called when the server's foot touches the baseline or court before striking the ball.
Scoring systems
Skills
- JumpingThe skill of leaping powerfully and with timing to reach or contest the ball in the air.
- SpikingThe volleyball skill of jumping and striking the ball forcefully down into the opponent’s court.
- SettingThe volleyball skill of accurately placing the ball for a teammate to attack.
- BlockingThe skill of using the hands or body to stop or slow an opponent’s attack.
- ServingThe skill of putting the ball or shuttle into play to start a point or rally.
Techniques
- Volleyball SpikeA powerful attacking hit that drives the ball sharply downward over the net into the opponent's court, usually after an approach and jump.
- Badminton SmashA powerful, steeply downward overhead stroke that drives the shuttlecock sharply into the opponent's court to win the rally.
- Badminton ClearAn overhead stroke that sends the shuttlecock high and deep to the opponent's back court, resetting the rally or buying time.
- One-Handed BackhandA backhand groundstroke struck with a single hand on the grip, driving through the ball with a full extension of the hitting arm.
- Table Tennis Forehand DriveA controlled attacking stroke in table tennis, played on the forehand side with a compact swing and light topspin.
Tactics
- Court coverage and rotationVolleyball positioning where players rotate through positions and cover the court as one coordinated unit.
- Wing playAttacking down the flanks and crossing the ball into the box to stretch the defence and create chances.
- High pressA football tactic where a team hunts the ball high up the pitch to win it back close to the opponent’s goal.
- Counter-attackWinning the ball and moving forward at speed to attack before the opponent can reorganise their defence.
- Fast breakPushing the ball up court at speed after a turnover or rebound to score before the defence sets up.
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- Tier A — evergreen educational
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- Content updated
- 2026-08-04
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