The effect of team formation on match running performance in UEFA Champions League matches: implications for position-specific conditioning

Modrić, Toni; Veršić, Šime; Winter, Christian; Coll, Ian; Chmura, Paweł; Andrzejewski, Marcin; Konefał, Marek; Sekulić, Damir

doi:10.1080/24733938.2022.2123952

Cited by 7 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…For instance, the soccer ball travels at a greater speed and with more frequent bounces on AT compared with NG (6). This is particularly important when considering the varying technical-tactical duties between the playing positions (32). Specifically, defensive and midfield players demonstrate a greater frequency of ball contacts during a match compared with offensive players (1,15).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Match analysis was conducted on official league matches ( n = 32) during the 2020–2021 season. Matches were categorized by pitch surface as either NG ( n = 17) or AT ( n = 15), and none included red cards (32). To avoid effect of team formation on MRP (32), only matches played in a customary 4-3-3 formation were included in analysis.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Matches were categorized by pitch surface as either NG ( n = 17) or AT ( n = 15), and none included red cards (32). To avoid effect of team formation on MRP (32), only matches played in a customary 4-3-3 formation were included in analysis. Individual observations were included if at least 75 minutes of play occurred because this minimum time frame can be extrapolated to the 90-minute playtime of a typical game following previously established guidelines (39).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Artificial Turf Increases the Physical Demand of Soccer by Heightening Match Running Performance Compared with Natural Grass

Modric,

Esco,

Perkovic

et al. 2023

Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research

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Modric, T, Esco, M, Perkovic, S, Basic, Z, Versic, S, Morgans, R, and Sekulic, D. Artificial turf increases the physical demand of soccer by heightening match running performance compared with natural grass. J Strength Cond Res 37(11): 2222–2228, 2023—This study aimed to determine differences in match running performance (MRP) of elite soccer players (n = 31) during matches played on artificial turf (AT) and natural grass (NG). The players' MRP (AT; 131 observations, NG; 135 observations) were collected during official matches (n = 32) using global positioning system and classified according to their playing positions as central defenders, central midfielders, fullbacks, forwards, and wingers. The MRP variables included total distance covered (TD), low-intensity running (LIR), moderate-intensity running (MIR), high-intensity running (HIR), total (Tacc) and high-intensity accelerations (Hacc), and total (Tdec) and high-intensity decelerations (Hdec). The influence of match outcome, location, and opponent quality was controlled for as contextual factors. Playing matches on AT resulted in (a) increased TD (Cohen's d (d) = 0.55, 0.61, and 0.28, respectively), MIR (d = 0.91, 0.79, and 0.49, respectively), and HIR (d = 0.67, 0.44, and 0.38, respectively) for central defenders, central midfielders, fullbacks; (b) increased Tacc (d = 0.38, 0.37, and 0.4, respectively) and Tdec (d = 0.31, 0.34, and 0.31, respectively) for central defenders, central midfielders, and wingers; and (c) decreased Hdec (d = −1.5) for forwards. These results show that playing on AT is more physically demanding for defensive and midfield players than playing on NG. Soccer coaches should consider implementing preparatory strategies that mitigate the increased demands of playing on AT for these players, especially before a competitive period when transitions between pitch surfaces routinely occur.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Artificial Turf Increases the Physical Demand of Soccer by Heightening Match Running Performance Compared with Natural Grass

Modric,

Esco,

Perkovic

et al. 2023

Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The analysis considered only the results of players who played for at least half of the match, excluding goalkeepers due to the specificity of the playing position. Given that changes in positional roles can impact a player's performance (e.g., physical and technical indicators), the analysis excluded players who switched their tactical roles 7 , 26 . Additionally, matches that included red cards were not analyzed.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The analysis considered only teams that maintained a consistent formation throughout the entire match, as suggested previously 5 , 26 , 27 . In two stages, the consistency of the team formations was examined.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The influence of tactical formation on physical and technical performance across playing positions in the Chinese super league

Zhang,

Gong,

Tao

et al. 2024

Sci Rep

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This study aimed to investigate the impact of tactical formations on the physical and technical performance of professional football players in the Chinese Super League (CSL). A sample of 800 games from the 2015–2021 CSL was analyzed, and players' physical (total distance covered, distance covered while ball in play, number of sprints, sprint distance, and high/middle/low-speed running) and technical (gain/loss of possession, ball retention percentage, challenges, challenge success percentage, passes, and pass success percentage) performance was assessed across six team formations: 3-5-2 (n = 137), 4-3-3 (n = 77), 4-2-3-1 (n = 391), 4-4-2 (n = 257), 3-4-3 (n = 41), and 4-1-4-1 (n = 107). Linear mixed models were used to assess variations in performance indicators across positions and formations. The results demonstrated that central defenders traveled significantly more total and low-speed running distances in the 3-5-2 formation than in the 4-2-3-1 formation (ES range: 0.33–0.34, p < 0.01). Fullbacks in the 3-5-2 formation demonstrated more high-speed running than did those in the 4-4-2 formation (ES = 0.27, p = 0.04). The central midfielders exhibited significantly more sprints and longer sprint distances in the 4-2-3-1 formation than in the 4-4-2 formation (ES range: 0.2–0.24, p < 0.01). Regarding technical performance, central defenders displayed significantly greater ball retention percentages, passes, and pass success rates in the 3-4-3 than in the 3-5-2 formations (ES range: 0.58–0.65, p < 0.01). Moreover, fullbacks and central midfielders executed markedly more passes with superior pass success rates in 4-back formations than in 3-5-2 formations (ES range: 0.2–0.53, p < 0.01). These findings can help coaches and academic staff understand the physical and technical requirements of various positions in various tactical formations, thus optimizing the training process.

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Methodology and evaluation in sports analytics: challenges, approaches, and lessons learned

Davis,

Bransen,

Devos

et al. 2024

Mach Learn

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There has been an explosion of data collected about sports. Because such data is extremely rich and complex, machine learning is increasingly being used to extract actionable insights from it. Typically, machine learning is used to build models and indicators that capture the skills, capabilities, and tendencies of athletes and teams. Such indicators and models are in turn used to inform decision-making at professional clubs. Designing these indicators requires paying careful attention to a number of subtle issues from a methodological and evaluation perspective. In this paper, we highlight these challenges in sports and discuss a variety of approaches for handling them. Methodologically, we highlight that dependencies affect how to perform data partitioning for evaluation as well as the need to consider contextual factors. From an evaluation perspective, we draw a distinction between evaluating the developed indicators themselves versus the underlying models that power them. We argue that both aspects must be considered, but that they require different approaches. We hope that this article helps bridge the gap between traditional sports expertise and modern data analytics by providing a structured framework with practical examples.

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The effect of team formation on match running performance in UEFA Champions League matches: implications for position-specific conditioning

Cited by 7 publications

References 46 publications

Artificial Turf Increases the Physical Demand of Soccer by Heightening Match Running Performance Compared with Natural Grass

Artificial Turf Increases the Physical Demand of Soccer by Heightening Match Running Performance Compared with Natural Grass

The influence of tactical formation on physical and technical performance across playing positions in the Chinese super league

Methodology and evaluation in sports analytics: challenges, approaches, and lessons learned

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