League Matches Research Articles

Full Time Result Prediction using Ensemble Techniques

Sports Analytics is a growing industry and one of the best real-word applications of Data Science. In this paper, the interest of author and machine learning capabilities were combined to develop a result predictor for football matches. The model proposed is capable of predicting result of any English Premier League Match at the half-time with 75% accuracy. The full-time result predictor is a system based on ensemble of powerful classification algorithms which can predict the odds of winning and draw of both home team and away team on the basis of goals scored at the half time and the current standings in the league. The model learns from the past records of the league and the results of different models are compared in the last section of the paper.

The influence of crosses, shots, corner kicks and defensive movements in the results of Premier League matches

The technology growth allowing analysis acts to gain more efficiency in football has increased, with performance analysis researches being conducted, since the knowledge of performance indicators that can determine success in football and the need for more predictive analysis to better comprehend them are essential. So, in account of these aspects this research aimed to investigate the influence of crosses, shots, corner kicks and defensive movements in winning Premier League (PL) football matches. The methodology adopted consists of a quantitative, descriptive and documentary research, which the sample is represented by all PL 2015/2016 matches. The analysis acts were made by the utilization of the association technique, present at data mining process, with the support of the software Weka. Results demonstrated the influence of variables in PL victories, suggesting that making a higher number of crosses than opponents was not effective to win PL matches, but that making more shots on goal than opponents was a positive indicative to predict victories, as having more defensive movements and less crosses than opponents as well. About corner kicks, results demonstrated that there is no influence of this component at match results.

Do fans’ emotions influence charitable donations? Evidence from monetary and returnable cup donations in German soccer stadiums

I study the influence of league match results of two German soccer clubs on their fans’ prosocial behavior in the stadium. For this purpose, a unique donation scheme is analyzed that collects charitable donations in the form of returnable cups with volunteers’ help (in addition to monetary donations). Using time-series analyses for matches from 2010 to 2020, the results suggest that home fans are willing to donate more to charity due to their club’s positive match results (victories). The results also indicate that reference-dependent preferences play a role in home fans’ willingness to donate. First, victories following a halftime draw lead to increased returnable cup donations. Second, the positive effects of wins are more likely to be explained by expected wins taking into account the team’s quality or the betting odds as reference points.

Longitudinal changes in Super League match locomotor and event characteristics: A league-wide investigation over three seasons in rugby league.

The 2019 and 2020 Super League (SL) seasons included several competition rule changes. This study aimed to quantify the difference between the 2018, 2019 and 2020 SL seasons for duration, locomotor and event characteristics of matches. Microtechnology and match event data were analysed from 11 SL teams, comprising 124 players, from 416 competitive matches across a three-year data collection period. Due to an enforced suspension of league competition as a consequence of COVID-19 restrictions, and subsequent rule changes upon return to play, season 2020 was divided into season 2020a (i.e. Pre-COVID suspension) and season 2020b (i.e. Post-COVID suspension). Duration, locomotor variables, and match events were analysed per whole-match and ball-in-play (BIP) periods with differences between seasons determined using mixed-effects models. There were significant (ρ ≤ 0.05) reductions in whole-match and BIP durations for adjustables and backs in 2019 when compared to 2018; albeit the magnitude of reduction was less during BIP analyses. Despite reduced duration, adjustables reported an increased average speed suggesting reduced recovery time between bouts. Both forwards and adjustables also experienced an increase in missed tackles between 2018 and 2019 seasons. When comparing 2019 to 2020a, adjustables and backs increased their average speed and distance whilst all positional groups increased average acceleration both for whole-match and BIP analyses. When comparing 2020a to 2020b, all positional groups experienced reduced average speed and average acceleration for both whole-match and BIP analyses. Forwards experienced an increased number of tackles and carries, adjustables experienced an increased number of carries, and backs experienced an increased number of missed tackles when comparing these variables between season 2020a and 2020b. Rule changes have a greater effect on whole-match duration and locomotor characteristics than those reported during BIP periods which suggests the implemented rule changes have removed stagnant time from matches. Amendments to tackle related rules within matches (e.g., introduction of the ‘six-again’ rule) increases the number of collision related events such as carries and tackles.

