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What Does “Free Ball” Mean in DataVolley?
tl:dr
DataVolley allows you to code seven technical skills: serve (S), pass (R), setting (E), attack (A), block (B), dig (D), and free ball (F)
I used the Free Ball (F) code to mean putting the ball over/ no attack attempt, i.e. a free ball. However, DataVolley and other pro scouts define the Free Ball (F) code to mean a free ball dig, i.e. digging an opposition free ball (mind blown)
I will likely continue using the Free Ball (F) code to mean putting the ball over/ no attack attempt. I feel there’s more value in using the code that way. I also have a work around to count free ball digs so I don’t lose too much there
Technical Skills Measured by DataVolley
DataVolley allows you to code seven technical skills: serve (S), reception/ pass (R), setting (E), attack (A), block (B), defence/ dig (D), and free ball (F). I think most volleyball people will know what these technical skills mean. Maybe some may not know that reception/ pass and defence/ dig are technically different. Reception/ pass comes after a serve and defence/ dig comes after an opposition attack.
Free Ball To Mean No Attack Attempt
So it was obvious to me that free ball (F) means free ball attempts, i.e. putting the ball over/ no attack attempt. This was how I use the free ball code in DataVolley. I used F# to mean free ball kills (point scored), F+ (the default code) to mean free ball continuation and F= to mean free ball error (point directly lost). This was important because free ball kills and free ball errors count towards a player’s and team’s Point-Scoring Efficiency %, which is the most important performance indicator critical to success in volleyball.
I also need to code free ball continuation attempts to count the total free ball attempts so I can calculate an Aggression %. I like to see if my team and players are still willing to attack the ball, even after a poor set. I usually use this performance indicator for my lower-level teams.
This was also useful to code free ball attempts because I was able to answer questions like Should we train free ball situations more often?Where is the most effective zone to place free balls?What is the most effective technique to use in free balls?
Free Ball To Mean Free Ball Dig/ Defence
I read that Joe Trinsey, former USA Women’s Scout, actually uses the Free Ball (F) code to mean free ball digs. I thought this was an ingenious idea because it solves my issue that I code all digs (after spike, spike cover, after block, free ball dig) under the Dig (D) code. Coding all digs under one code means a player could have a higher Dig % simply because they made more free ball digs (which should be a near 100% continuation rate). I could calculate the real Dig % with filters but it requires a lot of work. all digs (after spike, spike cover, after block, free ball dig) under the Dig (D) code. Coding all digs under one code means a player could have a higher Dig % simply because they made more free ball digs (which should be a near 100% continuation rate). I could calculate the real Dig % with filters but it requires a lot of work.
I then found that all the pro scouts from pro teams in various top-level leagues and countries all used the free ball code to mean free ball digs. I was really stunned by this. How did Joe Trinsey’s idea become so widespread? Or was this a common DataVolley practice and Joe Trinsey just adopted it? Or maybe Free Ball actually means free ball digs all along, hence why everybody was using it that way? To check, I thought I would reference the DataVolley 4 Handbook. To my surprise, the handbook grades free ball in a similar way to digs (see below). This means Free Ball does mean Free Ball digs and I got it wrong all these years!
So Free Ball As Offence or Defence?
With my mind blown that I have been using the Free Ball (F) code incorrectly all this time, the question becomes whether I should adopt the common practice of using the Free Ball (F) code as a free ball dig or continue using Free Ball code as a free ball attempt/ no attack attempt.
I’m not sure where I land on this but I think I will continue using Free Balls to mean free ball attempt, i.e. offence over defence. The main reason for this is using Free Balls to mean free ball attempt, i.e. offence over defence. The main reason for this is I still want a total count of free ball kills and free ball errors because it still counts towards the Point-Scoring Efficiency %. By my definition, it is a point-scoring technical skill and perhaps something to be trained to maximise its point-scoring potential. Admittedly, they don’t occur too often (see table below) and perhaps I could just stat them as attack kills and attack errors. However, when I look at attack stats and the hitting %, I do want to have a pure look at their attacking skill and not be clouded with some free ball kills and errors. I could also just not stat them but when the American School of London committed 27 free ball errors, I don’t want that lost in the ether. I still want a total count of free ball kills and free ball errors because it still counts towards the Point-Scoring Efficiency %. By my definition, it is a point-scoring technical skill and perhaps something to be trained to maximise its point-scoring potential. Admittedly, they don’t occur too often (see table below) and perhaps I could just stat them as attack kills and attack errors. However, when I look at attack stats and the hitting %, I do want to have a pure look at their attacking skill and not be clouded with some free ball kills and errors. I could also just not stat them but when the American School of London committed 27 free ball errors, I don’t want that lost in the ether.
Another reason why I will probably continue using the Free Ball (F) code as free ball attempts/ no attack attempts is because I want the option to grade the free ball attempt. I might want to know if the team or player can consistently put over tricky free balls so it puts the other team in an out-of-system play. I may also want to know how often a player could have attacked the ball but chose to put over a free ball as I want my team to be aggressive (see Team Value 5).
Perhaps the final reason is you might get somewhere between 150 to 250 free balls a season. That isn’t much across a whole season but it isn’t nothing either. I want to have some account of this.
On the flip side, while it is nice to use the Free Ball (F) code as free ball digs, I already have a way to code free ball digs. I use the “Emergency” extended code to mean free ball digs. I began using it during the Small Countries Association Men’s Championships 2023. I have to type two extra buttons (“W” to open the extended code window and “E” for Emergency dig) but it’s a free ball dig so I have time. So I don’t really need to use the Free Ball code for free ball digs.
It would also be nice if used the code the same way all other scouts use it, especially if I need to swap DataVolley scouts. However, the pertinent question is what data will you find more valuable so you can make better informed decisions to enhance performance. I believe using the free ball code as free ball attempts/ no attack attempts is much more valuable to me compared to using it as a free ball dig. I have a work around to count free ball digs anyway.
Final Thoughts
It did blow my mind that the Free Ball (F) code actually means free ball digs rather than free ball attempts/ putting the ball over. Despite this, I think I will continue using the Free Ball code to mean free ball attempts as I find more value in that. I also have a work around to count free ball digs so I don’t lose anything there.
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