Evaluating the effectiveness of styles of play in elite soccer

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of styles of play in soccer and the influence of contextual variables (i.e. match status, venue and quality of opposition). Team possessions (n = 68,766) from the 380 matches of the 2015–2016 English Premier League season were collected for this study. The Possession Effectiveness Index, based on Expected Goals and Ball Movement Points metrics, was used to measure the effectiveness of team possessions. Linear mixed models were applied to analyse the influence of contextual variables on the effectiveness score for each style. Results showed that the effectiveness of Direct Play, Counterattack, Maintenance and Crossing significantly increased when teams were winning by two or more goals. Counterattack increased its effectiveness when teams were winning by one goal and reduced its effectiveness when losing by one goal. The effectiveness of Direct Play increased when losing by two goals or more. Playing away negatively affected the effectiveness of Direct Play, Maintenance and High Pressure. In addition, playing against a stronger opposition reduced the effectiveness of all styles of play. The results suggest that the effectiveness of styles of play changes under specific circumstances and that not all contextual variables affect them in the same way

Analysis of playing area dimensions in Spanish professional soccer: extrapolation to the design of small-sided games with tactical applications

Caro, O, Zubillaga, A, Fradua, L, and Fernandez-Navarro, J. Analysis of playing area dimensions in Spanish professional soccer: Extrapolation to the design of small-sided games with tactical applications. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000–000, 2019—The aims of this study were to examine (a) the width and length dimensions of the playing area in 4v4 situations during competition, (b) the influence of the pitch zone where the ball is on 4v4 dimensions, and (c) the influence of match status on the dimensions of 4v4 situations. Data were collected from 25 matches from the Spanish La Liga of the 2007–2008 season using the Amisco system. Length, width, and individual playing area (IPA) of the rectangle that included the nearest 4 players to the ball from each team were collected in a total of 8,727 4v4 game situations. The pitch zone and match status were also considered for these 4v4 situations. To determine factors that affect 4v4 game situations, 1-way analysis of variance was used. The influence of the pitch zone where 4v4 situations took place showed significant differences (p < 0.001) between the zones where different principles of the game apply. The areas of the 4v4 situations ranged from 14.70 ± 4.69 × 17.18 ± 6 to 17.09 ± 5.16 × 20.34 ± 5.93 m, and the IPA of the 4v4 playing rectangle ranged from 46.33 ± 20 to 35.48 ± 16.95 m2, being larger in the central zones of the pitch. The length of the 4v4 rectangle showed a significant reduction in the closer zones to the goal. Match status did not affect the dimensions of these 4v4 game situations significantly. The findings of this study suggest that the size of 4v4 situations proposed for training should be designed according to the pitch zone where playing actions take place

Tactical Variables Related to Gaining the Ball in Advanced Zones of the Soccer Pitch: Analysis of Differences Among Elite Teams and the Effect of Contextual Variables

Attacking tactical variables have been commonly studied in soccer to analyze teams’ performance. However, few studies investigated defensive tactical variables during match-play and the influence of contextual variables on them. The aims of the present study were (1) to examine the defensive behaviors of soccer teams when gaining the ball in advanced zones of the pitch and (2) to evaluate the effect of contextual variables on these defensive behaviors. A sample of 1,095 defensive pieces of play initiated in the opposing half of the pitch obtained from 10 matches of the season 2010/11 of La Liga and involving 13 teams was collected using the semiautomated tracking system Amisco Pro. Five defensive tactical variables, the outcome of defensive pieces of play, and contextual variables (i.e., match status, venue, quality of opposition, and match period) were recorded for every defensive piece initiated in the opposing half of the pitch. Results showed that there were significant differences among teams in the outcome of defensive pieces of play originating from the opposing half (χ2 = 111.87, p < 0.01, φc = 0.22), and in the outcome of offensive pieces of play following ball gains (χ2 = 49.92, p < 0.001, φc = 0.22). Cluster analysis revealed four groups describing different defensive behaviors from high-pressure to a defense close to their own goal. Match status (χ2 = 25.87, p < 0.05, φc = 0.11) and quality of opposition (χ2 = 21.19, p < 0.05, φc = 0.10) were the contextual variables that showed a significant effect on defensive pieces of play initiated in the opposite half of the pitch. Teams winning gained more balls in the zone close to their own goal, and losing teams gained more balls in advanced zones of the pitch. Moreover, the greater the quality of the opponent the lesser the chance of gaining the ball in advanced zones of the pitch. Neither venue or match period influenced the defensive pieces of play analyzed. Soccer teams could employ a similar analysis to improve their performance and prepare for opposition teams in competition

Analysis of small game areas of 4vs4 and 7vs7 in Spanish professional football

This study was originally published in Proceedings of the 2nd International Congress on Sports Sciences Research and Technology Support (PerSoccer-2014), pages 231-235.http://www.scitepress.org/DigitalLibrary/PublicationsDetail.aspx?ID=QERaUpqIGtg=&t=1The aim of this study was to analyse the reduced space game situations that appear during competition in soccer considering interactions with a small number of players involved. The Amisco system was employed to collect the dimensions of playing areas of different situations from competition in order to extrapolate the results to the appropriate training drills design in reduced space. 8,477 4v4 and 7v7 game situations were collected for the study. Width, length and individual playing area were registered from these situations. The influence of the zone of the pitch in the configuration of these spaces was also considered. The results showed that the dimensions of the areas designed for training drills are larger than those in competition. The influence of the zone of the pitch is also significant, mainly in 4v4 situations. This should be considered to adjust the training drills design depending on the intended tactical aim, directly associated with the zone of the pitch where the tra ining drill is developed