Training Design, Performance Analysis, and Talent Identification—A Systematic Review about the Most Relevant Variables through the Principal Component Analysis in Soccer, Basketball, and Rugby

Abstract

Since the accelerating development of technology applied to team sports and its subsequent high amount of information available, the need for data mining leads to the use of data reduction techniques such as Principal Component Analysis (PCA). This systematic review aims to identify determinant variables in soccer, basketball and rugby using exploratory factor analysis for, training design, performance analysis and talent identification. Three electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus) were systematically searched and 34 studies were finally included in the qualitative synthesis. Through PCA, data sets were reduced by 75.07%, and 3.9 ± 2.53 factors were retained that explained 80 ± 0.14% of the total variance. All team sports should be analyzed or trained based on the high level of aerobic capacity combined with adequate levels of power and strength to perform repeated high-intensity actions in a very short time, which differ between team sports. Accelerations and decelerations are mainly significant in soccer, jumps and landings are crucial in basketball, and impacts are primarily identified in rugby. Besides, from these team sports, primary information about different technical/tactical variables was extracted such as (a) soccer: occupied space, ball controls, passes, and shots; (b) basketball: throws, rebounds, and turnovers; or (c) rugby: possession game pace and team formation. Regarding talent identification, both anthropometrics and some physical capacity measures are relevant in soccer and basketball. Although overall, since these variables have been identified in different investigations, further studies should perform PCA on data sets that involve variables from different dimensions (technical, tactical, conditional).

Exploring Physical Fitness Profile of Male and Female Semiprofessional Basketball Players through Principal Component Analysis—A Case Study

“…For reducing the dimensions that explain the physical performance in basketball, mathematical methods are being applied to the sports area as the principal component analysis [20]. PCA is a statistical method for data reduction to explain the most relevant variables of players' behavior.…”

“…To realize the assessment of physical fitness, previously validated field or laboratory tests should be used preferably if they are adapted to sport [18,19]. From the data obtained through these assessment, new mathematical methods could be implemented such as exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to explain many registered variables in a number of extracted factors [20]. Therefore, the purposes of the study were to characterize the physical profiles of male and female basketball players through principal component analysis (PCA), to analyze the differences of physical performance between players' profiles, and to identify the relationship between players' physical profile and the in-game assigned role by the coach.…”

Individualization of Intensity Thresholds on External Workload Demands in Women’s Basketball by K-Means Clustering: Differences Based on the Competitive Level

“…For this, the use of technology such as inertial devices has been facilitated and linked to the scientific and professional field of training in search of common lines of investigation [ 7 ]. However, in most cases, variables that are not optimal for the selected population are used to quantify the demands that an athlete supports [ 29 , 30 ]. Part of this problem is the generic use of ranges of these variables (volume or intensity) without individualizing the sample [ 31 ], causing serious consequences that affect the planning and results of a team during the competition.…”

Relationships between Fitness Status and Match Running Performance in Adult Women Soccer Players: A Cohort Study

“…Studies that have aimed to extract the most relevant game indicators in soccer suggest that accelerations and decelerations are among the main components of athletes' external loads [64]. Interestingly, decelerations are more frequent than accelerations in soccer matchplay [65].…”