What is Side Out in Volleyball? The Metric That Defines Elite Teams [2026]

I’ve sat in film sessions where we didn’t review blocks or aces—we only reviewed Rotation 1 side-outs. If your team can’t side-out consistently, you’re handing your opponent point-scoring runs that end seasons. During my college years, our coach would pull up the side-out percentage after every match before he even mentioned hitting percentage. “Win the serve-receive phase,” he’d say, “and the match takes care of itself.”

While “side out” used to refer exclusively to an old scoring system, in 2026 it’s become the metric that separates good teams from elite ones. Your side-out percentage tells you whether your offense functions under pressure—and if that number drops below 60% against a Top-25 program, you’re not winning that set. This guide breaks down what side-out actually means today, how to calculate it, and the benchmarks your team should be chasing.

What is Side-Out: Two Definitions You Need to Know 

The term “side out” carries two distinct meanings in volleyball, and confusing them will cost you in film study and game planning.

Most generalist sports sites focus 90% of their content on the historical scoring system. That’s a mistake. In modern volleyball, “side out” is an action—and more importantly, it’s a metric that coaches use to evaluate team performance.

The modern definition: A side-out occurs when the receiving team (the team not serving) wins the rally. Under rally point scoring, this earns them a point, triggers a rotation, and gives them the serve.

The Number That Actually Matters: Side-Out Percentage (SO%)  

Here’s what coaches actually care about. Side-out percentage measures how often your team wins rallies when the opponent is serving.

The Side-Out Formula

Side-Out % = (Rallies Won on Serve-Receive ÷ Total Serve-Receive Attempts) × 100

If your opponent serves 50 balls in a match and you win 32 of those rallies, your side-out percentage is 64%.

SO% Benchmarks by Level

Research from NCAA Division I women’s volleyball shows that teams winning matches average 63.5% side-out success, while losing teams average 49.9%. That 13-point gap is the difference between a tournament run and a first-round exit.

Penn State’s championship-caliber squads have historically posted side-out percentages around 67%, while holding opponents to just 51%. That 16-point differential creates the kind of dominance that wins national titles.

First Ball Side-Out (FBSO) – why it matters?

If side-out percentage is important, First Ball Side-Out percentage is critical. FBSO measures your team’s ability to kill the ball on the first attacking attempt after receiving serve.

Why FBSO Matters More Than Standard SO%

When you side-out on the first swing, you deny the serving team any chance to score. Every extra ball in the rally gives their defense time to organize, their blockers time to read, and their hitters time to prepare for transition.

FBSO Formula: FBSO % = (First Ball Kills ÷ Total Receptions) × 100

High-level D1 and professional teams target an FBSO of 65% or higher. If you’re regularly going to second or third swings to get the side-out, the advantage has already shifted to the defense.

According to 2025 VNL data, the top 4 international teams (Poland, Japan, USA, Italy) all maintained an FBSO of 68.2% or higher. The correlation is simple: if you don’t kill the first ball, the international triple-block will eventually catch you.

Earned Side-Out % vs. Total Side-Out %: The Coach’s Warning

Here’s where most stat tracking fails. Service errors count toward your total side-out percentage but NOT your FBSO. That’s a problem if you’re not paying attention.

The distinction that matters:

• Total SO%: Includes all rallies won, even opponent service errors
• Earned SO%: Only counts rallies you won through your own offense

If your SO% is 65% but 15% of that comes from opponent service errors, your offense is actually converting at a 50% clip. You’re surviving on their mistakes, not your execution.

I’ve seen coaches celebrate a 62% side-out night without realizing their opponent missed 12 serves. Strip those freebies out, and the offense was dying at 48%. Your OH-1 wasn’t terminating—your opponent was just handing you points.

Always ask: “What’s our Earned SO%?”

The 2025 Rule Change That Boosted Global FBSO 

The loosened double-contact rule in 2025 has changed how setters operate—and it’s showing up in the numbers.

Under the updated FIVB and NCAA rule interpretation, referees are allowing setters to “handle” the ball longer on the second contact. This creates better attacking windows because setters can take more risks with imperfect passes.

The result: Since the 2025 FIVB/NCAA rule shift, global FBSO percentages have risen by an average of 2.4%. Setters are converting passes that would have been whistled as double contacts under the old standard, leading to faster in-system play and more first-ball kills.

This is why your 2024 benchmarks need updating. A 62% FBSO that was elite two years ago is now merely competitive.

Side-Out Scoring vs. Rally Scoring: The Historical Context

While the focus of this article is the modern metric, understanding volleyball’s historical evolution helps you appreciate why side-out percentage became so important.

The Old Side-Out Scoring System (Pre-1999)

Before 1999, volleyball used a completely different scoring system. Only the serving team could score points. If the receiving team won the rally, they earned the right to serve—but no point.

