Play Ball Research Articles

Using large language models to generate baseball spray charts in the absence of numerical data

Although baseball has been revolutionized by analytics, not all teams have access to high quality data. While many high school, collegiate, and club teams do not have high speed cameras and radars, they often do record a text-based play-by-play account of the game. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate how to use large language models to convert play-by-play information into quantitative data. We walk through the specific example of spray charts, which depict where on the baseball diamond a hitter tends to put the ball in play. Spray charts are a particularly relevant example because of their use in informing in-game strategy decisions (e.g., the infield shift). This study successfully generates spray charts for collegiate baseball players with 95% accuracy.

The influence of tactical formation on physical and technical performance across playing positions in the Chinese super league

This study aimed to investigate the impact of tactical formations on the physical and technical performance of professional football players in the Chinese Super League (CSL). A sample of 800 games from the 2015–2021 CSL was analyzed, and players' physical (total distance covered, distance covered while ball in play, number of sprints, sprint distance, and high/middle/low-speed running) and technical (gain/loss of possession, ball retention percentage, challenges, challenge success percentage, passes, and pass success percentage) performance was assessed across six team formations: 3-5-2 (n = 137), 4-3-3 (n = 77), 4-2-3-1 (n = 391), 4-4-2 (n = 257), 3-4-3 (n = 41), and 4-1-4-1 (n = 107). Linear mixed models were used to assess variations in performance indicators across positions and formations. The results demonstrated that central defenders traveled significantly more total and low-speed running distances in the 3-5-2 formation than in the 4-2-3-1 formation (ES range: 0.33–0.34, p < 0.01). Fullbacks in the 3-5-2 formation demonstrated more high-speed running than did those in the 4-4-2 formation (ES = 0.27, p = 0.04). The central midfielders exhibited significantly more sprints and longer sprint distances in the 4-2-3-1 formation than in the 4-4-2 formation (ES range: 0.2–0.24, p < 0.01). Regarding technical performance, central defenders displayed significantly greater ball retention percentages, passes, and pass success rates in the 3-4-3 than in the 3-5-2 formations (ES range: 0.58–0.65, p < 0.01). Moreover, fullbacks and central midfielders executed markedly more passes with superior pass success rates in 4-back formations than in 3-5-2 formations (ES range: 0.2–0.53, p < 0.01). These findings can help coaches and academic staff understand the physical and technical requirements of various positions in various tactical formations, thus optimizing the training process.

Effectiveness of a Program to Improve the Verbal Response of Football Coaches: A Delayed-Intervention Experimental Design

The pressure that coaches usually apply on their athletes, alongside injuries and the lack of enjoyment during sport practice, are key factors involved in sports abandonment. Behavioral interventions through psychoeducational programs have proven to be useful to improve coaching behaviors, providing appropriate context in sports. This study aims to assess a brief psychological intervention in football coaches to reduce potentially harmful verbal responses and increase the use of positive feedback. Our research was conducted in an amateur football club where 15 coaching staff teams agreed to participate. The experimental design of this study is a randomized controlled trial with control (n=7) and experimental (n=8) groups with delayed intervention. Verbal responses from coaches were collected as count data with an adapted version of the Coaching Behavior Assessment System. Data was analyzed using the Poisson Regression Model. The results show a reduction in hostile feedback by 87.7% (CI = 71% - 94.9%), technical instructions with ball in play by 39.8% (CI = 24.2% - 52.2%), complaints to referees by 95.8% (CI = 82.8% - 99.3%) and an increase in praise contingent with successful action y 87% (CI = 13% - 209%) after the intervention. These findings have important implications for the implementation of programs that seek to improve delivery of instructions in sport coaches, providing a thorough procedure for the shaping of the verbal response. Valuable insights to foster a supportive learning environment for adolescents and young athletes are addressed in the discussion. Keywords: Psychological intervention, Behavioral intervention, Sport coach, Verbal response, Technical instructions, Randomized controlled trial, Experimental design, Coaching Behavior Assessment System.

Factors Affecting Physical and Technical Performance in Australian Football.

