Exploring how movement synchronization is related to match outcome in elite professional football. Issue 2 (3rd April 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Folgado, Hugo; Duarte, Ricardo; Marques, Pedro; Gonçalves, Bruno; Sampaio, Jaime
• Is Part Of: Science and medicine in football. Volume 2:Issue 2(2018)
• Page Start: 101
• Page End: 107
• Publication Date: 2018-04-03
• Subjects: Collective behaviour -- relative phase -- performance analysis; Soccer injuries -- Periodicals; Soccer -- Physiological aspects -- Periodicals; Sports medicine -- Periodicals; Soccer -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; 617.102763
• DOI: 10.1080/24733938.2018.1431399
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2473-3938

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Purpose: This study aimed to explore whether the outcome of professional football matches is affected by changes in intra-team movement synchronization.Methods: Positional data from 77 players were collected during 4 matches of an English Premier League team, using the ProZone® tracking system. Intra-team movement synchronization was calculated using the relative phase of all possible pairing combinations of outfield teammates (dyads) and quantified by the overall percentage of time spent near-in-phase (−30º to 30º bin). Per each displacement axis, a 2 × 2 mixed-model analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the overall dyadic movement synchronization according to the team and the match final outcome. A two-way ANOVA was used to compare movement synchronization according to dyads' on-field position (defensive or offensive) and match final outcome.Results: Despite individual dynamical trends during each match, the analysed team tended to exhibit lower movement synchronization when losing. Also, dyads with an emphasis in defensive roles seem to present a more synchronized behaviour during the match than dyads with more offensive roles.Conclusions: Findings suggest that movement synchronization may serve as a tactical performance indicator candidate, reflecting the dynamical interaction between teammates and opponents during the match.