Volleyball is always evolving. Compared to the past, analytical methods and tactics have changed drastically. With these changes, one element has become more and more essential for players: game intelligence.
This article will help you understand what game intelligence is and why it’s so critical for success.
The Process: Recognize, Analyze, Decide, Execute
Game intelligence is the ability to accurately recognize the situation on the court and then make an optimal decision and execute a play in that moment.
This process involves four key steps:
- Recognize: Understand what is happening on the court.
- Analyze: Use the recognized information to understand the situation and predict what will happen next.
- Decide: Choose the best option from a few possible plays.
- Execute: Perform the chosen action.
Why Volleyball Is a High-Speed Game
How long does it take to complete these four steps? In football, it takes about three seconds on average. In volleyball, that time is even shorter, and here’s why:
First, the volleyball court is much smaller than a football field. The distance the ball travels is short, which means the time between one player’s touch and the next is also shorter.
Second, holding the ball is not allowed in volleyball. This rule alone drastically reduces the time players have to go through the four steps compared to a sport like football, where players can hold and move with the ball.
Volleyball players must run through these four processes faster than in almost any other sport.
Where Do Errors Happen?
Where do most errors occur in this four-step process?
A study on football found that 70% of errors happen in the first three steps: Recognize, Analyze, and Decide. It’s interesting that a high percentage of errors occur before the action is even executed.
What about volleyball? My personal guess is that the percentage is similar to football.
When I first thought about this, I assumed that since you can’t hold the ball, most errors would happen during the Execute step. However, after thinking about it more deeply, I came to believe that errors in the Recognize, Analyze, and Decide phases are the main cause of mistakes, and they simply become visible during the execution.
Look Beyond the Execution
Compared to football, an error in volleyball often leads to an immediate point for the opponent. So, to the casual observer, it might look like most errors happen during the Execute step.
However, if you observe closely, you’ll often find the real problem started earlier, in the Recognize, Analyze, and Decide phases.
It’s crucial for coaches to consciously observe where an error is actually happening. If a coach only focuses on the result of the play (e.g., a ball hit out of bounds on a receive, or a spike that hits the net), they are only looking at the Execute step.
If a coach only looks at the outcome, they risk making a major mistake: creating repetitive drills that completely ignore the crucial steps of Recognize, Analyze, and Decide.
A great coach doesn’t just look at the result.
They must observe a play with a high level of detail, paying close attention to the entire process of Recognize, Analyze, and Decide that leads to the final action.
