Maximizing Out-of-Play Time

I’ve come to believe that we can describe volleyball as a sport of preparation. In this article, I want to explore what that means and, in the process, give you a sense of volleyball’s unique characteristics and fun.

In-Play & Out-of-Play

Just like in other sports, volleyball has the concepts of in-play and out-of-play. To understand the nature of volleyball, you first need to understand these two ideas. Let’s define each one.

In-Play

In simple terms, in-play is the time from when the referee blows the whistle to start the play until the next whistle blows. More specifically, it’s the time from the moment the server hits the ball until the rally ends. This is when players are most focused on the ball’s movement, and it’s the outcome of these rallies that directly determines the winner.

Out-of-Play

Out-of-play is essentially all the time that isn’t in-play. This includes the time between serves and during position rotations—the time from the end of one rally to the start of the next. Since no points are scored during this time, it might seem as if it has no impact on the outcome of the game.

In this way, a volleyball match can be seen as a story composed of these in-play and out-of-play moments. So, what is the proportion of each? Let’s look at some statistics to find out.

In-Play Time Is Only 16% of the match

I’d like to use a study that statistically analyzed the proportion of in-play and out-of-play time. The data comes from page 52 of the book The Science of Volleyball, which analyzed 21 matches among the top seven teams at the 2015 World Cup. The data is summarized as follows:

I have to express my respect to Mr. Miyawaki and his team for this detailed research. Gathering data like this can reveal important things that were previously hidden. This is what it means to apply science to volleyball.

The most shocking fact I discovered from this data was how short the in-play time is. I was stunned to learn that the total time spent in rallies during a single set is less than five minutes. A typical set is about 30 minutes long, so a simple calculation shows that the actual in-play time is only about 16% of the entire match.

If you’ve played volleyball, you understand how difficult it is to win a single set. Even considering that rally times may vary across different levels of play, I was genuinely shocked when I first saw this data and realized how small a percentage of the match is directly tied to scoring points.

Does Out-of-Play Time Really Not Affect the Outcome?

But think about it calmly.

Does the in-play time, which makes up only 16% of the match, really determine the entire outcome? Can we really say that the remaining 84% of out-of-play time is not important?

Look at the diagram as a below.

It visualizes how in-play and out-of-play time appear in a match. As you can see, in-play time appears in short, fragmented bursts, which are followed by longer periods of out-of-play time (on average, twice as long). The match is a repetition of this process. When you visualize the match this way, it’s hard not to wonder if out-of-play time actually has a huge impact on the final result.

How You Use Out-of-Play Time Determines the Match Outcome

Let’s think about what happens during out-of-play time for a team (and players) that wins a match. I believe that winning teams consciously or unconsciously make the most of this time to secure their victory. Let’s look at some specific ways they use out-of-play time.

Analysis and Strategy

Winning teams are constantly analyzing the situation during out-of-play time—from the opposing team to their own team and even themselves.

The list goes on, but winning teams (and players) are constantly analyzing these things to win the match. Based on that analysis, they identify and execute the best possible actions. The best players, rather than being at the mercy of the match’s flow, can calmly analyze the situation and quickly take the optimal action.

Communication

Winning teams maximize out-of-play time to communicate actively with their teammates in a variety of ways. They might express joy to encourage the team or talk to and give a high-five to a teammate who made a mistake to help them move on to the next play.

They also share the strategy for the next in-play moment. This communication may not directly score points, but it absolutely contributes to a high-level performance during in-play.

Emotional Management

As you can see from the diagram, in-play time comes in short bursts and repeats over and over again. At the end of each in-play period, a point is scored, and the “win or loss” of that single rally is decided.

In a way, a match is a series of small wins and losses. This makes emotional management extremely important. When a player loses control of their emotions, their in-play performance plummets.

For example, think about the out-of-play time after your attack is shut down by an opponent’s block in a critical moment. It’s a situation where emotions are running high. How you manage those emotions and move on to the next in-play moment will determine the outcome of the match.

Make the Most of Out-of-Play Time

In this article, I’ve explained and compared in-play and out-of-play time, focusing on the importance of the latter.

When it comes to winning a match, the focus tends to be on the in-play moments that directly lead to points. And it’s true that to improve your in-play performance, you need to work on skills like receiving, attacking, blocking, and serving.

However, it’s an undeniable fact that during out-of-play time, a player’s mind and emotions are in constant motion, and how they manage that unseen “movement” and use that time has a huge impact on the match’s outcome.

More than 80% of a match is out-of-play time.

Don’t you think it’s necessary for both coaches and players to be conscious of this and work on developing their ability to use out-of-play time effectively?