The Effects of (Un)Expected Match Outcomes on Stock Return: A Case Study of Borussia Dortmund

Abstract: We analyze the nature of stock price reactions of Borussia Dortmund, the only publicly traded soccer club in Germany, following domestic league and international matches over an extended period of time. Our results suggest that abnormal returns vary with the match result, the match venue, the competition type, bookmakers’ expectations, and the importance of the Bundesliga match. Although our results confirm the evidence presented in previous studies, they are surprising insofar as the legal form of Borussia Dortmund GmbH & Co. KGaA—a mixture of a stock company (AG) and a limited partnership (KG)—is quite different from that of traditional stock companies. From a theoretical perspective, diluted property rights and a lack of managerial monitoring are the main characteristics of this legal form. However, the club managers’ career concerns and the competitive pressures of the football industry seem to compensate for these deficits in the organizational architecture.

Need for Regulation of Pan Masala Advertisements in Television Media

Tobacco industries have resorted to brand stretching to keep their brands visible through sale of non-tobacco products like elaichi (cardamom) and paan masala, as seen in television advertisements aired during Indian premier league matches. The direct and indirect forms of advertisements of tobacco products in digital media remains unchecked. Strict ban should be enforced as these advertisements lure children and the youth into consumption of tobacco products later in life. In addition to providing tobacco cessation services to patients, oral health professionals should be aware of the marketing strategies of tobacco companies so that we can advise governing authorities to enact new laws and enforce existing laws in order to curtail tobacco consumption in our country.

A Random Forest approach to identify metrics that best predict match outcome and player ranking in the esport Rocket League

Notational analysis is a popular tool for understanding what constitutes optimal performance in traditional sports. However, this approach has been seldom used in esports. The popular esport “Rocket League” is an ideal candidate for notational analysis due to the availability of an online repository containing data from millions of matches. The purpose of this study was to use Random Forest models to identify in-match metrics that predicted match outcome (performance indicators or “PIs”) and/or in-game player rank (rank indicators or “RIs”). We evaluated match data from 21,588 Rocket League matches involving players from four different ranks. Upon identifying goal difference (GD) as a suitable outcome measure for Rocket League match performance, Random Forest models were used alongside accompanying variable importance methods to identify metrics that were PIs or RIs. We found shots taken, shots conceded, saves made, and time spent goalside of the ball to be the most important PIs, and time spent at supersonic speed, time spent on the ground, shots conceded and time spent goalside of the ball to be the most important RIs. This work is the first to use Random Forest learning algorithms to highlight the most critical PIs and RIs in a prominent esport.

The effect of hopelessness on violence tendency: Turkish football fans

Abstract This study aimed to analyze the relationship between the hopelessness and violence tendency of football fans and to investigate the differences between these variables and various demographic variables. The research group was formed by 398 male volunteer football fans who watched the Elazigspor (Sports Toto 1st League ) matches in the 2018-2019 season in Turkey. In addition to demographic variables in the study, the Violent Trend Scale and Beck Hopelessness Scale were used. The SPSS program was used to analyze the data. Independent sample t-test, one-way ANOVA, pearson correlation, and linear regression analysis were used in the analysis of the data. In the findings of the research, it was determined that there was a moderate positive relationship between the variable of hopelessness and the tendency toward violence. It was determined that there was a statistically significant difference in the tendency toward violence according to the variables of fans going to away games, the duration of watching matches at the stadium, and with whom fans watched the matches. As a result, as the level of fans’ hopelessness increased, it was observed that there was an increase in violent tendencies. In addition, those who went to watch away matches, those who watched matches at the stadium for a long period of time, and those who went to watch matches with friends were found to have high levels of violent tendencies.

Effects of Match Location, Quality of Opposition and Match Outcome on Match Running Performance in a Portuguese Professional Football Team.

The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of match location, quality of opposition and match outcome on match running performance according to playing position in a Portuguese professional football team. Twenty-three male professional football players were monitored from eighteen Portuguese Football League matches during the 2019–2020 season. Global positioning system technology (GPS) was used to collect time-motion data. The match running performance was obtained from five playing positions: central defenders (CD), fullbacks (FB), central midfielders (CM), wide midfielders (WM) and forwards (FW). Match running performance was analyzed within specific position and contextual factors using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) for repeated measures, standardized (Cohen) differences and smallest worthwhile change. CM and WM players covered significantly greater total distance (F = 15.45, p = 0.000, η2 = 0.334) and average speed (F = 12.79, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.294). WM and FB players covered higher distances at high-speed running (F = 16.93, p = 0.000, η2 = 0.355) and sprinting (F = 13.49; p < 0.001, η2 = 0.305). WM players covered the highest number of accelerations (F = 4.69, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.132) and decelerations (F = 12.21, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.284). The match running performance was influenced by match location (d = 0.06–2.04; CI: −0.42–2.31; SWC = 0.01–1.10), quality of opposition (d = 0.13–2.14; CI: –0.02–2.60; SWC = 0.01–1.55) and match outcome (d = 0.01–2.49; CI: −0.01–2.31; SWC = 0.01–0.35). Contextual factors influenced the match running performance with differential effects between playing positions. This study provides the first report about the contextual influence on match running performance in a Portuguese professional football team. Future research should also integrate tactical and technical key indicators when analyzing the match-related contextual influence on match running performance.

