Rui Marcelino

Match analysis in football: a systematic review

Abstract The main focus of this paper was to review the available literature on match analysis in adult male football. The most common research topics were identified, their methodologies described and the evolutionary tendencies of this research area systematised. A systematic review of Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) Web of Knowledge database was performed according to PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-analyses) guidelines. The following keywords were used: football and soccer, each one associated with the terms: match analysis, performance analysis, notational analysis, game analysis, tactical analysis and patterns of play. Of 2732 studies initially identified, only 53 were fully reviewed, and their outcome measures abstracted and analysed. Studies that fit all inclusion criteria were organised according to their research design as descriptive, comparative or predictive. Results showed that 10 studies focused predominantly on a description of technical, tactical and physical performance variables. From all comparative studies, the dependent variables more frequently used were “playing position” and “competitive level”. Even though the literature stresses the importance of developing predictive models of sports performance, only few studies (n = 8) have focused on modelling football performance. Situational variables like game location, quality of opposing teams, match status and match half have been progressively included as object of research, since they seem to work as effective covariables of football performance. Taking into account the limitations of the reviewed studies, future research should provide comprehensive operational definitions for the studied variables, use standardised categories and description of activities and participants, and consider integrating the situational and interactional contexts into the analysis of football performance.

The weight of terminal actions in Volleyball. Contributions of the spike, serve and block for the teams’ rankings in the World League 2005

The purpose of this paper was to study performance levels in scoring skills in the Volleyball World League 2005, and to relate the results to the teams’ final ranking in the tournament. The sample consisted in 33745 actions, distributed by serve (n=12434), block (n=7200), and spike (n=14111), having been recorded during 72 World League 2005 matches. Both absolute (number of successful and unsuccessful executions) and relative (coefficient of performance, percentage of successful executions and percentage of unsuccessful executions) variables have been considered for the three dimensions (spike, serve, and block). Team ranking has been calculated for each variable. Also, each team’s final ranking in the tournament has been considered. The results permit us to conclude that the spike is the best indicator of success in high level volleyball, but only when considering relative measures. Simultaneously, the number of block points per game proved to be a good indicator of success in volleyball. Finally, the number of serve errors and the percentage of serve points are associated with the team’s tournament ranking. That is, the best teams fail a higher number of serves, but also win more points with this action.

Effects of quality of opposition and match status on technical and tactical performances in elite volleyball

Abstract The aim of this study was to assess the effects of quality of opposition and match status on technical and tactical volleyball performances, as measured by block, attack, serve, and set actions related to the tasks, space, players, and efficacy of selected game actions. Twenty-five matches from the mens World Cup 2007 were notated and through cluster analysis were classified as “high” (HIGH), “intermediate” (INT) or “low” (LOW) quality. The difference between points scored and points allowed was used to define match status. Multinomial logistic regression identified an association of match status with: set direction (likelihood ratio test [LRT] = 15.5, P = 0.017) and block typology (LRT = 9.6, P = 0.047) in HIGH vs. HIGH matches; attack player (LRT = 17.4, P = 0.026) and block typology (LRT = 9.2, P = 0.010) in LOW vs. LOW matches; and serve type (LRT = 17.4, P = 0.002), block strategy (LRT = 53.7, P <0.001), and serve efficacy (LRT = 26.0, P = 0.001) in HIGH vs. LOW matches. Results suggest that volleyball teams took more risky decisions in unbalanced situations. They also carried less risk through technical and tactical decisions in balanced and moderate situations whether they had the advantage or not. Therefore, strategic behaviour was affected by the interaction of quality of opposition and match status, providing a better understanding of volleyball game performance and new insights for practice, competition, and research.

Relationship between the set outcome and the dig and attack efficacy in elite male Volleyball game

The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between the set outcome and the dig and attack efficacy in side-out transition in high competitive-level male volleyball. A total of 4351 sequences of game actions of the final phase of the Volleyball World Cup 2007 were analyzed. In order to test the association between those variables a chi-square test was carried out. The reliability showed percentages of agreement above the minimum indicated on the literature. The results showed a significant association between the attack efficacy and the set outcome since the teams that win the sets make fewer errors and have a higher efficacy in the counter-attack. The results also demonstrate that the dig efficacy is not significantly associated with the set outcome. The attack efficacy showed to be highly dependent of the dig efficacy since the frequency of attack points was higher when preceded by a perfect dig while the dig without all attack options is associated with the performance of attacks that allow continuity in the rally. Further research should analyze the efficacy of the remaining side-out transition phase game actions (the block and the set) and their relation with the set outcome.

Effects of emphasising opposition and cooperation on collective movement behaviour during football small-sided games

ABSTRACT Optimizing collective behaviour helps to increase performance in mutual tasks. In team sports settings, the small-sided games (SSG) have been used as key context tools to stress out the players’ awareness about their in-game required behaviours. Research has mostly described these behaviours when confronting teams have the same number of players, disregarding the frequent situations of low and high inequality. This study compared the players’ positioning dynamics when manipulating the number of opponents and teammates during professional and amateur football SSG. The participants played 4v3, 4v5 and 4v7 games, where one team was confronted with low-superiority, low- and high-inferiority situations, and their opponents with low-, medium- and high-cooperation situations. Positional data were used to calculate effective playing space and distances from each player to team centroid, opponent team centroid and nearest opponent. Outcomes suggested that increasing the number of opponents in professional teams resulted in moderate/large decrease in approximate entropy (ApEn) values to both distance to team and opponent team centroid (i.e., the variables present higher regularity/predictability pattern). In low-cooperation game scenarios, the ApEn in amateurs’ tactical variables presented a moderate/large increase. The professional teams presented an increase in the distance to nearest opponent with the increase of the cooperation level. Increasing the number of opponents was effective to overemphasise the need to use local information in the positioning decision-making process from professionals. Conversely, amateur still rely on external informational feedback. Increasing the cooperation promoted more regularity in spatial organisation in amateurs and emphasise their players’ local perceptions.

