Football Team Research Articles

The Content and Game Action Weight of Senior Football Players as Goalkeeper

Football was and remains the number one sport, being very popular among the youth, both at the amateur and professional level. In recent years, specialists in several sports events, including sports games, have called for the differentiated training of athletes depending on their playing position. The players in the football teams are strictly specialized in playing positions, which are four in number: goalkeeper, defenders, midfielders, and forwards. The given article represents an extensive analysis of all the footballers’ actions in the position of Goalkeeper, here being analyzed in detail the content of the actions of the footballers in the position of Goalkeeper, as well as their weight in an official match. The recorded results will allow the design of a differentiated training program for footballers for the Goalkeeper position, which will allow its implementation in the sports training of senior goalkeepers.

A Football Club's Strategic Performance Management

The current study presented in this article shows that football teams should; generally speaking, implement a multifaceted performance management system that takes into account the opinions of all stakeholders. The Balanced Scorecard (BSC), which offers an integrated framework for measuring and managing performance, can assist clubs in evaluating both financial and non-financial activities. This study's context and content greatly advance our knowledge of the football industry and offer a thorough and all-encompassing set of contributions to the field of business academia. The knowledge acquired on a topic that has naturally shown to have a significant impact on people inherently adds something useful and beneficial to society.

Improving Sentiment Analysis Accuracy Using CRNN on Imbalanced Data: a Case Study of Indonesian National Football Coach

Conducting sentiment research on the perception of the Indonesian people towards Shin Tae Yong's (STY) role as coach of the Indonesian National Football Team (PSSI) is crucial as it can assist PSSI in determining whether to extend STY's contract. Prior studies have demonstrated that Deep Learning achieves a high level of accuracy when applied to sentiment analysis in many domains. Nevertheless, no investigation has been conducted thus far utilizing deep learning techniques to examine emotion towards STY. This study employs modified Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), Recurrent Neural Networks (RNN), Convolutional Recurrent Neural Networks (CRNN), and CRNN models with and without data oversampling. The research findings indicate that the CRNN model, when combined with data oversampling and a redesigned architecture, achieves the highest level of accuracy (1.00) and consistently performs well. This research provides significant contributions in three areas: firstly, it utilizes Deep Learning techniques for sentiment analysis on STY; secondly, it modifies the CRNN architecture; and thirdly, it applies data oversampling to address the issue of imbalanced data.

Effects of Nordic Hamstring Exercise on knee joint muscle strength in adolescent soccer players. A pilot study

Objective: Given the emerging imbalances in knee stabilising muscle strength, the aim of the study was to determine whether performing a single NHE intervention would alter the isometric strength of the knee flexor muscles (HAM). Material and Methodology: A group of 56 players of a youth football team (age range 13-16 years), were recruited for a pilot study. The group involved healthy players, training football at the central junior level. After meeting the inclusion criteria inclusion, 32 players were enrolled into the study. Participants were randomly allocated to a study group (A) and a control group (B). In the study group, the intervention consisted of a single NHE exercise in the form of a two series of trunk slumps, eight repetitions each. The control group performed one series of of forward trunk bends, five repetitions each. Participants (group A and B) were tested on the ForceFrame platform before the procedure experiment and immediately after the intervention was performed. Maximum force of the knee extensors (QUAD) and knee flexors (HAM) was measured. Results: Statistical analysis of the results indicated that maximal HAM muscle strength increased after a single NHE intervention (p = 0.04) relative to the control group. At the same time, after the intervention, there was no increase in the strength of the Quadriceps muscles (extensors of the knee joint) relative to the control group. Conclusions: The results obtained indicate that a single performance of the NHE exercise has the effect of increase in the maximum isometric strength of the HAM muscles. This increase, although not statistically significant, correlated with no change in quadriceps muscle strength. The work is pilot study and further research may have benefits in maintaining the balance between the two muscle groups, i.e. HAM and QUAD, which contributes to the prevention of musculoskeletal injuries.

