Roundhouse spike

Question
QUESTION: I played with an old guy today who was doing a roundhouse "spike" that to me was equivalent to a throw.  He's stating that it's legal and I have never seen anything allowing such a "swipe" at a ball.  The ball is first contacted behind his head and there is no audible "pop" or visible bounce off the hand.  Heard of this being legal......post the 60's?

ANSWER: Hello Jeff and welcome to www.AllExperts.com

My name is Coach Tovar

To make sure that all my readers young and old can understand some of my comments, I have chosen to use simple vocabulary words and interpret the rule for this sole purpose.

Well Jeff let me start by saying that there are many variations of spikes out there but they would normally not be seen on TV or used on any regular teams. The reason you never see them is not that they are illegal but all coaches teach volleyball in it's most basic state. For example if you would let basketball players play the way they would really like to play then they would come up with some very special things you and I have probably never seen. This is where "Club Club Teams" come in.

To me, Club Club Teams are teams composed of all these excellent players. Any one of these players can become an excellent coach but love the game and are able to play the game today so they do that instead. These adult teams have excellent volleyball players who unfortunately did not have the opportunity, size, height etc. to make it to a college team or other.

I call them great volleyball players who have tremendous volleyball experience and tricks. The roundhouse spike is one of many other spike variations used in club teams that would not normally be used in other places. These spike variations are legal but just like everything else they can also be performed incorrectly at the time just like in a regular spike. Each area, state, or club teams might have several variations of spikes with there own names plus with their own special lingo. Let me share some of them with you.

Disclaimer  - there are no CLUB CLUB TEAM definitions or books. I have used my own words and definitions plus those that I have heard throughout my club team years.

(Club Club Teams)There are 4 major components within a spike and not entirely on it's approach that make it unique to how a spike is performed.

A. The spike area

1. The area in front or in back from where the hitter spikes the ball.
2. The height on where the ball is contacted. Of course it is better to hit a ball at each players highest point.
3. The twisting of the whole body to a certain rotation as the ball is being spiked. This usually helps land the spiked ball closer to their opponent's ten foot line.
4. The distance between where the ball is contacted and the start of the follow through.  

B. Hand Position

1. Closed Hand Position - fingers are tightly together with a slight curvature of the hand.
2. Open Hand - most famous, fingers apart in a slight ball position.
3. "C" or Cobra Hand Position - the spike is contacted lower to the head and is used to give the spike some extra topspin. This is excellent when spiking from the back row.
4. Thumbs Up - Variations of the "C" position with the thumb extended outward as in giving a thumbs up.
5. Shock Wave - this is where the ball is "tapped" with little follow through and more quickness.

C. Ways of saving a spike.

1. A Punch - ball is punched due to a close set to the net.
2. Dink - usually done with the tips of the fingers landing the ball just behind their opponent's block wall.
3. Knuckle Hit - this is used to send the ball further back into their opponent's court or "backyard".
4. Round House - the ball is contacted from way behind the player and softly hits the ball usually with a closed hand where the palm and front of fingers hit the ball simultaneously.
5. Side Punch - this is where the set ball is too low for the hitter to spike so the players use it's set momentum then punches the ball over the net while keeping their arm in a "V" position.
6. Rush Spike - this is where the set is great but too in front of the hitter and so the hitter rushes the spike to reach it in time before the ball descends under the height of the net.


D. Blocker Usage

1. Look Attack - looking at the blockers for a split second every time the hitter spikes the ball.
2. High Hit - feeling a block that is too close to the net and so the hitter uses the blockers by hitting the ball while aiming at the top of the blockers fingers. This usually ends up in a "tip".
3. Side Block Hit - hitting the ball into and to the side of the blocker so that the blockers will touch the ball last before it goes out.
4. Wall Save - this is where the hitter knows they are going to get blocked and so they softly throw the ball into the blockers wall and try to restart their offense attack.

Again these are my own and some definitions that have been used, some that I have learned or heard in regular volleyball plus club volleyball.


In my opinion the "roundhouse" spike is considered a legal, part of a spike in the area of a save or regular spike. A "roundhouse" spike is legal.

I hope this answers your question.

For the time is takes me to write all this information and possibly do research to give you the most updated information all I ask in return are two things.

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Coach Tovar


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: So when does a roundhouse spike become a throw?  How does an official differentiate between the two?
Thank you for your time.

Answer
Hello again Jeff and welcome to www.AllExperts.com

My name is Coach Tovar

To make sure that all my readers young and old can understand some of my comments, I have chosen to use simple vocabulary words and interpret the rule for this sole purpose.

Well Jeff the head referee or up official will have a better view when a roundhouse is performed than a player would because of their elevation. Most roundhouse techniques are used as a save in a volleyball spike or set and not necessarily as an "attack" technique so when this happens this happens fairly quickly and unexpected. The roundhouse will sometimes look in an awkward position from the view of the player but not the first ref. The first ref(also know as the R1) will be able to detect this very easily when the "spike" or similar becomes a "throw". Unfortunately a roundhouse is part of a spike where the player tries to save a bad set and tries to do something good with it.

When something in volleyball happens that a player might not understand or gets confused about yet everybody on the court reacts the same except that particular player then it could be that that player might have seen something different from what both teams saw. It is most likely that that particular player might be wrong. The other option would be that that one particular player saw more than the two teams plus the ref.

Just like many other parts of volleyball such as a bad set, bump, spike etc. the roundhouse can also have it's bad techniques. If you have a ref at your game and he/she does not call it then maybe that particular roundhouse was okay. If it was not called then we have to give them the benefit of the doubt that that was a good call.

So there is a fine line with many volleyball rules and skills as well with the people who are actually calling the games and what they actually got to see.

So when does a roundhouse spike become a throw?
I believe that a roundhouse will becomes a throw when the player is facing the net(they should be facing sideways to the net), the ball is contacted while the elbow is slightly or fully bent as in saying "come here" motion(arm should not bend at the elbows until the arm has passed the hitting shoulder and starts it's follow through), lifted up with an open hand, while at the same time the ball accelerates fairly quickly(it should be like at dink speed most of the time), and at the same time the ball seems to be held in a "grabbing" motion. But still in this particular skill it is hard to detect.

If you did not have a ref at the game that you speak of and this particular player performed a roundhouse spike or technique and you have never seen one then yes it will look awkward to you.
You might also hear people call the roundhouse a smash, slam, Bam Bam, atomic bomb, windmill, hook, knockout, swipe and other names but when you do see one one it will look weird.

There is not a lot of advantage when performing a roundhouse in a spike save because the ball will travel fairly slow. The roundhouse will have a great advantage only if it is performed in great form when used as a serve.


I hope this answers your question.

For the time is takes me to write all this information and possibly do research to give you the most updated information all I ask in return are two things.

1.   Please take the time to rate me. Any feedback you can provide for me will be great.
2.   Visit my website at www.volleyballplaystorun.com plus:

You can also become a free member and learn the latest volleyball play systems, and newest volleyball serves plus much more.
See ?Volleyball Offensive Systems ?over 25
See - Over 31 different serves  
See - The Volleyball Gods
Get ?FREE 28 play non system playbook just for being a free member
Get ?FREE over 200 Volleyball T-Shirt Designs from the mind of ALIENTECH
See - Alien Attitude Balls
See - Over 200 Volleyball 揃all?designs

Please visit me at www.volleyballplaystorun.com

Thank you for visiting www.AllExperts.com

Coach Tovar