Always Question and Evaluate

A recent blog post by Mark Lebedew really resonated with me. I've been examining a lot of the foundation principles of what I do as a coach lately. The coaches I learned the principles from use them because they are established and based on observation and statistical analysis of the game. The problem is that the game evolves over time, and like Coach Lebedew says, the conditions of the game might indicate some other approach.

Some of the approaches to the game I see that bother me are often based on older, less current observations. Those observations might not even be based on statistical analysis. I suspect many are based on notions some coach had many years ago that were supported mainly by confirmation bias. At best some of them are based on a time when rules did not allow certain things that are now permitted. I'm thinking mainly of perimeter defense here. One of the main ideas is that you get on the perimeter of the court and everything in front of you is in play and anything above you is out. There are two problems with that. One of them being that the vast majority of balls that are hit in play will be far enough away from the players' base positions that it requires a spectacular play just to contact the ball. Shot charts will help illuminate this fact. All the data I have personally collected and have seen other collect indicate perimeter defense is putting the defenders out of position to make basic plays. The other problem is that players could not dig with their hands in the days when perimeter defense was developed. You did want all playable hits in front of you. Now you can dig with your hands, so if there is a reason to be farther forward, you should do it.

When I started to study the game a decade ago, the data suggested the positioning for perimeter defense would put you in the right place to dig about 10-15% of hits without diving. Moving the zone 6 defender to about 20 feet off the net raises that to about 40% all hits, and that is just for the middle back defender. I'll take 15% of hits being high to where the defender has to dig above the shoulders if one player will be in the right place to dig 40% of the other team's entire offense.

With that in mind, question everything. Take all the principles and fundamentals that make up the body of your volleyball knowledge and put them under the microscope. Collect data to see if you should keep them or discard them. This is probably largely something that has to be done during the off season, but that is something all coaches should do. John Wooden would study some element of basketball during the off season. His success as a coach is well known. Take the time and collect data to validate what you are doing, or find some other way to get the results you desire.