The influence of ball possession, passes and shots on target in winning premier league football matches

Football is the most popular sport in the world and involves the availability of information of footballers and teams to investigate success in this sport. In account of these aspects, the current study aims to analyze the influence of ball possession time, passes and shots on target in winning Premier League football matches. The methodology adopted consists of a quantitative, descriptive and documentary research, in which the sample is represented by all the 380 Premier League (PL) matches of the 2015/2016 season. The analysis process was made by the use of the association technique, present in the data mining process, with the support of the Weka software. The results suggest that shots on target, as well as its interaction with ball possession and passes - total passes, accuracy of passes, accuracy of passes inside the opponent’s field and long passes - influenced the final result of the match. Based on the results, the conclusion is that direct play alternatives, such as presenting less ball possession time and more long passes, associated with more shots on target, showed to be more beneficial for football clubs to win football matches.

Large-scale sport events and COVID-19 infection effects: evidence from the German professional football ‘experiment’

SummaryThis paper studies the effects of large-scale sport events with live spectators on COVID-19 infection trends at the local population level. Specifically, we compare the development of incidence rates in 41 German Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics level 3 (NUTS-3) districts hosting a professional football match with at least 1,000 spectators vis-à-vis similar districts without hosting a match. Our empirical analysis builds on difference-in-difference and dynamic event study estimation for panel data. Synthetic control method is applied as a robustness check. While our findings generally do not point to significant treatment effects for the full sample of match locations, we find some noteworthy exceptions. Districts hosting first league matches with spectator attendance above the median (> 6,300 persons) and, particularly, matches without strict face mask requirements experienced a significant relative rise in incidence rates 14 days after the match. We also find that intra-district mobility increases on match days in treated districts, highlighting the significance of professional football matches as mobility-based infection transmission channel.

Unlocking the Relationship between Talent Management Practices and Performance Sustainability in Sports Industry

The present study investigated the effect of talent management practices on performance sustainability in the sports industry. The study used the deductive reasoning approach to predict new cricketer performance sustainability. The hypotheses were tested using partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) techniques. The self-administered structured questionnaires were used to collect data. The total sample size was 270, which were collected from respondents playing in Bangladesh Premier League, Domestic and International matches. The results revealed that onboarding and engagement, player development, performance management, and strategic teamwork planning positively influence performance sustainability. However, the findings suggested that policymakers and other concerned authorities should implement this result to sustain players' performance continuously. Meanwhile, this is the first paper that applies talent management practices to magnify performance sustainability.

PSL Eye: Predicting the Winning Team in Pakistan Super League (PSL) Matches

Pakistan Super League (PSL) is a well-known T20 cricket league with millions of viewers. With this large viewer base, predicting the outcome of PSL matches opens a new research avenue for academic researchers. In this paper, we collect PSL data from relevant sources and generate a validated data set for machine learning experiments. We implement the “PSL Eye” solution which employs Neural Networks (NNs) to predict the match winning team. We preprocess the dataset to eliminate the extra variables then we tune the hyper parameters of NN. After acquiring the optimal values of hyper parameters, we run our NN based PSL Eye to obtain the final results. The overall accuracy of PSL-Eye with testing data set is 82% which is very promising and shows the importance of NN in predicting PSL match outcome.

