How to Grade Volleyball Attacks for Better Stats

Attack Grading Levels

The attack is usually recorded as an attack kill (point won), an attack error (point lost), or a zero attack (rally continues). You can use these stats to calculate a Hitting %, one of the best indicators of winning in volleyball. However, a zero attack that almost wins a point but comes back as a free ball should be valued more than a zero attack that is easily defended by the opposition. This is where attack grading levels come into play, where we can differentiate between these attacks. Once we grade attack attempts, we can use more advanced analytics, such as calculating an Expected Attack Rally Win %.

So, how do you grade attack attempts? Read on to find out.

Grading Other Technical Skills

This is one in a series on how I grade the various technical skills. Click on the links below to read more.

Pass and ServeDefenceBlockSettingAttack

Attack Attempt Definition

Before we can grade attack attempts, we need to define what an attack attempt is. When we think of an attack attempt, we imagine a spike attempt, i.e. a three or four step approach, jump, and a swing of the ball. This is true in most cases. However, when you start to record attack attempts in practice, you will soon find out there are lots of grey areas. Do tips count? Setter dumps? Down balls? Volleying the ball deep into zone 1? Based on my experience, I define attack attempts as below:

An attack attempt is an effort to strike the ball into the opponent’s court in order to score a point. If the attack occurs on the third team contact (after a dig and a set), the ball must be contacted above the height of the net and sent into the opponent’s court, typically using a spike (approach, jump, and arm swing or tip). Standing volleys, digs, or down balls on the third touch are not considered attack attempts and should be recorded as free balls.On the first touch (e.g. overpass attack) or second touch (e.g. setter attack), any technique may qualify as an attack attempt if the player is clearly trying to score. If, in the statistician’s judgment, the action is only intended to keep the ball in play, it should be recorded as a free ball.

Most statisticians, e.g. like those at Hudl, may consider down balls as attack attempts. I don’t in my definition. The main reason is that I often select players based on their Hitting % and I want the Hitting % to reflect how well they can spike a ball. I don’t want it to be diluted with down ball attempts that can lower their true attack effectiveness. However, you can always include it in your own definition so it aligns with most statisticians. Just make sure you are consistent with it.

Attack Grading Levels

The attack is usually graded on a six-point scale. The grading levels are best (#), good (+), medium (!), poor (-), worse (/), and worst (=). The table below shows the attack code, name, and definition. It also includes the corresponding code used for the opposition, e.g. if there’s an attack kill (A#), it should come with a dig error (D=). These definitions are standard in volleyball stats.

Final Thoughts

If you want advanced attack analytics, consider grading the attack. The above is typically how it is done. However, I would say that recording attack kills, zero attacks, and attack errors is enough in most cases. This is because you can calculate a Hitting %, which is critical to winning in volleyball.