Is it possible for the reception and the player-receiver to influence the offensive construction in volleyball? An ecological vision and Intragame procedural relationships in high-level teams

ABSTRACT The present study verified the differences in the offensive construction from the reception of the priority receivers in volleyball (libero, outsider hitter near and away from setter) through the Social Networks Analysis. The sample consisted of 3053 reception actions and 2743 attack actions of the 2018 Men’s Volleyball World Championship played between the eight best-ranked teams in this edition. The results showed that the attack organisation changed depending on the receiver condition, and the attack construction from the reception of the outside hitter near from setter when in zones 2, 3 and 4 presented an off-system characteristic. Thus, the ecological conditions, in which the offensive construction begins, specify the performance in high-level men’s volleyball and that different offensive constructions will generate adaptations in the defensive system and in the attack–defence relationships. Therefore, it is necessary for teams to be trained to play in- and off-system, as well as to self-organise for critical performance scenarios.