How to Record a Dig
Learning how to record a volleyball dig by voice means your defensive stats finally capture the plays that keep rallies alive, not just the ones that end them.
How to record a volleyball dig
A dig is the defensive touch that keeps a hard-driven ball off the floor, and it is the stat most coaches lose because they are too busy watching the play to write it down. Recording a volleyball dig by voice fixes that: you say what happened the instant the ball comes up, and the app logs it against the right player without you looking away from the court. This guide walks through the exact words, step by step, so your defensive stats finally reflect the digs that win you rallies.
The command for a dig follows the same four-part pattern as every other skill, so if you can call a serve, you can call a dig. Here is the flow.
Step 1: Know what counts as a dig
Before you record anything, be clear on the one distinction that trips coaches up: a dig is a defensive contact off an opponent's attack, while a reception is the first contact off their serve. Same motion, different moment. If you call a served ball a dig, it lands in the wrong column and your serve-receive numbers go soft. When in doubt, ask yourself what the ball came off: a serve is a reception, an attack is a dig. If you want the serve side of that pair, see how to record a reception.
Step 2: Call the dig
Every action, digs included, uses one pattern:
team [A / B] · number [jersey] · dig · [result]So a clean defensive play, spoken naturally, sounds like this:
The app logs a dig for your libero, grades it, and keeps the rally open. No point is scored, because a dig keeps the ball in play rather than ending it.
The words the app understands for the touch itself are "dig," "defense," or "defence." All three land on the same skill, so say whichever is natural to you.
Grading the dig
The result is how the touch turned out, on the same scale you use everywhere else:
- Perfect: a clean dig that sets up a counter-attack.
- Positive: a good dig that keeps your options open.
- Continue: the ball stayed up but the rally is scrappy.
- Error: the ball hit the floor or sailed out, so the point goes to the other team.
The key thing to remember: a dig never scores a point for you. A great dig keeps the rally alive, and the point comes later off the attack. The only dig that moves the scoreboard is a dig error, which hands the point to the other side. That is exactly how volleyball works, and it is why tracking digs tells you who is extending rallies rather than who is finishing them.
Step 3: Glance and confirm
After you speak, the app shows what it understood as a short action list before it commits anything. A quick look confirms it caught the right number and the right skill. If it heard "reception" when you meant "dig," you fix it in one tap, and nothing is locked into your stats until you say so. This is the same confirm step you use for every rally, so recording defense adds no new habit to learn. The full command rhythm is covered in how to code a volleyball rally if you want to drill it.
Why defensive stats are worth the effort
Most stat sheets are offense-heavy because kills and aces are easy to spot and easy to record. Digs are neither, so they quietly go missing, and with them goes any honest picture of your back-row. When you record digs by voice, you start to see which defenders actually keep balls alive under pressure, which ones are getting picked on, and whether your libero is earning the jersey. For a coach tracking a match solo, that defensive layer is the difference between a half-picture and a full one. If you coach without a dedicated statistician, Volleyball Code for coaches shows how the hands-free flow fits a real bench.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a dig and a reception?
A dig is a defensive contact off an opponent's attack; a reception is the first contact off their serve. Same motion, different moment. Call a served ball a reception and an attacked ball a dig so each lands in the right column.
Does a dig score a point?
No. A dig keeps the ball in play, so a perfect or positive dig never adds to the score on its own. The only dig that moves the scoreboard is a dig error, which gives the point to the other team.
What words does the app understand for a dig?
Say "dig," "defense," or "defence" for the skill, then the result: perfect, positive, continue, or error. All three skill words land on the same dig stat.
Can I record digs for both teams?
Yes. Call "Team A" or "Team B" before the number and the app attributes every dig to the right side, giving you your own defensive stats and a scouting picture of the opponent's.
See your defense show up in the stats
Call every dig out loud and Volleyball Code logs it, grades it, and keeps your defensive numbers honest while you coach.
Start free →Related: How to Record a Reception (Pass) · Volleyball Code for coaches