Wing, C, Hart, NH, Ma'ayah, F, and Nosaka, K. Factors affecting physical and technical performance in Australian football. J Strength Cond Res 37(9): 1844-1851, 2023-This study assessed player (i.e., lower-body strength and power and aerobic fitness) and environmental (e.g., venue) factors and their effects on the physical (e.g., distance) and technical (e.g., kicks) demands of Australian football (AF). Relative distance, high-speed running (HSR), and acceleration efforts for 19 matches by 33 players in a West AF League team were analyzed from global positioning system data split into periods of successful offense and defense and maximum ball in play (BiP) periods, as well as technical actions. Lower-body strength and power, and aerobic fitness were evaluated using a one-repetition trap-bar deadlift, countermovement jump, 2-km time trial, and Yo-Yo intermittent fitness test, respectively. In matches played at home, distance (p < 0.001, ES = 0.39) and HSR (p < 0.001, ES = 0.34) were significantly reduced during successful defense. In addition, tackle rate was significantly increased (p = 0.003, ES = 0.16) during successful defense when playing at home. Trap-bar deadlift relative to mass significantly increased relative distance (p = 0.004, ES = 0.51) and HSR (p = 0.029, ES = 0.40) in successful offense. In successful defense, superior time trial performance significantly increased relative distance (p < 0.001, ES = 0.58), HSR (p < 0.001, ES = 0.59), and acceleration efforts (p = 0.017, ES = 0.44), while relative distance (p < 0.001, ES = 0.62) and HSR (p = 0.004, ES = 0.52) were also increased during maximum BiP periods. The results demonstrate that player factors have the largest effect on the physical and technical performance of AF players.

How does the increase in foreign players affect football?

BackgroundIn the study, we tried to analyze the effects of foreign players on Turkish Super League matches. For this purpose, in this long-term study, 1836 competition data played in 6 seasons between 2014 and 2020 was obtained from www.mackolik.com each year.MethodPearson's correlation coefficient applied between 18 different variables (goal, shoot, pass, cross, corner, offside, foul, yellow card, red card, accurate shot, percentage of the precise pass, rate of accurate access on opponent's field, the difference of ball possession percentage, shot difference, pass difference, big team superiority, home team superiority) and the number of foreign players (NoFP, active foreign players in 90 min.).ResultIn the Turkish Super League, within six seasons (2014–20), the NoFP in a match increased from 10.43 (38.06%) to 17.99 (64.26%). The increment was partially linear and statistically significant (F = 594.85) in all seasons. A positive association was found between NoFP several of passes (r = 0.219), percentage of accurate passes (r = 0.133), percentage of precise passes on the opponent's field (r = 0.139), exact pass difference between opponents (r = 0.114), and ball possession difference between opponents (r = 0.113). Fouls committed decreased with the increase of NoFP (r = -0.250). Although the win probability of the teams named The Big Three (Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray, and Beşiktaş) decreased from 67% (2014 season rate) to 50% in the last two seasons, no association was identified between the NoFP and big team superiority.ConclusionsConsequently, NoFP increment may improve the game quality by increasing accurate passes and passes in the opponent's field. The number of passes and the ball possession percentage difference between opponent teams may indicate that one team has control of the game by keeping possession or the other is tactically giving possession. These findings may suggest that the game evolved into half-field, tactical, set-play, possessioning competition. Analyzing variables such as game speed, intensity, the duration of the ball in play, running distance, energy consumption, and fatigue markers may light future studies.

Replicating Maximum Periods of Play in Australian Football Matches Through Position-Specific Drills.

