In ball sports, especially team sports, how we understand and approach “off-the-ball” situations is extremely important for youth volleyball development.
Reference articles：Mastering “Positional Play” in Volleyball: Why Off-the-Ball Movement Is Key
This article explores the concept of off-the-ball dynamics and their impact on team performance.
The Proportion of Off-the-Ball Situations in Games
Let me examine what percentage of game time consists of off-the-ball situations.
First, I’d like to introduce statistical analysis conducted by Miyawaki et al. from the Japan Institute of Sports Sciences, focusing on all 21 matches between the top 7 teams from the 2015 World Cup.
Here are the analysis results for average set duration and in-play time (actual rally time) per set:
Average set duration: 28 minutes 53 seconds
In-play time per set: 4 minutes 59.98 seconds
This analysis clearly shows that actual in-play time during volleyball games is remarkably short.
Now, let’s consider what percentage of in-play time consists of off-the-ball situations.
When discussing off-the-ball situations, we must acknowledge that individual player differences exist. Please note that the following discussion moves from statistical analysis to experiential estimates. If you have playing experience, drawing from that background will help you visualize these concepts.
The analysis shows approximately 5 minutes of in-play time per set.
How many times does one player touch the ball during a set?
What would be the total duration of those ball touches (on-the-ball time)? Please try to imagine this.
Even accounting for individual differences, it’s unlikely that any player’s total ball contact time during in-play periods exceeds 30 seconds per set.
Let’s assume that total ball contact time during in-play periods is 30 seconds per set, and calculate the proportion of off-the-ball situations:
The calculation is straightforward:
- On-the-ball time per set: 30 seconds
- Off-the-ball time per set: 5 minutes (300 seconds) – 30 seconds = 270 seconds
This means 90% of in-play time consists of off-the-ball situations.
While these numbers are admittedly rough estimates, they clearly demonstrate that the vast majority of playing time involves off-the-ball dynamics.
Tasks During Off-the-Ball Situations
What exactly should players do during off-the-ball phases?
In one word: Players should execute the three processes of Game Intelligence at an advanced level.
Game Intelligence consists of four sequential processes: perception, situation assessment, decision-making, and execution.
Reference articles：What Is Game Intelligence in Volleyball?
During off-the-ball situations, players must instantly perform the first three processes (perception, situation assessment, and decision-making) at an advanced level in preparation for their next on-the-ball moment.
The final process, execution, occurs during the on-the-ball phase.
However, even if players can advance these three processes individually at a high level, this alone is insufficient for team success.
Enhancing Team Game Intelligence
We must never forget that volleyball is fundamentally a team sport.
Even if individual players can process Game Intelligence at an advanced level, this doesn’t guarantee effective team function. In some cases, individual excellence might even negatively impact team performance.
Therefore, we need to develop both the concept and consciousness of enhancing Game Intelligence at the team level. The most effective tools for achieving this are likely the team’s game model and playing principles.
A well-defined game model provides the framework within which individual Game Intelligence processes can align with team objectives.
Playing principles serve as the common guides that allows six players to coordinate their off-the-ball movements and mental preparation.
This team-oriented approach to off-the-ball development is crucial for volleyball coaches who want to build cohesive, intelligent teams rather than collections of individually skilled players.
Keywords: off-the-ball volleyball training, game intelligence development, team volleyball dynamics, youth volleyball coaching strategies, volleyball tactical awareness, cognitive volleyball training, team coordination drills, volleyball game analysis