WOMEN’S FOOTBALL FROM THE PLAYERS’ PERSPECTIVE

Background: Women’s football is known to be played at professional level in a lot of countries. In Romania, women started playing football in unofficial matches in 1960, and only after 30 years, in 1990, the Women’s National Football Team was founded. Being a very competitive and accessible sport and taking account of his multiple benefits, women's football became more and more solicited by the students of the University of Bucharest. Objectives: Due to its importance and recent evolution and because we find it attractive, we decided to make women’s football the main subject of this presentation. Along with the theoretical part of this project, we administered a questionnaire to some former/actual women's football players in order to find out their personal perspective related to this sport. Purpose: Understanding the benefits that come along with this sport, how it has been promoted and how accessible they think it is to women. Moreover, we want to link the answers and experience of others, to our own experience in this wonderful sport. Methods: For our study we have asked 24 female subjects aged 13 to 22 years old, out of which 13 are professional players and 11 are amateurs. Our questionnaire is made up of 14 questions, which together highlight the personal perspective regarding the practice of women's football, from three different directions: benefits, promotion and accessibility. Results: In the past years, regardless the area we may refer to (professional, academic, amateur), a fast evolution can be noticed in all three main directions we have researched (benefits, promotion, accessibility). Our research shows that most of the players who have been encouraged by their family or friends to play football kept playing at a professional level. On the other hand, those that were not supported by their family, have lost their enthusiasm, and now they only play for fun or not at all. Conclusions: From a really long list of sports, we chose to play football in college because it is a big and important part of our lives even though we did not choose to do this professionally. Analyzing the answers from the questionnaire, we can conclude that players benefited a lot by playing football, most of them saying that their lifestyle has improved dramatically since they started practicing this sport.

CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING THE IMPORTANCE OF PRACTICING WOMEN’S FOOTBALL AS A FREE-TIME MOTOR ACTIVITY

Background. Motor activities are actions that involve the movement of the body and the use of the locomotor apparatus in order to fulfill the proposed tasks and objectives. These are important activities for the physical development of the individual and the health of the human body in general. Lately, more and more emphasis has been placed on devoting free time to activities of relaxation, entertainment, personal development, socializing, to restore the body after the pressure exerted by work tasks or other daily responsibilities. Motor activities can lead to the recovery of the required body, movement being a tool/means of relaxation, revitalization and optimization of physical condition. For females, involvement in sports activities has been limited by historical and social contexts. Introduced in Romania only three decades ago, women's football represents one of the team sports with multiple benefits, both physically and mentally, a fact for which it can be successfully classified in the category of free-time motor activities. Purpose. The aim of the paper is to highlight the importance of playing football by women as a leisure activity. Thus, the presentation highlights the physiological and psychological benefits of this sport on the female body. These aspects are discussed through the prism of my personal experience as a player in the Representative Football Team of the University of Bucharest. Rezults. Playing football, among other things, leads to the improvement of physical and mental resistance, resilience, tolerance and collaborative character, contributes to the hormonal balance of the body and the intensification of metabolic processes. At the same time, through the intense and complex demand on the body, women's football presents benefits on the cardio-respiratory system, reducing the incidence of cardiovascular diseases. Conclusion. From my experience as a player of women's football, both in my spare time and within the Representative Football Team of the University of Bucharest, we can conclude that this sport fits very well the physical needs of anyone who wants their free time to be used for health, relaxation and socializing.

Comparative Analysis of Carbon Footprints from Away and Home Matches: A Study on Leading Basketball and Football Teams in Türkiye

