Evolution of Technical-Tactical Performance Indicators in College Men’s Football Players (U.S. NCAA Division I)

Abstract

Background: Players, through the different stages of their development, increase their performance due to their maturation process, training, and the increase in their experiences. The college competition in the US allows players to train and compete in a stable context over 4 years in their transition from U18 to senior level. Objective: The objective of the study was to analyse the evolution of game statistics as a function of the year of college of NCAA Division I men’s players. Methodology: The sample was 52,852 Division I National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) players of the United States (2010-2021 seasons). The study design was retrospective non-experimental. The variables studied were games played, games as a starter, points, goals, assists, shot attempts, shots on goal, effectiveness of attempts, effectiveness of shots on goal, fouls, yellow cards, and red cards. To establish the evolution between players from top and bottom teams, one-way ANOVA was used. To analyse the differences according to the top and bottom teams, a T-test and discriminant analysis were performed. Results: The older, more experienced, and trained players were, the more they participated in the game, both in terms of games played and in terms of game actions (assists, shots, and goals). The increase in the effectiveness of shots and shots on goal shows that the evolution in training and experience leads to higher player skill. Conclusion: These findings highlight the importance of experience, training, and maturity in the performance of U-23 male football players.