Evolution of Tactics in Professional Soccer: 
An Analysis of Team Formations from 2012 to 2021 
in the Spanish LaLiga

González-Ródenas, Joaquín; Moreno-Pérez, Víctor; Campo, Roberto López-Del; Resta, Ricardo; Coso, Juan Del

doi:10.5114/jhk/167468

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…The specific organization and positioning of midfield players, such as central midfielders and wide midfielders, in different team formations may provide an explanation for this phenomenon 41 . In detail, compared to those of the 4-2-3-1 formation, the best feature of the 4-4-2 formation is its balance of offense and defense—i.e., midfield players have clear responsibilities, a clear division of labor and are closely linked to each other—resulting in greater compactness in the middle of the pitch 42 . Therefore, the reduced spatial coverage likely explains the fewer sprints and shorter sprint distances observed in central midfielders playing in the 4-4-2 formation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

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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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%