Effects of match period and playing position on the individual and collective dynamics in professional soccer: a case study

Abstract

This study aimed to compare the width, the length, the length per width ratio, and the stretch index between the first and the second halves in official soccer matches, and to compare the spatial exploration index between players from different positions. Seventeen professional soccer players from a Brazilian club participated in the study and were monitored during six official matches by a GPS device. Collective positional data were compared between the two halves using a paired t-test, while the spatial exploration index was compared between the playing positions and within the halves by a mixed two-way ANOVA. The results revealed no differences between the two halves for the collective variables. The highest values of spatial exploration index were reported for central midfielders and wing forwards. We conclude that the tactical behavior of professional soccer players is position-dependent, and midfielders are the most exploratory players on the pitch.

The influence of age group and match period on tactical performance in youth soccer: A full season study

“…Previous studies in professional soccer showed that teams’ positional responses were similar between the halves. 6 The lesser amount of experience of youth players in official matches in comparison to professional players might reduce the different strategic solutions they can collectively apply within a match to find solutions to contextual changes, thus reducing the within-halves variability. However, on the individual scale, players’ spatial exploration was reduced in the second half in comparison to the first half.…”

“…9 From a collective perspective, non-consensual evidence was observed. While one study showed that teams presented a stable collective tactical behavior over the halves, 6 another study showed a decrease in tactical performance (represented by a lower surface area) from the first half to the second half. 7 Also, most available literature included only elite or sub-elite professional players, and, to the best of the current authors’ knowledge, only one study analyzed the possible drops in collective tactical performance in youth soccer within a match.…”

“…Besides, within a match, teams’ and players’ performance is not usually constant, varying over match periods. 5,6 The information about these within-match variations is likely to be used by coaches to understand if non-expected changes in performance (usually drops), resulting from fatigue and situational changes (i.e. red cards, strategic changes, and environmental conditions), are occurring and prevent poor performances in future matches.…”