This created matches that could stretch for hours. Teams would trade side-outs for twenty minutes without the score moving. I grew up in the side-out era in Minnesota. I remember matches that felt like three-hour marathons because you’d exchange serves without anyone gaining ground.

The Comparison Table

Why FIVB Made the Change

The Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) changed the rules in 1999 (compulsory in 2000) primarily to make match lengths more predictable and the sport more spectator-friendly. The NCAA Division I Women’s Championship used side-out scoring through 2000, with rally point scoring debuting in 2001.

Rally scoring transformed every side-out into a scoreboard disaster for the serving team. It shifted the mental weight of the game to the passing platform and made every reception critical.

The Bleed: Why Side-Out Percentage Determines Match Outcomes

When you can’t side-out, the score doesn’t just crawl—it hemorrhages.

I’ve seen teams up 23-19 lose a set because they got stuck in a Rotation 4 “rut” and couldn’t pass a float serve. Momentum isn’t magic; it’s just the math of failing to rotate.

The Serving Team Starts Behind

In modern volleyball, the serving team actually begins at a disadvantage. The receiving team controls the first ball, runs their planned offense, and has all six players ready to attack. The serving team is reactive—they must dig first and then transition to attack.

This is why professional teams average 65-70% side-out rates. The receiving team should win more often than they lose.

The Side-Out Rut

Atomic Fact: The “Side-Out Rut” A “Side-Out Rut” occurs when a team’s SO% in a specific rotation is 15% lower than their match average. In 2026, coaches use heat maps to identify if the “rut” is caused by a passing breakdown or a hitter’s inability to score against a specific block scheme.

Here’s the tactical reality: when you side-out, you don’t just win a point. You stop the opponent’s serving run and take away their offensive rhythm. When your side-out percentage drops below 55%, you’re allowing the serving team to go on extended scoring runs. Those runs swing sets from 20-18 to 20-25 in minutes.

Track SO% by Rotation—Not Just the Match

Coaches don’t track overall side-out percentage anymore. They break it down by rotation. Whether you’re running a 5-1 offense or a 6-2 system, your side-out efficiency changes dramatically based on who’s in the front row and where your passers are positioned.

You might side-out at 70% in Rotation 1 when your best passers are in optimal zones, but drop to 48% in Rotation 4 when your setter is in the front row and your passing lineup shifts.

Knowing your “side-out rut”—the rotation where you struggle—lets you make targeted adjustments instead of generic changes that don’t address the real problem.

The Libero Serving Factor

In 2026, we’re seeing a massive correlation between libero serving and drops in opponent Side-Out %.

Because the libero is often a tactical “spot server” in the American game, they frequently target the opponent’s weakest passer. Your SO% naturally fluctuates based on who’s behind the service line. A team might side-out at 68% against your middle blocker’s float serve but drop to 54% when your libero targets their OH-2 in Zone 1.

Track your SO% by opposing server, not just by rotation.

Out-of-System Side-Out %: The 2026 Pro Standard

Elite teams don’t just track SO%—they track OOS Side-Out % (Out-of-System Side-Out Percentage).

What “Out-of-System” Means

When the pass is a “1” on the 0-3 scale (setter pulled to the 3-meter line or worse), what’s your kill percentage?

The benchmark: If your OOS kill rate is below 30%, your hitters aren’t bail-out options—they’re just waiting for perfect balls. That’s a liability against tough serving teams.

Why OOS SO% Matters

Against elite servers who can consistently place aggressive jump serves or tactical floaters, you won’t get perfect passes every reception. Maybe 40-50% of your passes will be 2s or 3s. The rest will be scramble situations.

Teams that convert out-of-system balls at 35%+ have a massive advantage because they’re not reliant on perfect passing to score. They have hitters who can terminate high balls, back-row attacks from Zone 6 pipes, and setters who can dump on two.

If your OOS SO% is below 25%, your offense is brittle. One aggressive server can destroy your whole game plan.

The Passing Foundation: Where Side-Outs Start

A side-out lives or dies on the first contact. Your passing directly determines your offensive options.

Pass Rating and Side-Out Correlation

Passing is typically rated on a 0-3 scale:

• 0: Service reception error (you got aced)
• 1: Out-of-system pass (setter has limited options)
• 2: Playable pass (setter can run basic offense)
• 3: Perfect pass (setter has all options available)

Research from Virginia Elite’s ten years of SoloStats data found something surprising: a team with a 1.65 pass rating and sub-10% pass error percentage can have a better point win percentage than a team with a 2.00 pass rating but higher than 10% pass errors.

Translation: Consistency matters more than perfection. Eliminating the zeros (aces) has more impact than chasing more threes (perfect passes).

