Statistics can serve as a teaching tool and can be helpful in evaluating different situations. However, it is important to remember that statistics never tell the whole story. Here are some tips to help you keep statistics in an accurate manner:
Step 1: Make a Stat Sheet
Keeping accurate statistics means keeping track of a number of different things during the match. The best way to do this is to make a stat sheet. There are a lot of different ways to go about setting up your stat sheet. You should choose a layout that best works for you.
Step 2: Learn the Lingo
If the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “dig” is a shovel, then it might be time to brush up on your volleyball lingo. Having a good grasp of common volleyball terms will help your statistician career tremendously. Besides, it’s easier to keep track of a player’s “digs” when you actually know what a dig is. Feel free to use our extensive glossary of volleyball terms to get you up to speed.
Step 3: Develop Volleyball Shorthand
The getting-to-know-you period has passed and now you can’t even remember a time when volleyball jargon wasn’t a part of your life. You and volleyball lingo are suddenly like two peas in a pod. You’ve come to that point in your relationship where continuing to call each other by full names seems contrived and forced. It’s time to make that final leap, time to solidify your bond: Bring on the nicknames.
Take the stats that you are keeping track of and develop a list of nicknames or shorthand terms for each skill. In the examples above, the letter “K” stands for kills. A good shorthand system allows you to easily keep track of the action on the court. The most important thing to remember when developing your volleyball code is to make sure it’s easy for you to remember.
Step 4: Watch Like a Statistician
Even if you have been watching volleyball for years, keeping statistics requires you to watch the game in a whole new way. So take a stat sheet with you to a practice or a scrimmage, choose a stat to track, and give it a try.
Step 5: Find a Partner
The best way to keep statistics is to do it with a partner. That way, one of you can vocalize what is happening on the court and the other can record it on the stat sheet. If you can’t find a partner, recording the match can be a good alternative.
Formulas
Now that you are armed with general tips to help you become a superior statistician, it’s time to get specific. Here are the top three volleyball stats, along with instructions and formulas for calculating each:
Hitting Percentage
Hitting percentage is often used as a tool to evaluate the effectiveness of a hitter throughout a given span. In order to calculate a player’s hitting percentage, the following three stats need to be tracked and recorded:
- Attack attempts
- Attack errors
- Attack kills
Once you have the above information handy, calculating a player’s hitting percentage is a piece of cake. The percentage is determined by subtracting the total number of errors from the total number of kills and dividing that number by the total attack attempts. It is important to note that the total number of attempts is the sum of the total number of kills, errors and attempts.
Kill Percentage
The kill percentage is a player’s ratio of kill attempts to kills. The kill percentage differs from the hitting percentage because errors do not count against the hitter. Calculating a player’s kill percentage requires one to track the following:
- Attack attempts
- Total kills
Once you have determined a player’s total attack attempts and total kills, simply divide the number of kills by the number of total attempts.
Serve-Receive Passer Rating
A serve-receive passer is rated by the result of their pass. This statistic only reflects the result of the pass off the opponent’s serve. The serve-receiver passer rating (SRR) is determined by calculating the average of each serve-receive pass that the passer contacts. The pass results are rated on a scale from 0 to 4 with each number standing in for a particular result. A pass’s value is determined by the amount of options it allows the setter to execute:
- “0” pass =The passer was aced or was not able to produce a playable ball off of the opponent’s serve; a “0” pass ends the rally.
- “1” pass =Bad pass, but still playable. Result of the pass only allows the setter the option of setting one hitter.
- “2” pass =Okay pass, good enough pass so that the setter has the option to set at least two front-row hitters.
- “3” pass =Perfect pass. The setter is able to set all three front-row hitters and everything is all good.
To get a passer’s serve-receive rating, calculate the average of their serve-receive pass results:
The hardest part of keeping track of a player’s serve-receive passer rating is judging the results of the player’s pass. Because the rating system is based on what the setter is able to do with the pass, different setters could produce different results even for the same pass. Do your best to stay consistent in your judgment.
And the Total is…
The most important thing to remember when keeping stats is to focus on the specific statistic you are tracking. Keeping accurate statistics takes practice and patience, but if you are willing to put in the work, it can be a fun way to stay involved in the match.