Wing, C, Hart, NH, Ma'ayah, F, and Nosaka, K. Replicating maximum periods of play in Australian football matches through position-specific drills. J Strength Cond Res 37(8): 1628-1633, 2023-This study evaluated whether a position-specific drill replicates the running intensities of maximum ball in play (BiP) phases in competitive matches of Australian football (AF). Match data were collected on 32 AF players across 3 seasons (2019, 2020, 2021), with training session data collected from the same players across the 2021 season. Three position-specific training drills were created for defense, offense, and combination (defense and offense combined). Running intensities were compared between maximum BiP periods (e.g., periods with the highest metric per minute) from competitive matches and position-specific training drills, as well as between the 3 position-specific training drills using linear mixed models. The significance level was set at p < 0.05. Measures of distance (offense: 44.4 m·minute -1 , defense: 83.5 m·minute -1 , combination: 50.4 m·minute -1 ), high-speed running (offense: 76.7 m·minute -1 , defense: 134.6 m·minute -1 , combination: 89.6 m·minute -1 ), very high-speed running (offense: 26.7 m·minute -1 , defense: 56.2 m·minute -1 , combination: 55.0 m·minute -1 ), and high-intensity efforts (offense: 2.3 efforts·minute -1 , defense: 3.0 efforts·minute -1 , combination: 2.8 efforts·minute -1 ), relative to time were greater ( p < 0.001) in all 3 position-specific training drills compared with BiP phases. All measured metrics were significantly ( p < 0.001) greater in the defense drill compared with the offense drill, whereas distance, high-speed running, PlayerLoad, and accelerations were significantly ( p < 0.001) greater when compared with the combination drill. These demonstrate that position-specific training drills that we created replicated or exceeded the running intensities recorded during matches based on maximum BiP periods. Position-specific training drills seem to be an attractive addition to AF players training regimens because it concurrently provides training for physical and technical actions (e.g., handballs).

A comparison of running and contact loads in U18 and U20 international rugby union competition

The purpose of the present study was to characterize and compare locomotor and contact loads in U18 and U20 international rugby union competition during matches, and specifically during peak match-play phases using short rolling epochs and continuous ball-in-play (BIP) sequences. 20 international matches from French national teams were analysed in the U18 and U20 Six Nations Tournament respectively and World Rugby U20 Championship. Running loads were quantified using global positioning devices (16 Hz) and contact loads via video match analysis software. Players were split into forward (U18, n = 29; U20, n = 32) and back positional groups (U18, n = 20; U20, n = 24). Compared with U20 peers, U18 players covered a higher total distance (effect size (ES) = -0.76 ± 0.25) and at high-speeds per minute (> 4 m · s-1; ES = -0.55 ± 0.25) and performed more accelerations (ES = -0.71 ± 0.25). While a greater frequency of BIP sequences > 90 s duration was observed in U20s versus U18s match-play, U18s covered more total distance and high-speed distance (ES = -0.42 ± 0.13 and -0.33 ± 0.13 respectively) per minute during these longer sequences. During peak rolling phases shorter than 4 minutes, no clear differences existed between age categories in running activity, while U20 forwards performed more contact actions than U18 peers. The match-play loads observed in the present international U18 players suggest that they are ready to respond to the overall and peak demands observed in U20 competition. Moreover, the present information on peak activity phases can aid design of overload high-intensity conditioning sessions to respond to the running- and contact-demands identified in those competitions.

The keys of pressing to gain the ball – Characteristics of defensive pressure in elite soccer using tracking data

ABSTRACT Recently, the availability of big amounts of data enables analysts to dive deeper into the constraints of performance in various team sports. While offensive analyses in football have been extensively conducted, the evaluation of defensive performance is underrepresented in this sport. Hence, the aim of this study was to analyze successful defensive playing phases by investigating the space and time characteristics of defensive pressure. Therefore, tracking and event data of 153 games of the German Bundesliga (second half of 2020/21 season) were assessed. Defensive pressure was measured in the last 10 seconds of a defensive playing sequence (time characteristic) and it was distinguished between pressure on the ball-carrier, pressure on the group (5 attackers closest to the ball), and pressure on the whole team (space characteristic). A linear mixed model was applied to evaluate the effect of success of a defensive play (ball gain), space characteristic, and time characteristic on defensive pressure. Defensive pressure is higher in successful defensive plays (14.47 ± 16.82[%]) compared to unsuccessful defensive plays (12.87 ± 15.31[%]). The characteristics show that defensive pressure is higher in areas closer to the ball (space characteristic) and the closer the measurement is to the end of a defensive play (time characteristic), which is especially true for successful defensive plays. Defensive pressure is a valuable key performance indicator for defensive play. Further, this study shows that there is an association between the pressing of the ball-carrier and areas close to the ball with the success of defensive play.

