It can be easy to track volleyball stats on your phone if you have the right app. No need to lug around paper anymore. Let’s take a look at the four best free Android apps that you can use to log stats. This can take your training or scouting to the next level.
Before downloading an app, you have to think about what data you want to record. Not all apps allow you to track everything. Therefore you should check if the app allows you to track certain statistics if you really need them. The paid version of apps can offer more options but the free apps seem to work just fine.
Let’s take a look at the most popular apps:
This app has a really good-looking user interface that makes it easy to input data and see statistics. What is really cool is that you can analyze the trajectory of the ball. This allows you to see if there are certain patterns in the way that your team or players attack.
You can use it on a phone but also on a tablet, which makes it easier to input the data. There is an interface for indoor volleyball and also one for beach volleyball so you can use this app for both types of volleyball. You can also filter the statistics based on each player.
The free version has limitations. For example, you are not able to export the data to pdf or Excel without paying for this. You also get to see more statistics. With the free version, you can already do a lot so you only need to pay if you want these additional options. The price to upgrade is also quite affordable (around 29 USD).
The app is already three years old and is quite stable. This is important as you don’t want to lose your data in the middle of a match because the app has crashed. There is also a version for Apple devices so if you decide to switch to another brand of phone later on, you can still use this app.
This advanced app allows you to add a video to the data. At the end of each match, you will get a nice pdf report with an overview of what happened. The interface is quite simple and you can record a lot of statistics with it. Some scouts might want to have more options but you can already get the basics covered with this app.
This app is older and the interface looks less flashy but works quite well. You can see the passing rating, serve rate, and also the hitting, blocking, and dig attempts.
This results in stats such as side-out percentage, point-scoring percentage, and differentials. These numbers are very actionable and allow you to see where your team or an individual player can improve.
It offers international and US rotation numbering.
The app is recommended by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) according to the description on the website.
Everything is backed up in their cloud system so that you don’t lose data if your phone breaks.
You can input data with your two thumbs, just like texting.
If you want to collect a lot of stats, this is the app for you! You can add 100 buttons to each playing position. It can take quite some time to get used to this so it is better to start out simple and gradually build it up to more advanced options. You can collect over 70 statistics.
This is also great if you have a video of a match that can be analyzed later on as you can pause if you want to add advanced statistics. This might be hard to do during a live match as things can move fast.
This app can be used for beach volleyball and indoor volleyball
This app is also available on Apple devices and you can sync the data to Dropbox or email.
The app is slightly older and the user interface hasn’t been updated for a while. This shouldn’t be a problem but other apps look nicer. There are some in-app purchases but these are very affordable.
5/ iStatVball3
This app has a really nice user interface that allows you to input a lot of complex statistics without a lot of effort. You can add a picture of your players to make sure that you select the right one.
A lot of statistics can be recorded. What I really like is that you can see heat maps, these are statistics per court area. This can help you to see which parts of the court are being neglected in defense. You can track all the ball contact by any player. It is also possible to go back in time and look at previous games to see the progress that the volleyball players are making.
You can also sync with a video of the match.
This app is being updated regularly. It is slightly more expensive than other options but the app is well made.
To conclude, we can state that there are great free Android volleyball statistics apps out there. You have to see what your needs are and decide based on this. Some offer a lot of customization but can be harder to use. Others offer more basic options but don’t allow you to track all the statistics that you might want. You also have to look at the possibility of exporting the data. Being able to use the app on Apple devices can also be a big plus.
Some apps require small in-app purchases to get the most out of them. You will have to think about what you require before you start using an app. It is possible to use each app during a training session and see what works best for you.
It takes some time to track these statistics but it can take your team to the next level. It is stupid to repeat the same mistakes over and over again and tracking what happens on the field can help make sure that you can see the patterns in the games. This can be done on a team level but also for the individual players.
