Rotation 1 in high-level women’s volleyball: chaos or a new tactical solution to an old problem?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v75.117328Keywords:
Game complex I, Match analysis, Position 1, Side out, Social network analysisAbstract
Introduction: Volleyball demands rapid decision-making in unpredictable situations, particularly in Rotation 1 (R1) within Game Complex I. Offensive organization in this rotation directly influences side-out (KI) effectiveness in elite teams.
Objective: To identify different R1 organizations during the sideout in elite women’s volleyball using social network analysis.
Methodology: Twenty-seven matches, 397 R1 side-outs, and 3,968 actions were analyzed across three offensive organizations (O1, O2, O3). Variables from complexes 0, I, and II were examined, including serve type and direction, setting conditions, attack tempo, type, zone, and effect. Data were recorded using Microsoft Excel and Lince PLUS X, reliability was tested in IBM SPSS, and four social networks were constructed in Gephi.
Results: China exclusively employed O2, while Turkey and the United States alternated between O1 and O2 or O3. Poland used only O1. China (0.93) and Turkey (0.89) showed higher attack effect point, while Poland demonstrated greater centrality in continuity, error, and block effect (0.92, 0.59, 0.65). Setting condition A showed the highest centrality across all teams (TUR 0.84; CHN 0.89; POL 0.92; USA 0.88). Attack zone 4 was more central for TUR (0.94), POL (0.94), and the USA (0.89), while zone 2 was most central for China (0.87). Attack tempo 2 showed higher centrality in Turkey (0.89), whereas tempo 3 was more prominent for China (0.85), Poland (0.86), and the USA (0.94).
Discussion: Despite high centrality for setting condition A, attack tempos 2 and 3, and attack zones 4 and 2 prevailed.
Conclusions: Adjusting side-out patterns in R1 creates new organizational dynamics that improve reception quality and attacker positioning. Training should simulate these scenarios to enhance movement efficiency, speed, and offensive unpredictability.
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