The Moderating Effect of Hardiness on the Relationship Between Trait Anxiety and Performance in Collegiate Baseball Players

The purpose of this study was to explore the moderating effect of hardiness on the relationship between trait anxiety and objective performance within NCAA Division I collegiate baseball players. An updated and shortened version of the Personal Views Survey (PVS III-R) was used to measure hardiness after a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted. Of the total 389 players that participated, 171 met inclusion criteria and were split into two groups – hitters (N = 94) and pitchers (N = 80) – to identify differences in skills and how sub-constructs of hardiness (commitment, control, challenge) affected performance through a descriptive correlational design. The results show significant moderating effects of commitment for pitchers that accounted for the majority of variance in the relationship between perception of trait anxiety intensity and left on base percentage (LOB%) and wild pitches (WP). For hitters, significant moderating effects of control accounted for less variance in the relationship between perception of trait anxiety intensity on batting average on balls in play (BABIP) and grounding into double plays (GDP). The findings indicate there may be significant moderating effects of hardiness on the relationship between trait anxiety and objective performance that may be present in game situations with runners on-base. Practitioners could use these findings to target mental skills that could develop a pitcher’s commitment or hitter’s sense of control to enhance their performance within baseball-specific situations. For example, mental performance consultants could help athletes reframe the intensity of cognitive or somatic anxiety during situations with runners on-base.

Comparison of physical demands between matches and small-sided games in Australian Football

This study evaluated the physical demands and specificity of small-sided games (SSGs) compared to matches in Australian Football (AF). Global positioning system (GPS) data was collected on 48 AF players from 39 matches and 28 training sessions across two seasons. Match data was analysed using the ball in play (BiP) method with the maximum BiP period for each match (e.g. the BiP with greatest meters per minute), for each variable (relative distance, high-speed running, and accelerations) averaged for each player to establish maximal means as reference points. Intensity of all BiP periods in matches and SSGs was compared (e.g. a BiP period recorded at 100 m·min−1 by a player with a maximal mean of 200 m·min−1, was classified as a 50% effort). This was categorised in 10% intensity buckets, and compared between matches and SSGs using linear mixed models and Cohen's d effect sizes. Distance was greater ( p &lt; 0.01) in the 20–49% buckets for matches and in the 60–89% buckets ( p &lt; 0.001) for SSGs. For high-speed running and accelerations, matches were greater ( p &lt; 0.001) in the 0–9% bucket but SSGs were greater ( p &lt; 0.001) in buckets from 20 to 49%. At the individual level, 37–49% of the players did not record any SSGs efforts in buckets of &gt;80 to ≥90% across GPS variables. SSGs appear to provide a sub-optimal training stimulus, if the aim is to prepare AF players for the highest intensity periods of play recorded during matches, thus may under-prepare players for the intensity demands of AF matches.

Play Ball: A 10-Year Comparative Analysis of Craniofacial Safety in Baseball and Softball.

Within the United States, the number of players participating in baseball increased by nearly 21% to 15.9 million between 2014 and 2019. Additionally, batting helmets with face-masks are encouraged yet optional in youth baseball as well as college baseball and softball. in light of inconsistencies in safety equipment enforcement and usage, this study aims to perform a comparative analysis of the number and frequency of baseball and softball-related craniofacial injuries (CFis). Data regarding baseball and softball-related injuries were gathered from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database from 2011 to 2020. Craniofacial injuries were isolated and organized into 5-year age groups beginning with 5 to 9 years and ending with 25 to 29 years of age. Data was further stratified by location and type of injury. Injury types specifically reported in this study included concussion, contusion, fracture, and laceration. Distribution of injuries across age groups differed significantly between baseball and softball ( P < 0.001). When comparing the 10 to 14 year old group to the 15 to 19 year old group, we found that concussions and head contusions comprise a significantly greater proportion of all injuries in softball than in baseball. Conversely, facial fractures, facial lacerations, and mouth lacerations comprise a significantly greater proportion ofinjuries in baseball than in softball. Future prospective studies aiming to better characterize the within-game nature of these reported CFIs would certainly be beneficial in guiding the baseball and softball communities toward consideration of implementing maximally efficacious updates to current safety equipment standards.

