The aim of this investigation was to establish the criteria of service, reception and set that determine setting efficacy in world-class top-level volleyball. The study sample consisted of 4.113 gaming actions (1.371 serve actions, 1.371 reception actions, and 1.371 set actions), corresponding to the observation of four matches for each of the 12 best ranked teams in the Volleyball World Championship -a total of 23 matches. The criteria were: in-game role of the server, serve zone, type of serve, striking technique and serve direction; receiver player, reception zone, and reception efficacy; setting zone, type of set, setting technique, setting efficacy, a set's area, and set tempo. Multinomial logistic regression showed that criteria related to reception (reception efficacy) and to set (setting zone, type of set, a set's area, and set tempo) determined set efficacy. Specifically, positive and negative receptions and settings from acceptable and nonacceptable zones reduced perfect setting. In contrast, the jump set toward zones three and six and the first and second tempo increased perfect setting. Serve criteria did not determine set efficacy. This study can guide trainers and players in the training process.

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The objective of this study was to determine the variables that predicted serve efficacy in elite men’s volleyball, in sets with different quality of opposition. 3292 serve actions were analysed, of which 2254 were carried out in high quality of opposition sets and 1038 actions were in low quality of opposition sets, corresponding to a total of 24 matches played during the Men’s European Volleyball Championships held in 2011. The independent variables considered in this study were the serve zone, serve type, serving player, serve direction, reception zone, receiving player and reception type; the dependent variable was serve efficacy and the situational variable was quality of opposition sets. The variables that acted as predictors in both high and low quality of opposition sets were the serving player, reception zone and reception type. The serve type variable only acted as a predictor in high quality of opposition sets, while the serve zone variable only acted as a predictor in low quality of opposition sets. These results may provide important guidance in men’s volleyball training processes.

The main objective of this study was to analyse the variables that predicted setting efficacy in complex I (KI) in volleyball, in formative categories and depending on gender. The study sample was comprised of 5842 game actions carried out by the 16 male category and the 18 female category teams that participated in the Under-16 Spanish Championship. The dependent variable was setting efficacy. The independent variables were grouped into: serve variables (a serve zone, the type of serve, striking technique, an in-game role of the server and serve direction), reception variables (a reception zone, a receiver player and reception efficacy) and setting variables (a setter‘s position, a setting zone, the type of a set, setting technique, a set’s area and tempo of a set). Multinomial logistic regression showed that the best predictive variables of setting efficacy, both in female and male categories, were reception efficacy, setting technique and tempo of a set. In the male category, the jump serve was the greatest predictor of setting efficacy, while in the female category, it was the set’s area. Therefore, in the male category, it was not only the preceding action that affected setting efficacy, but also the serve. On the contrary, in the female category, only variables of the action itself and of the previous action, reception, affected setting efficacy. The results obtained in the present study should be taken into account in the training process of both male and female volleyball players in formative stages.

El objetivo principal de la presente investigación fue conocer las variables, relativas a la recepción, que actúan como predictoras de la eficacia de la recepción. Se analizaron 1325 acciones de recepción, extraídas de un total de 21 equipos participantes en el Campeonato de España Masculino de Categoría Juvenil de 2012. La variable dependiente considerada en la investigación fue la eficacia de la recepción. Las variables independientes fueron: movimiento del receptor, función del receptor, tipo de recepción, zona de recepción-profundidad, zona de recepción-lateralidad. La regresión logística multinomial realizada mostró que las variables movimiento del receptor, tipo de recepción y zona de recepción-lateralidad, actuaron como predictoras de la eficacia de la recepción. Concretamente, la eficacia de la recepción aumentaba si el receptor realizaba un desplazamiento previo y conseguía contactar en posición estática, y si recibía en el pasillo de zona 6, y a través de una técnica de antebrazos o de dedos. Los resultados obtenidos pueden orientar el proceso de entrenamiento de la recepción del saque en voleibol de categoría juvenil. Abstract. The main objective of this research was to determine the variables, relatives of the reception that act as predictors of the reception efficacy. 1325 serve reception were analyzed, extracted from a total of 21 games played in the championship of Spain in U-19 male volleyball, in 2012. The variable dependent on the study was the reception efficacy. The variables independent from the study were: receiver movement, in-game role of the receiver, type of reception, depth reception zone, laterality reception zone. The multinomial logistic regression performed showed that the variables, receiver movement, type of reception and laterality reception zone predicted the reception efficacy. Specifically the reception efficacy could increase if the receiver takes a previous displacement and contact in static position also the realization of service reception in corridor zone 6 and a through of the forearm pass or overhand pass. These results can serve to guide the training process both in training and in the category of high-level.