Problem: Basketball and football teams in Türkiye have the capacity to travel hundreds of kilometres for league matches. In general, such major leagues and leading teams travelling from Türkiye have not been sufficiently researched in the context of Türkiye’s leading leagues and teams. In this context, the aim of this study is to assess and compare the carbon footprint of the transport activities of basketball and football teams in Türkiye for their home and away matches for the 2023–2024 season. Methods: The research is based on EN 16258 and ICAO carbon emissions methodologies. This study aims to calculate and compare the carbon footprint of different transport methods, including bus and plane, used by five basketball and football teams in Türkiye. Results: The findings show that there are significant differences between the teams in terms of travelling distances and carbon footprints. Trabzonspor from the Black Sea region released the highest CO2 emissions from air travel with a total of 91,667.1 kgCO2e, while Fenerbahçe Beko had the lowest CO2 emissions with 5316.72 kgCO2e. In terms of bus travel, Gaziantep FK led the CO2 emissions with 4356.45 kgCO2e, while Türk Telekom was the team with the lowest CO2 emissions with 1233.225 kgCO2e. The findings also reveal a notable difference in the number of trees teams need to plant to offset their carbon emissions. Because of their travel patterns, Antalyaspor would need to plant 3481 trees, whereas Fenerbahçe Beko would only need to plant 348 trees. Conclusions: Air travel is emerging as the dominant source of CO2 emissions and has a greater impact on the environmental impact of teams that rely heavily on airplanes. In this study, the league structure and duration play a critical role in shaping the carbon footprint of sports teams. The football season, which is longer compared to basketball, requires more frequent travel, especially for teams in more remote regions, resulting in higher carbon emissions than basketball. The dominance of Marmara region teams in basketball has a negative impact on the carbon footprint since these teams generally have shorter travel distances.

Detrimental Industries' Sponsorship in Football Clubs Across Ten Major Leagues from 2000-2022: A Retrospective Study.

Sponsorship of football teams by detrimental industries may negatively impact fans' dietary and behavioral choices. The study aimed to determine the proportion of sponsors on the jerseys of teams in the top ten football leagues that comprise companies producing alcohol or unhealthy food, or engaging in gambling. We conducted a retrospective study, incorporating data from first-division football teams in 10 countries (Argentina, Brazil, England, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, the Netherlands, Spain, and the United States) playing from 2000-2022. Data were collected on the primary sponsors displayed on team jerseys and categorized into alcohol, unhealthy food (defined as producers of ultra-processed food according to the NOVA classification), gambling, or other, based on the nature of the products or services offered by the sponsors. We performed descriptive statistical analyses and multivariate linear regression analyses. A total of 4452 sponsorship records were analyzed. The majority were classified as "other" (81.8%), followed by gambling (6.9%), alcohol (2.6%), and unhealthy food (2.6%). We did not identify any sponsor representing the tobacco industry. The prevalence of gambling sponsors surged from 1.7% in 2000 to 16.3% in 2022. Conversely, alcohol-related sponsorships dwindled from 6.2% in 2000 to 1.0% in 2022. In the multivariate linear regression model, these trends were statistically significant. The alcohol industry remained visible in the Spanish league. A significant proportion of sponsorships on the jerseys of top football teams across the world represents alcohol, ultra-processed food, or the gambling industry. Trends in the types of sponsors on the jerseys of leading football clubs across the Western world are diverse. Particularly concerning is the recent increase in the percentage of clubs sponsored by the gambling industry. To limit the detrimental effects of the promotion of unhealthy products, novel policies should be considered.

‘Your Analysis Is as Useless as Your Ovaries’: Women Football Fans’ Experiences on Social Media

This article provides an original contribution to the field of sports fandom by investigating the experiences of women football supporters on X (formerly Twitter). Drawing on data from an online survey of 1624 women supporters of UK-based men’s football teams, the study examines their digital interactions, gendered challenges, and subsequent coping strategies. Significantly, this study is the first to apply and extend Pope et al.’s (2022) Model of Men’s Performances of Masculinities, offering a new theoretical perspective and refinement of the original model. Through a thematic analysis, the results reveal the gendered dynamics that shape this specific sporting environment, highlighting the crucial role of social media in facilitating football-related discussions and promoting fan communities. At the same time, the study exposes the gender-based stereotypes, abuse, and discrimination that women face when expressing their identities and opinions within male-dominated football spaces. These insights not only advance understanding of gendered interactions in sports fandom but also call for enhanced measures to ensure safer online environments for women football fans.