Launch fly balls for better batting statistics: Applicability of “fly-ball revolution” to Japan’s professional baseball league

ABSTRACT “Fly-ball revolution” in Major League Baseball (MLB), spotlighting an underlining tenet that batters should aim for big fly balls rather than grounders, has attracted interest from countless players around the world. Its applicability, however, is not clear for players of different physical abilities or teams with different game strategies from MLB’s. This paper aims to test a hypothesis that hitting fly balls do not result in better batting statistics than hitting grounders in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). From radar-tracking outputs collected in the official games, the speed, launch angle, and batting results of all batted balls in play were extracted (n = 39,469). In-play batting average (IPBA) and slugging percentage (IPSP) were compared between fly balls and grounders. The results showed the better batting statistics for fly balls (IPBA = 0.381 ± 0.018; IPSP = 0.730 ± 0.079) than grounders (IPBA = 0.267 ± 0.010; IPSP = 0.285 ± 0.010). Thus, our hypothesis was rejected. The balls launched at 10°−20°, called line drives, resulted in higher IPBA over the typical speed range (120 − 150 km/h), suggesting that NPB players whose ball speed was typical should aim for line drives, rather than high fly balls by accepting the tenet.

Naturalization

Naturalization Darrel Alejandro Holnes (bio) I haven't yet come out to my fam and I'm dating a white man named Matt.Everyone has a part of themselves they keep private, these days the secret is their issues with race or desire. Mamá always wantedto be American, but she'd read in Essence magazine about how its Black women were the least married in the country because ball players preferred white women on their arms.Can you hear her crying as I play ball with my white boyfriend?Hand jobs are the latest sex act in fashion. But then again, love is an older kind of allegiance than citizenship.Sometimes, I wear a cop uniform during sex and throw my loverbehind bars. This role play is not called Black Lives Matter. It's calledLove and Basketball. Matt plays the white college ball playerI've arrested for slipping a roofie into my drink while I was undercover at a frat party. [End Page 87] And now, in jail, he begs for my forgiveness. I tell him no one man can save himfrom a system; mass incarceration is the American way. But I, at least, can apply some lube and help ease the pain.Don't believe this part; it's too dark to be true. The American Dreamis not a fantasy. It's as real as the resurrection of turkey on Thanksgiving and the healing properties of apple pie.There isn't much difference these days between religion and history; if you believe it sothen that's how it happened. People believe more in their points of view than in facts. Maybe I shouldn'tbe any different. Maybe I'll just believe my mother already knows her son is in love with Jesus or some other white man. Mmm… Yes,I believe we all know it, to some degree, a truth so universal others, on some level, must know it too,if only they could make belief. Then maybe, just maybe, the rest could finallybe as free or American as I've just now come to be. [End Page 88] Darrel Alejandro Holnes Darrel Alejandro Holnes is the author of Stepmotherland (University of Notre Dame Press, 2022) and Migrant Psalms (Northwestern University Press, 2021) and the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship in Creative Writing (Poetry). His poem "Praise Song for My Mutilated World" won the C. P. Cavafy Poetry Prize from Poetry International. He is an assistant professor of English at Medgar Evers College, a senior college of the City University of New York (CUNY), where he teaches creative writing and playwriting, and a faculty member of the Gallatin School of Individualized Study at New York University. More at darrelholnes.com. Copyright © 2022 Pleiades and Pleiades Press

Physical and technical demands of Australian football: an analysis of maximum ball in play periods

BackgroundThis study compares ball in play (BiP) analyses and both whole game (WG) and quarter averaged data for physical and technical demands of sub-elite Australian football (AF) players competing in the West Australian Football League across playing positions.MethodsMicrosensor data were collected from 33 male AF players in one club over 19 games of the 2019 season. BiP time periods and technical performance data (e.g., kicks) were acquired from the Champion Data timeline of statistics, and time matched to the microsensor data. Linear mixed modelling was utilised to establish differences between maximum BiP periods and averaged data.ResultsThe analyses indicated significant differences (p < 0.0001) between maximum BiP and WG data for all metrics and all playing position (half-line, key position, and midfielders). The percentage difference was greatest for very high-speed running (171–178%), accelerations (136–142%), high-intensity efforts (128–139%), and high-speed running (134–147%) compared to PlayerLoad™ (50–56%) and total running distance (56–59%). No significant (p > 0.05) differences were evident for maximum BiP periods when they were compared between playing positions (i.e., half line vs key position vs midfield). Significant (p < 0.0001) differences were also noted between maximum BiP phases and averaged data across all 4 quarters, for each microsensor metric, and all playing positions. Technical actions (e.g., kicks and handballs) were observed in 21–48% of maximum BiP phases, depending on playing positions and microsensor metric assessed, with kicks and handballs constituting > 50% of all actions performed.ConclusionsThese results show the BiP analysis method provides a more accurate assessment of the physical demands and technical actions performed by AF players, which are underestimated when using averaged data. The data presented in this study may be used to inform the design and monitoring of representative practice, ensuring that athletes are prepared for both the physical and technical demands of the most demanding passages of play.