A Predictive Analysis of PSL Match Winner Using Machine Learning Techniques

Cricket is one of the most celebrated open-air sports which have a huge amount of measurable information in the genuine world. As PSL games grow in popularity, the potential predictors influencing the outcome of the matches need to be investigated. The several years of PSL data containing the specifics of the player, match venue details, squads, ball-by-ball details, are taken and analyzed in this paper to draw different conclusions that offer assistance within the enhancement of a player’s execution. Through the expanding number of matches day by day, it has ended up troublesome to oversee or extricate valuable data from the accessible information of all the matches. This paper presents pre-processing of data, visualization, and prediction. It centers on measuring the result of Pakistan Super League (PSL) matches by applying the existing information mining algorithms. It includes factors like team1, team2, toss winner, toss decision, and predicts the match winner with the help of the Random Forest algorithm.&#x0D;

Armchair fans: Modelling audience size for televised football matches

Modelling audience size for televised football matches has utility for a number of stakeholders. In the short-term it can inform the choice of broadcasters as to which matches to show and decisions of firms regarding how much to bid for advertising slots during the game. For elite clubs and leagues, for which television rights is their principal source of revenue, it offers a means of understanding which match characteristics will draw the largest audience and this should inform long-term decisions on how to structure their competitions. The paper argues that previous modelling in this area has typically depended on an inappropriate measure of audience size and unsatisfactory metrics to capture important match characteristics such as the quality of the talent on show and the significance of the match for the championship or relegation. In contrast to this prior literature, the present paper draws on sport analytics to derive its measures of player talent and match significance. This makes a material difference to findings from modelling audience size for 790 English Premier League matches between 2013 and 2019. For example, it identifies elevated interest for matches potentially significant for end-of-season outcomes. This has implications when organisers consider the optimal structure of the competition and revenue sharing arrangements between member clubs of the league. For the wider television industry, we show that measurement of audience size (and some results from modelling) are sensitive to whether focus is on the whole programme or just its core content (in this case the match itself).

The effectiveness of sports marketing and investment methods for the Iraqi Premier League matches from the point of view of members of the governing bodies of football clubs

The effectiveness of sports marketing and investment methods for the Iraqi Premier League matches from the point of view of members of the governing bodies of football clubs

Optimal break structures and cooling strategies to mitigate heat stress during a Rugby League match simulation

ObjectivesTo examine, 1) optimal structure of break periods to mitigate physiological heat strain during rugby league play (Stage 1); and ii) effectiveness of three different cooling strategies applied during breaks (Stage 2). DesignCounter-balanced crossover design. MethodsIn 37 °C, 50% RH, 11 males completed six simulated 80-min (two 40-min halves) rugby league matches on a treadmill with different break structures: regular game (RG) (12-min halftime), 1-min or 3-min “quarter-time” breaks halfway through each half with a 12-min halftime break (R1C and R3C), a 20-min halftime break (EH), or 1-min or 3-min quarter-time breaks with a 20-min halftime break (E1C and E3C) [Stage 1]. Nine participants completed Stage 2, which assessed the application of either ice towels (ICE), an electric fan (FAN) or a misting fan (MST) during breaks in the E3C protocol which, in Stage 1, prevailed as the optimal break structure. ResultsStage 1: Irrespective of quarter-time break duration, reductions in rectal temperature (−0.24 °C ± 0.24) and heart rate (−61 ± 10 bpm) during the halftime break were greater with a 20-min compared to a 12-min break (−0.08 ± 0.13 °C, p = 0.005; −55 ± −9 bpm, p = 0.021). Stage 2: End-game rises in rectal temperature were smaller (p < 0.006) in MST (1.41 ± 0.22 °C), FAN (1.55 ± 0.36 °C) and ICE (1.60 ± 0.21 °C) than in CON (1.80 ± 0.39 °C). The end-halftime heart rate was lower (p < 0.001) in ICE (89 ± 13 bpm), MST (90 ± 10 bpm) and FAN (92 ± 13 bpm) than in CON (99 ± 18 bpm). ConclusionsCombining an extended halftime period and quarter-time breaks with MST application is the optimal cooling strategy for rugby league players in hot, humid conditions.

Acceleration and High-Speed Running Profiles of Women's International and Domestic Football Matches.

