Snow Volleyball — Glossary

Every Snow Volleyball term explained in plain language: technique, equipment, rules and slang – with tips on avoiding the classic mistakes.

Block at the Net (Movement)

The defence right at the tape: one to three players jump with arms extended over it. Yet a direct block point lands on only about 10% of attacks.

Double-Arm Swing (Cheat code)

Throwing both arms back and up on take-off instead of taking just one along. In young female volleyball players the arm swing raised jump height by roughly 15–19%.

Plant Step (Movement)

The last, long step of the spike approach: it brakes you and redirects your speed upward. Without it you jump from a standstill instead of from a run-up.

Poke (Cobra) (Movement)

The stiff-finger or knuckle attack in the sand. It exists only because the FIVB beach rules outlaw the soft open-fingertip lob.

Side-out (Rule)

Winning a rally while the other team serves: you take the serve back — and indoors the whole team rotates one position onward.

Skyball (Slang)

The extremely high beach serve that drops back down almost vertically — forcing the receiver to look up into sun and wind.

Split Step (Movement)

A small two-footed hop timed to your opponent's strike — it makes you instantly ready to move in any direction.

Three-step approach (Movement)

The common attack approach: left-right-left for right-handers, tempo rising into one explosive final step. Jump height is created in the approach, not first at take-off.

General

Terms from training theory that apply in every sport.

1RM (One-Repetition Maximum) (Rule)

The maximum weight you can move for exactly one clean repetition. The reference value behind almost every training plan.

BMR & TDEE (Rule)

BMR is your basal metabolic rate at complete rest; TDEE is total daily expenditure including everyday movement and training. Nutrition targets always work off TDEE.

Cadence (Movement)

Steps per minute when running, or pedal revolutions when cycling. For most runners, 170–180 steps per minute sits in the sweet spot.

Core Tension (Movement)

Active stabilisation of abdomen, back and pelvis — the bridge that lets force travel between legs and arms at all.

Deload (Cheat code)

A deliberately lighter week with volume or intensity clearly reduced, so adaptation can catch up.

DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) (Cheat code)

Delayed muscle soreness 12–72 hours after unfamiliar load. Not a measure of training quality.

Knee Valgus (Movement)

The knees collapsing inward during squats, jumps and landings. One of the key risk markers in technique analysis.

Progressive Overload (Cheat code)

The one principle no training works without long-term: the stimulus has to grow over time, otherwise adaptation stops.

RIR (Reps in Reserve) (Rule)

How many clean reps you had left at the end of a set. RIR 2 means two more were available.

RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) (Rule)

A scale for perceived effort. In strength training it usually runs 1–10, where RPE 8 means you had two more reps in the tank.

Zone 2 (Aerobic Base) (Cheat code)

The easy endurance zone where you can still hold a conversation in full sentences. The base of almost every endurance plan.