Editing Volleyball (section)

=== Serve ===
[[File:Volleyball Sprungaufschlag.jpg|thumb|A player making a jump serve]]
[[File:Saque flotante en voleibol.ogv|thumb|A float serve]]
A player stands behind the inline and serves the ball in an attempt to drive it into the opponent's court. The main objective is to make it land inside the court; it is also desirable to set the ball's direction, speed and acceleration so that it becomes difficult for the receiver to handle it properly.<ref name=":1" /> A serve is called an "ace" when the ball either lands directly onto the opponent's court or the first opponent to touch the ball is unable to volley it (hit it upwards enough for a teammate to continue).

In contemporary volleyball, many types of serves are employed:
* Underhand: a serve in which the player strikes the ball below the waist instead of tossing it up and striking it with an overhand throwing motion. Underhand serves are considered very easy to receive and are rarely employed in high-level competitions.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|title=The 5 Types of Serves in Volleyball You Must Know – Volleyball Expert|url=https://volleyballexpert.com/types-of-serves-in-volleyball/|access-date=2021-04-30|language=en-US|archive-date=April 30, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210430012426/https://volleyballexpert.com/types-of-serves-in-volleyball/|url-status=live}}</ref>
* Sky ball serve: a specific type of underhand serve occasionally used in [[beach volleyball]], where the ball is hit so high it comes down almost in a straight line. This serve was invented and employed almost exclusively by the Brazilian team in the early 1980s and is now considered outdated. During the [[2016 Summer Olympics|2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro]], however, the sky ball serve was extensively played by Italian [[beach volleyball]] player [[Adrian Carambula]]. In Brazil, this serve is called ''Jornada nas Estrelas'' (''[[Star Trek]]'').<ref>{{Cite web|title=What Is A Sky Ball In Volleyball? Definition & Meaning On SportsLingo|url=https://www.sportslingo.com/sports-glossary/s/sky-ball/|access-date=2021-05-01|website=www.sportslingo.com|language=en-US|archive-date=May 1, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501141407/https://www.sportslingo.com/sports-glossary/s/sky-ball/|url-status=live}}</ref>
* Topspin: an overhand serve where the player tosses the ball high and hits it with a wrist snap, giving it topspin which causes it to drop faster than it would otherwise and helps maintain a straight flight path. Topspin serves are generally hit hard and aimed at a specific returner or part of the court. Standing topspin serves are rarely used above the high school level of play.<ref name=":4" />
* [[Volleyball float serve|Float]]: an overhand serve where the ball is hit with no spin so that its path becomes unpredictable, akin to a [[knuckleball]] in baseball.<ref name=":4" />
* Jump serve: an overhand serve where the ball is first tossed high in the air, then the player makes a timed approach and jumps to make contact with the ball, hitting it with much pace and topspin. This is the most popular serve among college and professional teams.<ref name=":4" />
* Jump float: an overhand serve where the ball is tossed high enough that the player may jump before hitting it similarly to a standing float serve. The ball is tossed lower than a topspin jump serve, but contact is still made while in the air. This serve is becoming more popular among college and professional players because it has a certain unpredictability in its flight pattern.<ref name=":4" />