Analysis of styles of play in soccer and their effectiveness

Resumen

Deciding on effective team strategies and tactics is fundamental to successful performance in soccer (Carling, Williams, & Reilly, 2005). Previous research showed that performance indicators such as passes, shots, or ball regains are useful variables that measure tactical performance of teams in match-play (Hughes & Bartlett, 2002). The influence of contextual variables on these performance indicators and the analysis of their associations with successful team performances have been widely studied (Almeida, Ferreira, & Volossovitch, 2014; Castellano, Casamichana, & Lago, 2012; Lago, 2009; Taylor, Mellalieu, James, & Shearer, 2008). However, no previous research has analysed these aspects in styles of play. Styles of play are tactical behaviours that soccer teams employ in competition (Hewitt, Greenham, & Norton, 2016), and due to difficulties with measuring them, studies analysing them are scarce. Therefore, the evaluation of styles of play in soccer is an area of interest in performance analysis research. The aims of the present Doctoral Thesis were to identify the styles of play that teams employ in elite soccer and their characteristics, examine how contextual variables (i.e. match status, venue, quality of opposition) influence styles of play used by teams, and evaluate the effectiveness of styles of play under different circumstances in competition. The findings of this Doctoral Thesis showed that styles of play can be identified in soccer from match data using factor analysis. The analysis of 97 games from the Spanish La Liga and the English Premier League from the seasons 2006–2007 and 2010–2011 using a computerised match analysis system demonstrated that attacking and defensive styles of play can be determined through measuring tactical variables of teams and conducting factor analysis in order to cluster variables and obtain styles of play used by teams. In addition, a qualitative approach through expert coach interviews identified different attacking, defensive, and transition styles of play, and their characteristics. Furthermore, they provided insight into possible metrics that could more accurately measure styles of play. Moreover, contextual variables influenced a team’s styles of play and changed their behaviour under certain circumstances during the game. The 380 games of the English Premier League from the 2015-2016 season were analysed and showed that match status, venue, and quality of opposition influenced styles of play. Furthermore, the same sample was analysed to determine the effectiveness of styles of play and how the effectiveness changed according to the contextual variables. In conclusion, the styles of play used by teams in match-play and their characteristics can be identified in soccer. Contextual variables influence the use and effectiveness of these styles of play during competition. These findings could be useful for coaches and other practitioners when analysing or predicting tactical behaviours of soccer teams. References Almeida, C. H., Ferreira, A. P., & Volossovitch, A. (2014). Effects of Match Location, Match Status and Quality of Opposition on Regaining Possession in UEFA Champions League. Journal of Human Kinetics, 41(1), 203-214. Carling, C., Williams, A. M., & Reilly, T. (2005). Handbook of Soccer Match Analysis. A Systematic Approach to Improving Performance. London: Routledge. Castellano, J., Casamichana, D., & Lago, C. (2012). The Use of Match Statistics that Discriminate Between Successful and Unsuccessful Soccer Teams. Journal of Human Kinetics, 31, 139-147. Hewitt, A., Greenham, G., & Norton, K. (2016). Game style in soccer: what is it and can we quantify it? International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport, 16(1), 355-372. Hughes, M., & Bartlett, R. (2002). The use of performance indicators in performance analysis. Journal of Sports Sciences, 20(10), 739-754. Lago, C. (2009). The influence of match location, quality of opposition, and match status on possession strategies in professional association football. Journal of Sports Sciences, 27(13), 1463-1469. Taylor, J. B., Mellalieu, S. D., James, N., & Shearer, D. A. (2008). The influence of match location, quality of opposition, and match status on technical performance in professional association football. Journal of Sports Sciences, 26(9), 885-895.