Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Jul 19;12(7):196.
doi: 10.3390/sports12070196.

Factors Affecting the Running Performance of Soccer Teams in the Turkish Super League

Spyridon Plakias  1 , Yiannis Michailidis  2
Affiliations

Factors Affecting the Running Performance of Soccer Teams in the Turkish Super League

Spyridon Plakias et al. Sports (Basel). .

Abstract

Performance analysis in sports is a rapidly evolving field, where academics and applied performance analysts work together to improve coaches' decision making through the use of performance indicators (PIs). This study aimed to provide a comprehensive analysis of factors affecting running performance (RP) in soccer teams, focusing on low (LI), medium (MI), and high-speed distances (HI) and the number of high-speed runs (NHI). Data were collected from 185 matches in the Turkish first division's 2021-2022 season using InStat Fitness's optical tracking technology. Four linear mixed-model analyses were conducted on the RP metrics with fixed factors, including location, team quality, opponent quality, ball possession, high-press, counterattacks, number of central defenders, and number of central forwards. The findings indicate that high-press and opponent team quality affect MI (d = 0.311, d = 0.214) and HI (d = 0.303, d = 0.207); team quality influences MI (d = 0.632); location and counterattacks impact HI (d = 0.228, d = 0.450); high-press and the number of central defenders affects NHI (d = 0.404, d = 0.319); and ball possession affects LI (d = 0.287). The number of central forwards did not influence any RP metrics. This study provides valuable insights into the factors influencing RP in soccer, highlighting the complex interactions between formations and physical, technical-tactical, and contextual variables. Understanding these dynamics can help coaches and analysts optimize team performance and strategic decision making.

Keywords: contextual variables; football; formations; performance analysis; running performance metrics; tactics.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Passos P., Araújo D., Volossovitch A. Performance Analysis in Team Sports. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group; London, UK: 2017. - DOI
    1. Kirkendall D.T. Evolution of soccer as a research topic. Prog. Cardiovasc. Dis. 2020;63:723–729. doi: 10.1016/j.pcad.2020.06.011. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Martin D., O Donoghue P.G., Bradley J., McGrath D. Developing a framework for professional practice in applied performance analysis. Int. J. Perform. Anal. Sport. 2021;21:845–888. doi: 10.1080/24748668.2021.1951490. - DOI
    1. Martin D., O’Donoghue P.G., Bradley J., Robertson S., McGrath D. Identifying the characteristics, constraints, and enablers to creating value in applied performance analysis. Int. J. Sports Sci. Coach. 2024;19:832–846. doi: 10.1177/17479541231180243. - DOI
    1. Hughes M.D., Bartlett R.M. The use of performance indicators in performance analysis. J. Sports Sci. 2002;20:739–754. doi: 10.1080/026404102320675602. - DOI - PubMed

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.

LinkOut - more resources