How to Record an Attack (Kill)
To record a volleyball attack by voice, you say who hit the ball and how it ended, and Volleyball Code logs the kill, scores the point, and keeps your hitting percentage accurate for you.
How to record a volleyball attack
To record a volleyball attack, you say four things out loud: the team, the jersey number, the word "attack," and how the swing ended. Volleyball Code hears it, credits the attack to the right hitter, and if the swing ended the rally, it scores the point and updates the rotation for you. You never touch the screen mid-rally. Here is the exact flow, step by step, and the four ways an attack can end.
Step 1 - Make sure a match is live
You can only record an attack once a match is running, so start with two rosters in and your starting rotation picked. If you have not started a match yet, get that done first. Every attack builds on the same command pattern, so once you can code one rally you can code all of them.
Step 2 - Say the attack in one line
Tap record and speak the attack as a single command in this order:
team [A / B] · number [jersey] · attack · [result]You can say "attack," "spike," or "hit" for the swing itself, whichever comes naturally. The result is the part that decides the point. Here is a kill, spoken in one breath:
Volleyball Code hears the attack, credits the kill to number 14, adds a point for Team A, and rotates the lineup, all before the next serve. That is the whole reason to track kills by voice: you keep your eyes on the court instead of tapping a tablet, and your hitting stats still add up.
Step 3 - Pick the result that matches
An attack ends one of four ways. Say the matching word and the app scores it correctly:
- Kill. Say "kill" (or "perfect"). The ball hit the floor for a point. Volleyball Code scores the point for the attacking team and logs the kill.
- Blocked. Say "blocked." The other team stuffed the swing. The point goes to the blocking team automatically, because a blocked attack ends the rally in their favor.
- Error. Say "error," "out," "miss," or "fault." The hit went out or into the net. The point goes to the other team.
- In play. Say "positive," "good," or "continue." The swing was dug and the rally is still alive. No point yet, and the app logs a dig for the defense so you can code the next touch.
Step 4 - Glance and confirm
After you speak, the app shows what it understood as a short action list before it commits anything. A quick glance confirms it caught the right number and result. If the number is wrong, you fix it in one tap. Nothing hits the score or your hitting stats until you confirm, so a misheard word never quietly skews a hitter's numbers.
Step 5 - Let the score take care of itself
You never add or subtract points by hand. Volleyball Code applies the real scoring rules: a kill is a point for the attacking team, a blocked or errored attack is a point for the other side, and an attack kept in play scores nothing because the rally is still going. Only the swing that ends the rally moves the score. This is why consistent wording beats speed. Say "kill" only for a real kill and "error" only for a true hitting error, and your kill count and hitting percentage both stay honest.
What each attack word does
| You say | What it means | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Kill / perfect | Attack ends the rally for a point | Point, attacking team |
| Blocked | Swing stuffed by the block | Point, blocking team |
| Error / out / miss / fault | Hit out or into the net | Point, other team |
| Positive / good / continue | Attack dug, ball still up | Rally continues, no point |
Those four cover every swing you will ever call. Once the pattern is muscle memory, usually within a set, you will record attacks without thinking about the words at all. To see what those kills and errors add up to, read how to read your attack efficiency. If you want the math behind the number, the attack efficiency guide walks through it, and if you coach without a statistician on the bench, Volleyball Code for coaches shows how the hands-free workflow fits a real match.
Frequently asked questions
How do I record a kill?
Say the team, the hitter's number, "attack," and "kill," for example "Team A number 14 attack kill." Volleyball Code logs the kill and scores the point for the attacking team automatically.
What word do I use when the attack gets blocked?
Say "blocked." Volleyball Code treats a stuffed attack as terminal and awards the point to the blocking team, so you do not have to code the block separately for the score to land right.
What do I say when the hit is dug and the rally keeps going?
Say "positive," "good," or "continue." The attack is logged, the app records a dig for the defense, and no point is scored until the rally actually ends.
Do I have to add the point myself after a kill?
No. Kills, blocks, and hitting errors all score automatically. You only speak what happened, and the app applies the scoring and rotation for you.
Which words count as a hitting error?
"Error," "out," "miss," or "fault." Any of them tells Volleyball Code the attack ended the rally in the other team's favor, and the point goes to them.
Track every kill without looking down
Call the attack out loud and Volleyball Code logs the kill, the error, and the point automatically.
Start free →Related: Attack efficiency explained · Volleyball Code for coaches