HOW WE PLAY: VOLLEYBALL
One roster. One city. One Champion.
Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball brings 44 world-class athletes to Mesa, Arizona for five weeks of playoff-intensity competition.
The Athletes Unlimited Format
Teams Change Weekly
We bring a group of world-class athletes to one city for a month of heated competition. Teams are redrafted each week, which means you get to see the best players battling with and against each other in different combinations. All active players from the roster will be on one of the four teams each week.
To find what team your favorite players are on in any given week, click here.
How We Draft
The Leaderboard
As the teams play each other every week, we keep a running leaderboard that counts points for each athlete individually. You can see the leaderboard change constantly throughout the match as athletes make plays.
Athletes earn points in three ways:
- When their team wins a match or set
- When they make a positive play on the court or lose points for a negative play or error.
- When they are voted one of the top 3 MVPs of a match by players and fans.
You don’t have to do the math, our leaderboard will do it for you. But if you want to know how many points a given action is worth, check out How We Score.
Captains
Each week the top four players on the leaderboard serve as team captains and draft their new teams. The captains also have the ultimate authority over the team – lineups, in-match decisions, and practice plans. They also have a coach to collaborate with; we refer to them as facilitators.
For more on the draft check out our How We Draft video.
Becoming a Champion
At the end of the season, the athlete who sits atop the leaderboard is the champion — and the margin can be small! In some seasons we’ve had one play decide the difference between champion and second place. Every match, every play, every moment counts.
That means no meaningless mid-season matches. No athletes taking a night off. This is all-star talent and playoff intensity — every match.
So pick your favorite players, cheer for their teams, and watch them compete to climb up the leaderboard. And when the final match ends we’ll see who rises to the top and is crowned the champion.
HOW WE DRAFT
After the last match of every week, the top four point scorers will be named team captains. Each captain will be assigned to a team color based on their standing.
- No. 1: Gold
- No. 2: Orange
- No. 3: Blue
- No. 4: Purple
Team captains can consult with anyone they want prior to the opening of the draft, including any AU Pro Volleyball staff, former coaches, and teammates.
Each week during the draft every captain will be allowed up to two minutes per pick. Once a player is selected their captain may consult them for further decisions. Once all 44 players have been selected to a team, it will be time to prepare for the upcoming slate of matches and get ready to play ball.
Then, an exciting new week of competition will begin.
HOW WE SCORE
Win Points
Win points are all about the team’s performance. In all Athletes Unlimited Volleyball matches, teams will always play three sets. Win Points accumulate during both individual sets and overall match wins. Each set is worth +40 points and overall matches are worth +60 points.
To win a set, a team must tally 25 points and win by two. If a team reaches 25 points and the opposing team has 24 points, the set will continue until one team has a two-point lead.
The total score determines the overall match winner, which means a team may lose two sets, but win the overall match.
For example, the Gold Team loses the first two sets 25-23 and 25-23 to the Blue Team, but wins the last set, 25-17. The Gold Team would win the overall match points because they had the larger overall score, 71-67.
Overtime
If the total score is tied after three sets, teams will play a “Golden Set,” where a team must score five points and win by two to take the match. Individual stat points do not accumulate during a Golden Set. A Golden Set is capped at 10 points for an individual team.
MVP Points
After each match, players and members of The Unlimited Club will vote for three players who they feel had standout performances.
These points will be added to the player’s individual total. Points will be awarded as follows:
- MVP 1: +60 points
- MVP 2: +40 points
- MVP 3: +20 points
Individual Stats
The final component of points is individual stats. Players will earn points based on their offensive and defensive performance.
The breakdown for individual points is as follows:
Serving: Ace + 12, Error -8
A serve is the first contact that starts every rally. Servers receive points for an ace. An ace (+12) is a serve that lands in the opponent’s court without being touched or is unable to be kept in play by the receiving team.
A service error (-8) is charged if: The serve hits or does not go over the net; The serve goes out-of-bounds; or The server is called for a foot. A foot violation is when the server touches the court outside the service zone.
Attack: Kill + 8, Error -12
An attack is any offensive action that sends the ball over the net to the opposing team that attempts to terminate the play. A kill (+8) is awarded when an attack is unable to be returned or uncontrolled by the opponent, leading to a point scored.
An attack error (-12) occurs when: the ball is hit out of bounds; the ball is hit into the net; a net or center line violation; or illegal contact during an attack attempt.
Set: Assist + 1, Error -12
An assist occurs when a player passes or sets the ball to a teammate who attacked the ball for a kill. An error (-12) occurs when a player commits a ball-handling error, which includes a double hit, which is when a player touches the ball twice or both hands touch the ball individually, and a lifted ball, which is prolonged contact with the ball.
Dig: Dig + 5, No Errors
A dig (+5) is the first contact made after a ball is sent over to the defensive team on an attack. This is a defensive movement made to prevent the ball from hitting the ground.
Pass: Good pass + 2, Error -12
A pass (+2) is the first contact after a serve. An error (-12) occurs when the receiving player is unable to make contact to return the ball or passes the ball out of bounds.
A pass that leads to a kill is known as an assist (+1).
Block: Stuff + 12, No Errors
A stuff block (+12) occurs when a defensive player at the net blocks an attack and the rally terminates with the ball on the attacker’s side of the court, resulting in a point for the blocker’s team.
Block Assist: +2 (for Middle Blockers only), No Errors
A block assist (+2) occurs when two or three players at the net in the area of contact block the ball into the opponent’s court leading to a point or side out. Only the middle blocker will receive a block assist.
WHITEPAPER: ATHLETES UNLIMITED VOLLEYBALL SCORING SYSTEM
Athletes Unlimited has developed a scoring system for the sport of volleyball that is designed to highlight the individual performance of an athlete within the context of overall team performance. Given the nature of the Athletes Unlimited unique competition format, the scoring system should account for both the player’s measurable individual statistical impact, as well as their intangible influence on team outcomes. Historical data from international competition matches were used to craft the initial models, which were then refined through simulations, compared against actual match results, and integrated with the team and MVP point structures that appear in all Athletes Unlimited scoring systems.
