All You Need to Know About Volleyball in Spanish
Do you like to play or watch volleyball and want to learn words about volleyball in Spanish? Good news! Today, I’m providing you with the ultimate guide to volleyball in Spanish.
Keep reading to learn about the origins of volleyball and discover plenty of Spanish volleyball terms. In this post, you’ll learn all about the court and equipment, the players and referees, game terms, and rules. Plus, we’ll explore some common phrases about volleyball in Spanish. So, let’s get straight to it and discover everything there’s to know about this spectacular sport in Spanish.
A Brief History of Volleyball
Originally known as “mintonette,” volleyball was invented by the physical director of Holyoke, Massachusetts’ Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), William G. Morgan, in 1895. It wasn’t until 1916 that its first set of rules were published jointly by the YMCA and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
In the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, volleyball was introduced as an Olympic sport for the first time and, since 1969, a World Cup championship is played every four years. Nowadays, the Federation Internationale de Volley Ball (FIVB) has 220 affiliated national federations, making this game one of the most popular team sports in the world.
Why You Should Learn Vocabulary About Volleyball in Spanish
It’s helpful to learn about volleyball in Spanish for two main reasons:
1. Because you’re a volleyball fan, you love the game, and you want to be able to talk about it in Spanish or any other language you may speak. You don’t want to be in Spanish-speaking countries wanting to play or watch your favorite game and not be able to communicate about it.
2. Because it’s part of your language learning process, which implies learning Spanish vocabulary about many different areas of life, including sports and even volleyball terms. In this sense, learning volleyball terms in Spanish expands your vocabulary, just as learning about basketball, golf, or music in Spanish does.
Volleyball in Spanish: Vocabulary Guide
If you want to play volleyball in Spanish, you need to learn the basic volleyball rules, the meaning of terms such as “volleyball court” or “volleyball setter,” and even some popular slang about this beautiful game.
Before going further, it’s important to mention that although the terms vóleibol, voleibol, and vólibol are accepted and used in Spanish, you may find many sites and documents in Spanish that refer to this game with its English name of “volleyball.” For clarity, I’m using el voleibol as the Spanish name of the sport throughout this article.
I’ve divided this vocabulary guide into four categories to make it more accessible and easy-to-learn for you: court and equipment; players and referees; the game and rules; and volleyball phrases. I think I’ve covered most areas of volleyball in Spanish, but if I’ve missed anything you can always let me know in a comment.
All About the Court and Equipment
Let’s start with physical items and facilities needed to play volleyball in Spanish. Find the volleyball term in Spanish in the right column, and what it means in English in the left column.
| Spanish | English |
| la cancha | court |
| la red | net |
| la pelota, el balón | ball |
| la banca | bench |
| la mesa de anotaciones | referees’ desk |
| la línea lateral | side line |
| la línea de fondo | back line |
| la zona de ataque | attack zone |
| la zona zaguera | back zone |
| el poste | post |
| la tarjeta amarilla | yellow card |
| la tarjeta roja | red card |
| la zona del entrenador | coach’s area |
| la zona de sustitución | substitution area |
| el silbato | whistle |
| el partido, el juego | match |
Volleyball Players and Referees
While it’s a fact that without a volleyball net, court, and ball you can’t play the game, it’s also true that the volleyball player is the heart and soul of the sport. Let’s learn a bit about the different players, positions, and referees involved in a volleyball match.
| Spanish | English |
| el defensa | defender |
| el central | middle blocker |
| el atacante, el rematador | outside hitter |
| el colocador | setter |
| el recibidor | receiver |
| el pasador | passer |
| el líbero | libero |
| el opuesto | opposite |
| el delantero | forward player |
| el zaguero | back court player |
| el titular | starter |
| el suplente | substitute |
| el árbitro | referee |
| el árbitro auxiliar | assistant referee |
| el juez de línea | line judge |
| el árbitro de mesa | desk referee |
| el aficionado | fan |
The Game and Rules
These are some of the most common volleyball terms and volleyball that you can use in a sentence in Spanish. Here, I’m also including a few beach volleyball terms.
| Spanish | English |
| el set | set |
| el punto | point |
| el error | error |
| el servicio | serve |
| el ataque | atack |
| el bloqueo | block |
| el remate | spike |
| la levantada, la recepción | dig |
| la defensa | defense |
| la colocación | set |
| el pase | pass |
| la finta | fake |
| la falta | foul |
| la formación | formation |
| el equipo | team |
| la rotación | rotation |
| el desempate | tie break |
| la bola muerta | dead ball |
| el orden al saque | serve order |
| el uniforme | uniform |
Volleyball-Related Phrases in Spanish
Finally, I want to include some important phrases about volleyball in Spanish for you to learn and practice at home.
Yo juego voleibol.
I play volleyball.
Me gusta jugar voleibol.
I like to play volleyball.
Mi deporte favorito es el voleibol.
My favorite sport is volleyball.
Ellos están jugando voleibol.
They are playing volleyball.
Voy a la práctica de voleibol.
I’m going to volleyball practice.
¿Quieres jugar voleibol?
Do you want to play volleyball?
Play Volleyball and Practice Your Spanish!
Volleyball is a beautiful game and talking about volleyball in Spanish should now be easier for you after going through all these specialized terms in Spanish. Remember to practice them at home or in real-life conversations with native Spanish speakers, so you can introduce them slowly into your Spanish vocabulary.
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