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 entries into the penalty area as a performance indicator in soccer.

This study examines entries into the penalty area as a performance indicator that distinguishes between winning, drawing and losing soccer teams. It assesses whether entries into the penalty area are influenced by match status, a player's dismissal and the respective quality of the competing teams. Two observers analysed the relation between defensive and offensive strategies and their scoring consequences for all 64 matches played in the 2006 World Cup. Kappa values ranged between 0.93 and 0.98 for intra-reliability and between 0.88 and 0.98 for inter-reliability. It was found that winning teams received significantly fewer entries into their own penalty area (mean=41.42, s=11.86) than drawing (mean=50.07, s=14.75) and losing teams (mean=47.23, s=12.14). Teams that received more entries into their own penalty area than the opposing team were significantly more likely to concede a goal (P <0.001). Teams losing by one (mean=0.41, s=0.21), two (mean=0.42, s=0.26) or more than two goals (mean=0.34, s=0.13) received significantly fewer entries into the penalty area per minute than teams winning by one (mean=0.55, s=0.27) or two goals (mean=0.59, s=0.39). Teams with fewer players on the pitch received significantly more entries into the penalty area per minute than teams with more (mean=0.22, s=0.07) or the same number (mean=0.14, s=0.05) of players. Based on these results, it is suggested that teams should enter the opposing team's penalty area but should not allow their opponents to do the same. These results also highlight the significance of the dismissal of a player.

Designing small-sided games for training tactical aspects in soccer: extrapolating pitch sizes from full-size professional matches.

The aims of this study were to examine the (1) individual playing area, (2) length and width of the rectangle encompassing the individual playing area and (3) distance between the goalkeepers and their nearest team-mates during professional soccer matches and compare these to previously reported pitch sizes for small-sided games (SSGs). Data were collected from four Spanish La Liga matches of the 2002-03 season, and notated post-event using the Amisco system. The pitch sizes obtained from real matches were smaller and different from those used previously for SSGs. In addition, the current pitch sizes show significant (P < 0.001) effect of ball location in all variables examined. For example, overall individual playing area (F [5, 2562] = 19.99, P < 0.001, η2= 0.04) varied significantly across six different zones of the pitch. Based on these empirical results, pitch sizes with individual playing areas ranging from 65 m2 to 110 m2 and length to width ratio of 1:1 and 1:1.3 are generally recommended for training tactical aspects according to different phases of play. It is possible to design SSGs with a more valid representation of the tactical conditions experienced in full-size matches and their use may improve the training effect of tactical aspects of match performance in soccer.

Relation between total body load and session rating of perceived exertion in professional soccer players.

The aims of this study were to assess (a) the validity of total body load (TBL)-obtained from the global position system (GPS) devices-to quantify soccer training load, assessing its relationship with session rating of perceived exertion (session-RPE) and (b) to analyze the differences in terms of TBL and session-RPE among defenders, midfielders, and forwards. Twenty-two professional soccer players (Spanish first division, season 2007-2008; 26.74 ± 4.2 years; height 179.74 ± 4.04 cm; weight 73.7 ± 3.35 kg) participated in the study. During 13 training sessions composed predominantly of small-sided games, TBL and RPE multiplied by the minutes of session duration were determined using GPS and the 21-point scale, respectively. In each session, data from 10 players randomly selected and classified according to player position (defenders, midfielders, and forwards) were collected. Although session-RPE was a significant predictor of TBL (ß = 0.23, p < 0.05), this method only accounted for 5% of the variance in TBL. No significant differences in terms of TBL and session-RPE were found regarding player position. The results of this study suggest that TBL is not a valid measure to quantify training load because it is not strongly correlated with session-RPE. Furthermore, TBL and session-RPE in small-sided soccer games do not vary according to player positions.