Acceleration and deceleration are important given football is an intermittent sport with constant changes in velocity and direction. It is unclear, however, if the accelerations and decelerations performed by players differ between competition levels. The aim of the present study was to compare the acceleration, deceleration, and high-speed running profiles of players during international and domestic matches and to determine if differences were apparent across playing positions (defenders, midfielders, and attackers). GPS data from 21 Australian women's domestic football league matches over 2 seasons (2016–2018) and 15 Australian women's international matches (2017–2018) were collected and analyzed. Movement pattern data was collected using VX Sport and GPSports 10 Hz GPS receivers. Variables analyzed included: total distance, distance covered high-speed running (16–20 km·h−1) distance covered sprinting (> 20 km·h−1) and time spent accelerating and decelerating in four predetermined bands (1–2 m·s−2, 2–3 m·s−2, 3–4 m·s−2, and > 4 m·s−2). Results revealed that players competing in international matches covered significantly greater total distances, greater high-speed running distances and greater sprinting distances as well as spending a greater duration accelerating in band 4 compared to players in domestic competitions (p < 0.05). Players competing in international matches spent significantly less duration decelerating in bands 2 and 3, compared to players in domestic competitions. International defenders and midfielders recorded significantly higher total distances and high-speed running distance compared to players in domestic matches. Our findings suggest that preparing players for international-level competition should include progressive exposure to high-speed running and sprinting distances, as well as high magnitude accelerations. Furthermore, the higher running speeds experienced by players during international matches appears to be a result of less time spent decelerating. The optimal deceleration necessary for specific situations appears important and emphasizes the need for specific deceleration training. The increased effort of high-intensity activity that is required for players competing in international matches affects defenders and midfielders to the greatest degree. Gradual exposure to the increased running demands for midfielders and defenders competing in international matches is needed to improve performance and reduce the potential risk of injury.

Effects of a multi-component alcohol prevention intervention at sporting events: a quasi-experimental control group study.

Alcohol intoxication among spectators and related problems are common at sporting events. This study estimated the impact a multi-component community-based alcohol prevention intervention, implemented at Swedish Premier Football (soccer) League matches, had on intoxication levels among spectators and refusal rates of alcohol service to, and arena entry of, obviously intoxicated spectators. A quasi-experimental controlled study using a repeated cross-sectional design. Spectators and sport arenas in Stockholm and Gothenburg, Sweden. The intervention was implemented in Stockholm and consisted of community mobilisation and collaboration, training of staff and improved enforcement and policy work. Gothenburg was the comparison area and received usual care. Primary outcomes were spectators' mean breath alcohol concentration (BrAC), proportion of spectators with high intoxication levels, (defined as BrAC ≥0.1%), overserving at licensed premises inside arenas and refused arena entry of obviously intoxicated spectators. Baseline data were collected during 2015 and follow-up during 2016 and 2017. BrAC assessments (n=10 188), arena entry attempts (n=201) and alcohol purchase attempts at premises inside arenas (n=495) were collected. There was evidence that the refusal rates of alcohol purchase at premises inside arenas improved differently between study areas and over time (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]=0.28, 95% CI=0.07, 1.06, P=0.060, Bayes factor [BF]=8.60). In both study areas, the arena entry refusal rates improved over time (aOR=5.87, 95% CI=1.16, 29.83, P=0.033, BF=17.7), but evidence that the rates improved differently between study areas and over time was equivocal (aOR=0.57, 95% CI=0.09, 3.56, P=0.543, BF=1.2). Mean BrAC levels decreased over time in both study areas (β=-0.032, 95% CI=-0.050, -0.015, P<0.001), and differently (β=0.104, 95% CI=0.061, 0.146, P<0.001), but evidence for an interaction effect was equivocal (β=-0.002, 95% CI=-0.022, 0.018, P=0.868, BF=1.0). Evidence was equivocal regarding whether the proportion of spectators with high intoxication levels decreased differently between study areas and over time (aOR=1.17, 95% CI=0.91, 1.50, P=0.220, BF=2.2). A multi-component community-based alcohol prevention intervention at sporting events may have increased staff intervention toward obviously intoxicated spectators. It was not clear whether this translated into a reduction in intoxication, which can be explained by improvements in the comparison area.

Effectiveness of offensive and defensive follow-up for basketball beginners in Lebanon

This study aims to learn about the actual performance level in terms of repetition and effectiveness of offensive and defensive follow-up in matches for young basketball players in Lebanon. The two researchers conducted the study based on the descriptive method by the survey method. The study sample used included (18) matches from the Lebanese Junior League matches. This research yielded to many results which can be sum up as follows: 1. The average frequency of defensive follow-up during the fourth period is the highest iteration of the first period. 2. The average effectiveness rate for defensive and offensive follow-up increases gradually during the game. 3. The average repetitive offensive follow-up during match periods increases in the first and second period, and the average recurrence decrease in the third and fourth period. 4. The average frequency and effectiveness of defensive follow-up during matches exceeded the average and frequency of offensive follow-up.