What Is TA in Volleyball Stats?

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Volleyball is a sport with a lot of statistics lingo that can be confusing, especially if you’re a beginner. If you’re new to this sport, you might be wondering what TA is in volleyball stats and how to improve it.

What Is TA in Volleyball Stats?

The number of Total Attempts created by the player is referred to as TA in volleyball stats. To calculate this, add the number of successful kills, attacking errors, and zero attacks that the player has created throughout the game.

However, in order to completely comprehend this statistical term, you must first grasp what a kill, an attacking error, and a zero attack are. Knowing these terms will help you gain a better understanding of the game and, as a result, improve your performance.

Player preparing to spike

What Is a Kill in Volleyball?

This is a term used when a hitter sends an unreturnable ball towards the opponent’s ground, scoring a point. This is considered one of the most important features that a hitter should master in order to be a great scorer. If you can get a lot of kills, your team will probably win.

A kill can also be described as a general attack that results in a point for your team. For example, if your setter performs a setter dump and earns a point, it might be considered a kill even though the hitter did not perform it.

Some people get confused because they believe that a kill occurs only when the hitter spikes. However, a kill can be achieved by any player using any type of attack. That being said, not every ball that is sent towards the opponent’s court is considered an attack.

What Is Considered an Attack?

In volleyball, an attack is defined as the attempt to score a point by sending the ball towards the opponent’s ground. However, as I mentioned before, not every time the ball goes over the net is considered an attack, some of them might be considered an error.

For example, if the ball slips through the hitter’s finger and ends up in the opposing court, it is considered a ball-handling error, not an attack. Although scoring a point this way is highly unlikely, it can be debated whether this should be labeled as a kill or not.

What Is an Attacking Error in Volleyball?

An attacking error is defined as an unsuccessful attack attempt. Here you can see when an attack is considered an attacking error.

Player preparing to toss the ball
  • When the hitter sends the ball out of bounds. This would end up in a point for the opposing team.
  • When the hitter strikes the ball into the net and it falls into his own side of the court.
  • When the hitter hits the ball into the opponent’s block and it falls into his side of the court.
  • When the player touches the net while contacting the ball. 
  • When a player steps over the centerline when attacking the volleyball.
  • When the player makes illegal contact with the ball. This happens when the attacking player lifts the ball or hits it twice in a row.
  • When a back row player attacks inside of the front row. This is an illegal move and it will be penalized with a point for the opposing team.
  • When the ball is attacked by a libero player. This position, regardless of above or below the front row, is not permitted to send the ball over the net.

What Is a Zero Attack in Volleyball?

When a player successfully attacks and the opposing side saves the ball, it is called a zero attack. For instance, if your hitter spikes and your opponent digs the ball and keeps it alive, it is considered a zero attack.

Related Questions

Here are some related questions about TA in volleyball:

How Do You Calculate TA?

To figure out your TA, you need to add together your kills, attacking errors, and zero attacks. For example, if you made 12 kills, 6 attacking errors, and 8 zero attacks, your TA would be 26.

How Can You Improve Your TA Stat in Volleyball?

Since the TA only reflects how many attacking attempts you made during the game, it cannot be improved. However, you can improve your hitting percentage, which is the number of kills you performed, minus the mistakes you made, divided by the TA.

Player preparing for a spike attack in volleyball

For example, if you made 50 TA, 8 kills, and 4 errors, your hitting percentage would be 4 divided by 50, which is very low. To improve this, you can either increase the number of kills you perform or lower the number of errors you make.

Conclusion

There are many statistics terms in volleyball that can assist you and your coach to visualize which areas of your game can be improved.  In this case, the number of total attempts allows you to see how many offensive opportunities you created.

Alfonso Andrade is an avid sportsman, growing up playing soccer and volleyball. He is a coach and sports analyst, studying the game to analyze performance and help create improvement.