What's a Kill in Volleyball?
Learn what a kill is in volleyball, how it's scored, and why it's one of the most important offensive statistics for tracking player performance.
Definition
A kill in volleyball is an attack that results directly in a point for your team. This happens when the ball hits the floor on the opponent's side, goes out of bounds after touching an opponent, or results in an opponent error.
Kills are one of the most important offensive statistics because they directly measure a player's ability to score points and contribute to team success.
Types of Kills
Spike Kill
A powerful attack that hits the floor on the opponent's side, resulting in a point.
Tip Kill
A soft, placed attack that lands in an open area of the opponent's court.
Tool Kill
An attack that hits the block and goes out of bounds, resulting in a point.
Roll Shot Kill
A controlled attack with topspin that lands in the opponent's court.
How Kills Are Scored
A kill is recorded when:
- The ball hits the floor on the opponent's side of the court
- The ball goes out of bounds after touching an opponent
- The opponent commits an error as a result of the attack
- The ball is blocked out of bounds by the opponent
Why Kills Matter
Offensive Effectiveness
Kills directly result in points and show a player's ability to score.
Hitting Efficiency
Kills are a key component of hitting efficiency, which measures offensive performance.
Player Development
Tracking kills helps identify which players are most effective at scoring.
Kills vs. Other Statistics
While kills are important, they should be considered alongside other statistics:
- •Hitting Efficiency: Combines kills, errors, and attempts to show overall offensive effectiveness
- •Errors: Unsuccessful attacks that result in opponent points
- •Attempts: Total number of attack attempts