By RJ Abella, Assistant Beach Coach/Recruiting Coordinator, South Carolina
One of the unique differences between indoor and beach volleyball is the side change. In sets to 21, teams will switch sides after every seven points with a technical timeout at 21 cumulative points. In a set to 15, teams will change sides every five points.
The idea of the side change is to even out the playing field especially when there is one side of the court which is deemed advantageous because of the elements; however, its importance has evolved to much more especially in the junior and college levels.
Coaching feedback is limited to side changes, timeouts, and in between sets. We have that small amount of time to exchange information with players to adjust and evaluate what is going on during play. Communication needs to be clear, concise, and with intent. What do you say to get the most efficient performance out of your athletes? A lot of it will be rooted in what are you observing during play and what do you prioritize as important for the next seven or five points.
The beauty of the side change is that they are in odd increments, meaning one team will have scored more points than the other every side change. While the end goal is to score 21 or 15 points before the other team (big game) maybe it’s beneficial to put a lot of focus on winning the side changes (little game). If you keep winning the little games, you will most likely win the big game. Statistically it is possible to lose the big game even if you win more side changes than your opponent but by looking at the game in 7’s and 5’s you might get a clearer picture of where the game is won or lost.
During matches, try tracking the score in each side change and how each point was awarded. You’ll be able to determine did we truly win the side change or did our opponents lose the side change by giving us free points from errors. I believe that it’s important to determine the difference because you shouldn’t depend on teams to give you free points to win matches, you should depend on your players to earn them.
By tracking your team’s performance during each side change as opposed to the overall score you can then prioritize what information needs to be shared in that little amount of time. If you see that your players aren’t EARNING points maybe the priority for the next switch is to change your side out strategy or maybe you need to disrupt your opponent’s offense with a different serving or defensive strategy. Maybe you just need to remind your players they need to change game plans to use the elements to their advantage.
The end score doesn’t tell the whole story. Teams can be fooled into thinking they performed well when in fact maybe they didn’t truly win the game, their opponents lost it. Tracking performance by your side change production can give you a better picture of how the game is won or lost. If you can plan in increments of seven or five points and win those little games, hopefully you can influence what the story will tell after 21 or 15.