The aim of the research was to know the perception of high-level volleyball players of the changes produced (in relation to the previous season) in the efficiency of the training process, after a match analysis intervention program based on the Constraint-led Approach (CLA). The sample consisted of 11 players from a women's volleyball team. The protocol of the intervention program consisted of providing objective, contextualised and systematic information to the coach (adapted to his needs) that would allow understanding the different real game contexts. We used semi-structured interviews to assess players' perceptions. The athletes perceived changes in training, both in their preparation and development, specifically in greater involvement and organisation in preparing the training; in an increase in the specificity and suitability of training tasks according to individual needs; in the representativeness of the restrictions of the game; in a more tactical approach; in the variability of task and in the accountability to achieve the objective proposed. In addition, in the preparation and development for competition, the players detected more game planning; a deeper analysis of the opponents; an objective selection of the most relevant data, an increase in the depth of match analysis and the inclusion of the weekly meeting with the use of video compared to the previous season. These results expose the benefits of coaches incorporate programmes to obtain objective information about the game in their training process.

The present study aims to analyse the associations between setting variables and gender (male and female). The study sample consisted of 711 setting actions made by the setters/starters of the champion teams from the Brazilian states of Minas Gerais (MG) and São Paulo (SP); 313 setting actions were observed for the male category and 398 for the female category. Statistical analysis showed that there were gender differences in the following variables: conditions of the setting, number of attackers available for the attack, set tempo, conditions after setting and the set’s area. This information is likely to be relevant for the training process of setting, for both males and females.

The main objective of this research was to determine the association between performance in the different game actions and the final classification of the teams, in male volleyball. The systematic observation was used to analyse the 7888 game actions corresponding to the 21 teams participating in the male Spanish Championship, U-19 category.The study variables were: performance in all game actions and classification. A Cluster analysis was performed to establish the different classification groups. The data analysis was performed through an inferential analysis with the Chi-Square and Cramer's V. The results showed the significant association between the final classification and the actions of reception, setting, attack, block and defense (p<0.05). These results show that higher performance in all game actions, except serve, are associated with a better position in the final ranking. These results can be taken into account in the training process of male volleyball players, U-19 category. AUTHORS:Manuel Conejero INTRODUCTIONPerformance analysis in sport is based on the interpretation of different performance indicators, which allow us to develop different tactical and technical evaluations (8) , that can be useful in training planning (15) . Among the different performance indicators in sport we can highlight game actions' efficacy (5) , won/lost points (11) , set result (5) , match result (3) , and final classification (10) .In volleyball, the most used indicator for performance analysis is the game actions' efficacy (15) . The actions in volleyball are cyclical and sequential, differentiating four fundamental game complexes (2) . The complex 0 (K0) includes the action of the serve, by which the play starts, and aims to achieve direct point or reduce the options of the opposite attack (17) . Complex 1 (K1), or attack phase, includes the actions of reception, setting, attack and attack coverage. The objective of this complex is to neutralize and counteract the opposing serve, and build an attack to obtain the point (13) . Complex 2 (K2), or defense phase, includes block, defense, setting, counterattack and counterattack coverage. The objective of this complex is to neutralize and counteract the counterattack, and build a counterattack that allows to obtain the point (16) . Complex 3 (K3), or counterattack phase, includes the actions of block, defense, setting, counterattacking and counterattack coverage. Its main objective is to neutralize and counteract the counterattack from the K2 of the opposing team, and to organize a new counterattack (9) . In volleyball, there are two types of actions: intermediate and finalists. Intermediate actions are those with which it is not usual to obtain a direct point (reception, setting and defense) (11) . The finalist actions are those that usually obtain a direct point (serve, attack and block) (12) . Therefore, a player/team can get point mainly in four different ways: by serve, attack, block, or through unforced errors of the opponent (7) . Many studies have analy...