Gendering the Iron Law of Oligarchy: Or how organizing an official football team became a strategy of “passive revolution”

AbstractThe ongoing debate in organization and management studies regarding the transformation of oligarchic structures through rank‐and‐file participation often overlooks gender dynamics. Drawing from the experience of Argentine women playing football independently, this article argues that promoting gender inequalities and reinforcing masculine stereotypes can preserve class disparities in trade unions. Additionally, it highlights how trade unions, by extending control into women's leisure, can perpetuate oligarchic structures, emphasizing the importance of politicizing leisure as a domain of gender inequalities. In turn, the patriarchal‐oligarchic organization represents a unique form of class and gender domination that reconfigures itself by co‐opting informal solidarity networks.

Identifying successful football teams in the European player transfer network

This paper considers the European transfer market for professional football players as a network to study the relation between a team’s position in this network and performance in its domestic league. Our analysis is centered on eight top European leagues. The market in each season is represented as a weighted directed network capturing the transfers of players to or from the teams in these leagues, and we also consider the cumulative network over the past 28 years. We find that the overall structure of this transfer market network has properties commonly observed in real-world networks, such as a skewed degree distribution, high clustering, and small-world characteristics. To assess football teams we first construct a measure of within-league performance that is comparable across leagues. Regression analysis is used to relate league performance with both the network position and level of engagement of the team in the transfer market, under two complimentary setups. Network position variables include, e.g., betweenness centrality, closeness centrality and node clustering coefficient, whereas market engagement variables capture a team’s activity in the transfer market, e.g., total number of player transfers and total paid for players. For the season snapshots, the number of transfers correspond to weighted in- and out-degree. Our analysis first corroborates several recent findings relating aspects of market engagement with teams’ league performance. A higher number of incoming transfers indicates worse performance and better resourced teams perform better. Then, and across specifications, we find that network position variables remain salient even when engagement variables are already considered. This substantiates the notion in the existing literature that a high degree corresponds to better team performance and suggests that network aspects of trading strategy may affect a team’s success in their respective domestic league (or vice versa). In this sense, the approach and findings presented in this paper may in the future guide team’s player acquisition policies.

The safety and comfort of football stadiums in Indonesia: an analysis based on spectator perspectives

This research aims to analyze the aspects of safety and comfort in Indonesian football stadiums. This analytical survey research was conducted in three stadiums in Indonesia that have FIFA standards and are always used in national or international matches to analyze and describe the factors of security and comfort variables. There were five stages in this study: the first stage was observation, the second stage was collecting evidence of scientific articles, the third stage was instrument validation with focus group discussion (FGD), the fourth stage was data collection, and the fifth stage was research reporting with scientific articles. Then, there were six dimensions of the survey category, namely Stadium Construction, Physical Security, Social Security, Communication and Coordination, Recommendations and Feedback, and Clarity to the Spectators. The initial identification results were 3,090 spectators, 2,408 men and 682 women. They were aged 14 – 47 years, averaging 23.66±7.2 years. The number of visits to the stadium in one year was two to six times. The spectators’ experience in visiting different stadiums was two to seven stadiums. The following result, the Kruskal-Wallis test, showed the Asymp. The sig value was 0.319>0.05, meaning there was no difference in answers based on the spectators visiting the three stadiums. The publication of this study can provide valid and clear information insights to stadium managers to pay more attention and strive to provide the best service to football spectators. Because indirectly, supporters who watch the match will provide greater moral support to the football team.

Designing an artificial intelligence-powered video assistant referee system for team sports using computer vision

This paper investigates the efficacy of an AI-powered Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system in enhancing officiating accuracy, efficiency, and consistency in team sports. Employing a combination of artificial intelligence and computer vision, the system was tested in a local championship in Almaty, involving eight football teams. Through the analysis of decision-making accuracy, time efficiency, and consistency across officiating scenarios, the study employed chi-squared tests, paired t-tests, and Cohen's Kappa statistics to quantitatively assess improvements over traditional VAR systems. Results indicated that the AI-powered VAR system significantly increased the accuracy of decisions and reduced the decision-making time, thereby maintaining the fluidity of gameplay. Although the system also demonstrated enhanced consistency in officiating decisions, it highlighted areas needing further refinement to handle complex game situations effectively. The findings suggest that AI integration into sports officiating can substantially benefit the fairness and dynamics of team sports, provided that ongoing technological advancements continue to address current limitations. This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on the intersection of technology and sports, offering a framework for future enhancements in digital officiating systems.

