Editing Volleyball (section)

=== Attack ===
{{See also|Volleyball offensive systems}}
[[File:Bilateral España-Portugal de voleibol - 02.jpg|thumb|A [[Spain men's national volleyball team|Spanish player]], #18 in a red outfit is shown about to spike towards the [[Portugal men's national volleyball team|Portuguese]] field, whose players are performing a block]]
The attack, also known as the ''spike'', is usually the third contact a team makes with the ball.<ref name=":1" /> The object of attacking is to handle the ball so that it lands on the opponent's court and cannot be defended.<ref name=":1" /> A player makes a series of steps (the "approach"), jumps, and swings at the ball.

Ideally, the contact with the ball is made at the apex of the hitter's jump. At the moment of contact, the hitter's arm is fully extended above their head and slightly forward, making the highest possible contact while maintaining the ability to deliver a powerful hit. The hitter uses arm swing, wrist snap, and a rapid forward contraction of the entire body to drive the ball.<ref name=":1" /> A 'bounce' is a slang term for a very hard/loud spike that follows an almost straight trajectory steeply downward into the opponent's court and bounces very high into the air. A "kill" is the slang term for an attack that is not returned by the other team thus resulting in a point.

Contemporary volleyball comprises a number of attacking techniques:<ref>{{Citation|last=Program|first=Uga Pedb|title=4. Attacking & Blocking|url=https://open.online.uga.edu/volleyball/chapter/attackingandblocking/|work=Ch.1 - Volleyball|language=en|access-date=2021-05-01|archive-date=May 1, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501141449/https://open.online.uga.edu/volleyball/chapter/attackingandblocking/|url-status=live}}</ref>
* Backcourt (or back row): an attack performed by a back-row player. The player must jump from behind the 3-meter line before making contact with the ball, but may land in front of the 3-meter line. A Pipe Attack is when the center player in the back row attacks the ball.
* Line and Cross-court Shot: refers to whether the ball flies in a straight trajectory parallel to the sidelines, or crosses through the court in an angle. A cross-court shot with a very pronounced angle, resulting in the ball landing near the 3-meter line, is called a cut shot.
* Dip/Dink/Tip/Cheat/Dump: the player does not try to make a hit, but touches the ball lightly, so that it lands on an area of the opponent's court that is not being covered by the defence.
* Tool/Wipe/Block-abuse: the player does not try to make a hard spike, but hits the ball so that it touches the opponent's block and then bounces off-court.
* Off-speed hit: the player does not hit the ball hard, reducing its speed and thus confusing the opponent's defence.
* Quick hit/"One": an attack (usually by the middle blocker) where the approach and jump begin before the setter contacts the ball. The set (called a "quick set") is placed only slightly above the net and the ball is struck by the hitter almost immediately after leaving the setter's hands. Quick attacks are often effective because they isolate the middle blocker to be the only blocker on the hit.
* Slide: a variation of the quick hit that uses a low backset. The middle hitter steps around the setter and hits from behind him or her.
* Double quick hit/"Stack"/"Tandem": a variation of quick hit where two hitters, one in front and one behind the setter or both in front of the setter, jump to perform a quick hit at the same time. It can be used to deceive opposite blockers and free a fourth hitter attacking from back-court, maybe without block at all.