Side-Out Drills That Actually Move the Numbers

Here are four drills built around the metrics that matter. These aren’t warm-up games—they’re diagnostic tools that expose weaknesses.

Drill 1: The 1.65 Rule

Purpose: Build passing consistency over perfection

Setup: Full serve-receive with your starting passers. Track every pass on the 0-3 scale in real time.

The Rule: The drill doesn’t end until the team maintains a 1.65 pass rating over 10 consecutive serves with zero aces allowed.

Why it works: This drill internalizes the Virginia Elite finding—consistency beats perfection. Players learn that a steady stream of 2s beats occasional 3s mixed with devastating 0s.

Coaching cue: If your team can’t hit the 1.65 threshold, your passers need individual platform work before you can run team offense.

Drill 2: OOS Termination (The Bail-Out Drill)

Purpose: Build out-of-system kill ability

Setup: Coach or player tosses balls to simulate passes rated 0-1. Passes go to zones 1, 5, or well off the net. Setter must work from compromised positions.

Scoring:

• Kill from OOS = 2 points
• Side-out from OOS (transition) = 1 point
• Failed side-out = -1 point

Goal: First team to 15 points. The negative scoring punishes teams that can’t convert bad passes.

Why it works: Most side-out failures happen when passes go bad. This drill trains the adaptability to score anyway—and identifies which hitters can actually bail you out.

Drill 3: First-Ball Kill Race (FBSO Focus)

Purpose: Train the mentality of first-swing termination

Setup: Full serve-receive to attack with aggressive serving. Keep FBSO and SO% scores separately.

Scoring:

• First-ball kill = 3 points
• Transition side-out = 1 point
• Failed side-out = 0 points

Goal: First team to 21 points wins. The 3:1 ratio creates urgency around attacking early.

Why it works: When first-ball kills are worth triple, your passers focus on giving the setter options and your hitters commit to aggressive swings instead of safe roll shots.

Drill 4: Rotation Rut Isolation

Purpose: Fix your weakest rotation’s side-out percentage

Setup: Identify your “rut rotation” from match data (the one where your SO% drops 15%+ below average). Lock your team in that rotation for the entire drill.

Structure:

• Opponent serves 20 balls
• Track SO% for the 20-serve sequence
• Repeat until you hit your target SO% (e.g., 60%)

Why it works: Generic serve-receive practice doesn’t fix rotation-specific problems. This drill forces concentrated reps in exactly the lineup combination that’s failing.

Coaching cue: If you can’t hit 55% SO% in your rut rotation after 40 serves, the problem isn’t reps—it’s personnel. Consider lineup adjustments.

How “Side Out” Is Used on the Court Today

Even though side-out scoring is history, the phrase lives on in gyms everywhere.

When you hear a coach or teammate shout “Side out!” during a match, they’re not calling for a history lesson. They’re saying: “We need to win this rally. Stop their run. Get our momentum back.”

It’s a rallying cry that reminds everyone on the court that the receiving team’s job is to score, rotate, and take control of the serve. The phrase has become shorthand for executing under pressure.

FAQs

Why is FBSO more important than regular side-out percentage?

FBSO measures what your team actively does—converting serve-receive into first-ball kills. Regular side-out percentage can be inflated by opponent service errors, which you didn’t earn. FBSO gives coaches a cleaner view of offensive execution.

How do I calculate my team’s side-out percentage?

Count the number of rallies your team wins when the opponent serves. Divide by the total number of times the opponent served. Multiply by 100 for the percentage.

Example: Opponent serves 60 times. You win 38 of those rallies. Side-out % = (38 ÷ 60) × 100 = 63.3%

What is a “Side-Out Rut”?

A side-out rut is a specific rotation where your SO% drops 15% or more below your match average. Most teams have one rotation (often Rotation 4 or 5) that significantly underperforms. Identifying and fixing your rut rotation is one of the fastest ways to improve overall match performance.

What causes low side-out percentage?

The most common factors are:

1. Poor serve-receive (leading to out-of-system attacks)
2. High attacking error rate
3. Weak out-of-system offense (can’t convert bad passes)
4. Predictable offensive patterns opponents can block
5. Getting stuck in a “rut rotation” too long

Conclusion

Side-out isn’t just a relic of volleyball history—it’s the live metric that tells you whether your team’s offense can handle pressure. While the old scoring system where only servers could score is long gone, the concept has evolved into something more valuable: a diagnostic tool that predicts match outcomes better than any other single statistic.

Track your Earned SO% to see past opponent errors. Monitor FBSO to measure true offensive execution. Break down SO% by rotation to find your rut. Build your out-of-system offense so you’re not dependent on perfect passes.

Do those things consistently, and you won’t just understand side-out—you’ll dominate it.

Keep spiking,