Talent scouting and standardizing fitness data in football club: systematic review

Talent scouting and fitness data standardization in professional football clubs have been the focus of research in recent years. The role of technology, big data, and data analytics is crucial in reshaping sports performance and bolstering the competitiveness of professional football teams. This review aims to consolidate current research on these technological advancements, examining how they can be effectively harnessed to revolutionize talent sourcing and elevate the competitive standards within football clubs. The review will focus on participants, including professional football players, and intervention interventions such as the implementation of digital technologies, data mining, and machine learning techniques. The study designs will include experimental, observational, and mixed-method studies conducted in football club settings. The analysis highlights the transformative potential of integrating quantitative player statistics with advanced data science and data-driven approaches in revolutionizing sports performance, enabling clubs to make informed recruitment decisions and enhance team performance. In addition, the review focuses on the impact of data analytics on transforming sports performance. The research has demonstrated that these models, specifically classification and regression models, can forecast a football player's performance score with up to 94% accuracy for forward positions.

Self-regulation and performance among elite youth soccer players: the role of approach-avoidance motivation.

This study aimed to investigate the motivational processes behind self-regulated learning and performance among 192 soccer players (82 girls) for three age groups (14-16 years old) eligible for the Norwegian national football team. A conditional process model was proposed and tested with achievement goals as mediators between achievement motives on the one hand and coach-reported performance and self-regulated learning on the other hand. The probability of success was examined as a potential moderator in the motivational process. As predicted, motives to achieve success directly influenced planning and reflection/evaluation, whereas the influence of the success motive on regulation of effort was explained partly by task- and self-based approach goals. The motive to achieve success was, however, particularly crucial for maintaining these beneficial regulatory processes when the probability of success was found to be from moderate to low. Concerning the avoidance paths, the data supported only some of our original hypotheses. The motive to avoid failure predicted all three types of avoidance-based (task, self, and other) and other-based approach goals but did not contribute to explaining planning, reflection/evaluation, regulation of effort, or performance. There were no significant correlations between motivation variables and coach-reported performance. Moreover, girls were more motivated to avoid failure than boys, while both sexes achieved similar scores for football-specific self-regulated learning, probability of success, achievement goals, and motive to achieve success. The results are discussed considering a hierarchical motivation model.

The Integral Assessment of Playing Tactics in National Football Teams

Objectives. The objective of the study was to determine the features of competitive activities among national football teams based on the integral assessment of playing tactics. Materials and methods. The study was conducted during the 2024 European Football Championship. The competitive activities of national football teams from European countries (Germany, Spain, England, Switzerland, France, Portugal, Netherlands, Turkey) were analyzed, focusing on the playing tactics in 50 halves. In order to carry out the study, the following methods were used: theoretical analysis of literature sources; pedagogical observation of competitive activities; analysis of video materials of competitive activities; methods of mathematical statistics. The statistical analysis of the research results was conducted using descriptive mathematical statistics. The sample was characterized by determining the arithmetic mean, standard deviation (S), and coefficient of variation (V). The significance of observed differences in the indicators was assessed using the parametric Student’s t-test for independent samples. Prior to this, the data’s conformity to a normal distribution was verified using the Shapiro-Wilk W-test. Results. A methodology for the integral assessment of the tactics undertaken by national football teams was developed. The integral assessment of team tactics consisted of 10 specific coefficients that reflect the main components of football players’ competitive activities in the phases of ball possession and recovery. The competitive activities in 50 halves of the 2024 European Football Championship were analyzed. The average value of the integral assessment of the tactics in national football teams was determined to be 5.62 ± 0.43 points. The findings revealed significant tactical variations between the teams, with Spain’s use of high pressing and creative play contributing to their championship victory. A ten-point scale for evaluating the tactics of national football teams was developed, on the basis of which the level of competitive activities is interpreted. Conclusions. The developed methodology for monitoring and analyzing the tactics of football teams allows for targeted management influences on the competitive activities of football players at the operational, current, and stage levels.