Where to “Play Ball!”? A Case of a Minor League Baseball Team’s Future

After 30 years as a minor league baseball team affiliated with various Major League Baseball (MLB) teams, the Campton Hills Crushers were left without a league to play in when MLB removed the affiliations of 42 former minor league farm teams in the winter of 2020-21. Team management believed that they had four options for playing baseball in the 2021 season, including joining a well-established independent professional minor league, joining a well-established amateur summer collegiate league, starting their own in-house independent professional minor league with all teams playing out of Crusher Stadium, or starting their own in-house amateur summer collegiate league with all teams playing out of Crusher Stadium. Participants are asked to recommend one of the four scenarios to team management, based on utilizing a decision-making model that incorporates a pro/con analysis.

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.

Match and Game Performance Variables in Elite and Junior Men Singles Tennis Players

Junior players although easier approachable in terms of running tests and measurements, are less studied and examined particularly in such popular field of sports science as Performance Analysis. Most of the studies are focusing on elite athletes, whereas juniors are left without attention. This does not help them to successfully progress from junior to senior division. The aim of this study was to investigate the difference of the game struc- ture between Elite Level (EL) and Junior Level (JL) single tennis players. A total of 14 matches were analyzed including semi-finals and finals of International tennis tournaments. The game structure variables selected for this study included match duration (MD), game (set) duration (SD), rallies per game (set) (RPS), shots per rally (SPR), rally length (RL), rest time between rallies (RT), ball in play in seconds (BLs) and ball in play in percentage (BP%). Independent Sample T-test and Mann-Whitney test depending on the normality of data distribution were used for the comparison of game variables between Elite Level and Junior Level. Number of rallies, rest time between rallies, ball in play in percentage, and match duration were tested using Independent Sample T-test. Mann-Whitney test was used for comparing set duration, ball in play in seconds, rally length and shots per rally. There were statistically significant differences among the two categories in number of rallies, ball in play in percentage, ball in play in seconds and rally length (all at p&lt;0.05).

A Comparison of Match Demands Using Ball-in-Play versus Whole Match Data in Professional Soccer Players of the English Championship.

This is the first study to report the whole match, ball-in-play (BiP), ball-out-of-play (BoP), and Max BiP (worst case scenario phases of play) demands of professional soccer players competing in the English Championship. Effective playing time per soccer game is typically <60 min. When the ball is out of play, players spend time repositioning themselves, which is likely less physically demanding. Consequently, reporting whole match demands may under-report the physical requirements of soccer players. Twenty professional soccer players, categorized by position (defenders, midfielders, and forwards), participated in this study. A repeated measures design was used to collect Global Positioning System (GPS) data over eight professional soccer matches in the English Championship. Data were divided into whole match and BiP data, and BiP data were further sub-divided into different time points (30–60 s, 60–90 s, and >90 s), providing peak match demands. Whole match demands recorded were compared to BiP and Max BiP, with BiP data excluding all match stoppages, providing a more precise analysis of match demands. Whole match metrics were significantly lower than BiP metrics (p < 0.05), and Max BiP for 30–60 s was significantly higher than periods between 60–90 s and >90 s. No significant differences were found between positions. BiP analysis allows for a more accurate representation of the game and physical demands imposed on professional soccer players. Through having a clearer understanding of maximum game demands in professional soccer, practitioners can design more specific training methods to better prepare players for worst case scenario passages of play.

Play Ball: Representations of Women on Vintage Baseball Photo Postcards

Play Ball: Representations of Women on Vintage Baseball Photo Postcards

Play Ball! The Gómez Dictatorship and the Development of Baseball in Venezuela, 1909–1935

Play Ball! The Gómez Dictatorship and the Development of Baseball in Venezuela, 1909–1935