Execution zones and blocking types in Cienfuegos men's youth Volleyball

Abstract

Blocking is one of the most difficult actions in volleyball to master. It is the only element of the game that allows two or three players to play simultaneously. It constitutes the backbone of the defensive system and the focal point for defending the court, and is the fastest way to execute a counterattack. The objective of this research was to determine the impact of blocking by zones of execution and its types among the Cienfuegos province men's youth volleyball team in the 2024 National Championship. The six games played by this team in the championship were analyzed. Methods and/or techniques such as observation, interviews, measurements, and a methodological workshop were used. The Navelo-Control Automated Performance Control Program, approved by the Cuban Volleyball Federation for use in elite championships, was used to analyze and process the data. The data was collected at the competition site, and the main result was that blockers predominantly used double blocks on the ends of the court. Weakness in zone 3 blocks and limited use of triple blocks in zone 4 were evident, despite the Cuban volleyball team's tendency to perform many spikes in that zone, which is counterproductive for containing the opposing team's offense. This result contains relevant information as a reference for the training and preparation of this team's players.