Влияние количественного состава защитной линии футбольной команды на её оборонительную эффективность

In order to compare the defensive effectiveness of football teams using tactical systems with different quantitative composition of the defensive line, the defensive effectiveness of teams from five European leagues and the Russian Premier League for 8 full seasons 2014-2022 was compared on a number of indicators (goals conceded, shots allowed on their own goal, expected goals conceded) based on electronic data resource understat.com. According to statistical analysis, tactical systems with two central defenders are more defensively effective than tactical systems with three central defenders, according to the xGa indicator (expected goals conceded). Significant differences in xGa were obtained for the English Premier League, the Spanish La Liga; differences at the trend level in xGa were obtained for the French Ligue 1 and all the championships considered in general. Further research is needed, taking into account not only the type of tactical system of the team, but also the type of the opposing team and other factors affecting the defensive effectiveness of the team.

Research on “Playing Football” Type Roof Control in Fully-Mechanized Mining Face with a Super-Large Mining Height under the Background of 5G+ Big Data

With the increase of mining height at the working face, the influence range of roof fractures in the goaf increases, the advanced supporting pressure on the coal wall increases, ground pressure becomes more intense, and roof support becomes more difficult. Based on the analysis of ground pressure behavior in the first mining and caving stage, the normal mining stage, and the final mining breakthrough stage of the fully-mechanized mining face near 12,404, the relationship between conveyor current and coal speed is studied and compared. Based on the intelligent control system of the fully-mechanized mining face with a super-high mining height of 12,404 and the structure of the football team, the “playing football” roof control mode of the fully-mechanized mining face with super-high mining height under the background of 5G+ big data is put forward. The conclusions are as follows: In 12,404, the ground pressure was first mined. During normal mining, when the roof with a buried depth of more than 200 m is broken, the speed of the coal machine is kept within 12 m/min, and the full guard defends and controls the roof, pulling the lead frame through the area with severe ground pressure. When the roof is good, it is necessary to speed up the coal cutting and get rid of the pressure. When it is less than 200 m, it will overcome the local weighting, and show an offensive trend to speed up and increase production. In the final mining breakthrough stage, the speed of the coal machine should be controlled within 8 m/min, with attention to defense, guarding against roof leakage, and reducing waste rock.

Very high-speed running (VHSR) profile in elite female football: An update.

The aim of the present study it's a providing an update of the profile of very high-speed running (VHSR) of professional female football players. In this study 23 official matches of the Spanish First Division of Women´s Football were analysed. A total of 15 players participated, who were classified according to their location on the matches played: central-corridor (CCP, n = 7), and lateral-corridor (LCP, n = 8). The variables recorded were: 1) Very High-Speed Running (VHSR), considering the accumulated distance, duration, and frequency, and the individual characteristics of the efforts (distance and duration); 2) Recovery between efforts (VHSRe) and; 3) VMAX. The results show that LCP described higher values in accumulative VHSR and VHSR by distance bands, with greater distances, durations and VMAX of VHSRe, with less recovery between efforts. There seems to be an evolutionary trend in the distribution of the efforts, with a higher % of efforts in the 10-20 m band. The results provide useful information that coaching staff of professional women's football teams could use to design specific very high-speed running training to optimize performance in competition.

Weekend (Keyboard) Warriors: Differences in Social Media Consumption and Production Between NFL and College Football Fans

Sports fans are often some of the most passionate groups of fans and the use of social media can intensify those feelings, both in expressing their feelings and consumption of content. Football fans are a unique group in American sports culture, but how much difference is there within that group in terms of these behaviors? Using a social identity approach, this manuscript analyzed the degree to which team identification and fan identification played a role in the social media consumption and production in college football and National Football League (NFL) fans. A total of 586 fans responded to a survey that examined respondent’s team and fan identification, as well as social media consumption, creation, and sharing behaviors. Results indicated that college football fans generally identified with fellow fans of their favorite football team and consumed, created, and shared social media more frequently and with greater intensity than their NFL counterparts. Key differences between college football and NFL fans included fan identification predicted social media consumption and creation, while team identification predicted social media sharing among both college and NFL fans.