Determining unstable game states to aid the identification of perturbations in football

Alternative approaches to the reductionist method for analysing football are needed to better understand factors typically not considered, for example off the ball runs by teammates. The dynamical systems approach, where the complex relationships between players is emphasised, predicts that goal scoring opportunities are preceded by instability in the balance between the two teams’ behaviours. The aim was to create operational definitions for determining unstable game states to facilitate the identification of perturbations, that is the causes of instability. Validity tests involving four English Premier League (EPL) football coaches and two performance analysts and subsequent reliability tests established five unstable game states; penalty box possession, counter attack, ratio of attacking to defending players, successful cross and successful shot. Eighteen EPL matches were analysed to present exemplar statistics for three teams of different standard (based on final league position) suggesting that teams create unstable situations differently, likely due to individual player characteristics, with home advantage and opposition strength effects, suggesting this may be a component of what constitutes a performance indicator for a team. Future studies need to consider individual player actions that create instability as well as provide objective measures that substantiate findings

Performance analysis practice within Olympic and Paralympic sports: a comparison of coach and analyst experiences

Concordance between 18 coaches (mean performance analysis experience: 8.3 ± 4.8 years) and 23 performance analysts (mean: 6.4 ± 4.1 years) regarding their performance analysis delivery within applied Olympic and Paralympic environments was investigated using survey-based methods. There was clear agreement on the provision, importance and need for full video. The majority of analysts (73.9%) provided profiling often or all of the time, whereas only one third of coaches felt that this was the required amount. Coaches not only agreed that coaching philosophy was the main factor directing analysis but also emphasised that training goals, level or age of athlete and discussions with athletes were influencers, far more than the analysts realised. A potential barrier for better communication was time, highlighted by all analysts as a major factor impacting their role. The majority of analysts (87%) attempted to provide feedback to athletes within one hour of performance, often or all the time. Coaches expressed a similar philosophy but were far more likely to want to provide feedback at later times. These findings should be utilised by analysts and coaches to review practice, identify gaps within practice and highlight areas for development

The role of debriefing in enhancing learning and development in professional boxing

The use of debriefing by 6 elite coaches (9–16 years’ experience coaching professional boxers) and 6 professional boxers (minimum 3 professional bouts) was explored via interviews (25–40 minutes). Boxers represented the featherweight, welterweight, and heavyweight divisions. Interview questions were framed around, 1) the use of video and data analysis, 2) coach-athlete interaction, and 3) learning and development. The importance of data, video, and the effective integration of performance analysis to facilitate comprehensive feedback to maximise learning opportunities was identified. The coach-athlete relationship, and engagement of the athlete within the debriefing process emerged as an aspect needing continual micro-management to ensure ongoing effectiveness. The development of an “open and honest” relationship and a “safe space” to air thoughts and opinions was greatly encouraged. The length of debriefing session did not appear to impact overall engagement. The use of video debriefing to facilitate a coach’s ability to develop the athletes mentally, in addition to their physical boxing capabilities, was a key and standout aspect that should be appropriately considered. The findings add to the limited investigation within boxing, providing insight into the debriefing processes within professional boxing by those on both sides, i.e. the coach and the athlete