Estudo dos indicadores de rendimento em voleibol em função do resultado do set

Study of performance indicators in male volleyball according to the set results The present study aimed to identify in which performance indicators are there differences between the teams that win and lose the sets in Volleyball matches. Archival data were obtained from 65.949 game actions in 550 sets from the men’s 2005 World League. The “Volleyball Information System” was used for data gathering. Descriptive statistics were performed on all variables and the student t -test was used. Kappa of Cohen analysis and percentage of agreement demonstrated good inter-observer reliability

Efficacy of the Volleyball Game Actions Related to the Quality of Opposition~!2009-07-05~!2009-11-01~!2010-04-20~!

Game analysis has an important role on the description of ‘what happens’ in competitions and should reach the ability to suggest new ways to enhance sport performances. In order to accomplish this goal is important that possible factors enables to influence these performances were considered. Quality of opposition is one of these factors. In this study, TwoStep Clusters analysis was used to classify group teams participated in FIVB Men’s World Cup 2007 into competitive levels. The results show three different competitive levels ([1 st 4 th ], [5 th 7 th ], and [8 th 12 th ]). Chi-square tests were used to show the influence of quality of opposition, i.e. games against teams of different competitive levels, in the efficacy of some game actions (serve, attack and block). Results showed that the quality of the opposition influence the performance in some game actions.

Typical weekly workload of under 15, under 17, and under 19 elite Portuguese football players

Abstract This study aims to describe the time–motion and physiological performance profiles of footballers whose ages are under 15 (U15), under 17 (U17), and under 19 (U19) during a typical week of a competitive season. A total of 151 elite Portuguese players U15 (age 14.0 ± 0.2; n = 56), U17 (age 15.8 ± 0.4; n = 66), and U19 (age 17.8 ± 0.6; n = 19) were monitored during 33 training sessions (TSs) (U15 n = 12; U17 n = 11; and U19 n = 10 TSs). The TS data were captured at 15 Hz by global positioning systems devices and divided into post-match (session after the match), prematch (session before the match), and middle week (average of remaining sessions). The U15 middle week showed a higher number of sprints, distance covered in intermediate speed zones, and time spent above 90% HRmax, while the prematch presented a higher distance covered above 18 km · h−1 and time spent below 75% HRmax. In U17, both prematch and post-match data presented lower values than middle-week data in most of the variables. The post-match data in U19 presented higher values of distance covered above 13 km · h−1, body impacts above 10 G, and time spent above 85% HRmax, while middle week showed higher values in body impacts in most of the zones. In addition, the prematch data presented 35% to 100% less values than the middle-week data. Understanding the weekly workload variations according to the competition and the developmental ages of the players can contribute to optimising short- and mid-term planning.

Adaptive behaviours of attacking futsal teams to opposition defensive formations

This study evaluated tendencies towards flexibility/stability of coordinated behaviours in international futsal teams, considered as complex collective systems, according to changes in opposition defensive formations. Six games of two international futsal teams (Spain and Portugal) were selected for Social Network Analysis to capture the coordination tendencies that emerge in the tactical behaviours of players when performing against different defensive formations. Ball trajectories in each offensive pattern of play were notated in an adjacency matrix where each entry accounted for the linkages between 12 spatial field areas. Each offensive play was coded according to the defensive formation of an opposing team (i.e. conservative or risky formation). Results revealed similar network properties between teams when competing against more risky defensive formations, while notable differences were observed against conservative defences. Effect of defensive formation of opponents on macro network properties was observed in both the Portuguese and Spanish teams. At a meso-level, only the Spanish national team exhibited notable changes, suggesting a greater level of adaptability to unfolding performance events. The observed flexibility in tactical behaviours of the Spanish team appeared to express their greater expertise levels.

Heart Rate, Time-Motion, and Body Impacts When Changing the Number of Teammates and Opponents in Soccer Small-Sided Games.

Abstract Torres-Ronda, L, Gonçalves, B, Marcelino, R, Torrents, C, Vicente, E, and Sampaio, J. Heart rate, time-motion, and body impacts when changing the number of teammates and opponents in soccer small-sided games. J Strength Cond Res 29(10): 2723–2730, 2015—The purpose of this study was to determine the internal (heart rate) and external load (body load, distance covered, and exertion index) during different types of unbalanced soccer small-sided games (SSGs) in professional (PRO) and amateur (AMA) players. In 2 separated sessions (PRO and AMA), participants played 3 SSG formats (4vs3, 4vs5, and 4v7). Data were analyzed from the fixed teams perspective (4vsX) according to the number of opponents (3, 5 and 7) and from the variable team (3 + Xvs4) according to the teammates (without teammates, 2 and 4 teammates). The time-motion and body impact data were collected using a nondifferential global positioning system with integrated heart rate measurement. Differences in internal and external workload between the game formats were compared using Cohens d unb effect sizes with 95% confidence intervals. Results reveal that the higher the number of players involved in the task, the lower the internal and external workload. The analysis also showed different teammates and opposition-related trends that need to be considered when planning and monitoring training performance. Playing in low-inferiority (4vs3 and 4vs5) had higher physiologic impact to players than the other higher unbalanced situations. This evidence was similar to both PRO and AMA players; however, the PRO presented higher physical and lower physiological responses across games. Our results suggest that coaches should consider the usage of unbalanced SSG formats to simultaneously facilitate the emergence of defensive and offensive proficient scenarios also representing opportunities to increase the practice workload.