A Decade of Technical and Tactical Trends in LaLiga’s Pursuit of a More Associative Game
Analyzing the technical and tactical evolution of offensive sequences in LaLiga over a decade, revealing a shift towards a more associative playing style characterized by longer passing sequences.
Introduction
This section serves as the introduction to a study that delves into the evolution of match analysis in football, particularly focusing on the technical and tactical aspects of offensive team sequences in the Spanish LaLiga. It contextualizes the expanding interest in football match analysis, emphasizing the technological advancements such as GPS devices and multi-camera tracking systems that have enabled the collection of extensive real-time data.
The paper notes that the analysis of players’ performance indicators like distance covered at various speeds and the number of technical actions per match has been widely explored in major European football leagues. The findings suggest a shift in playing style towards a more possession-oriented approach with intense physical efforts. However, these studies primarily concentrate on individual parameters, neglecting collective team indicators.
To bridge this gap, the paper underscores the importance of analyzing offensive team sequences, as they provide insights into the collective interactions of players during attacks, including metrics like the number of passes, speed of progression, and the final outcome of the team sequence. This collective perspective is essential to understanding the technical and tactical dynamics of football.
The historical evolution of offensive team sequences has been an ongoing subject of debate among researchers, particularly the effectiveness of long versus short passing sequences. Various analysis methods, including network analysis and positional data, have been employed to explore passing sequences.
Despite advancements in training methods, match strategies, and match analysis, there remains a scarcity of evidence regarding the evolution of football over the years. Consequently, the paper aims to bridge this gap by conducting a longitudinal analysis of offensive team sequences in Spanish LaLiga teams from the 2008/09 to 2020/21 seasons. This investigation will evaluate the technical and tactical variables related to the speed of ball progression, the duration and number of skillful actions like passes, and the location of ball possession, which are vital for assessing playing styles and achieving success in football.
Material and Methods
Sample
The sample for this study comprised 4940 match observations encompassing 38 professional football teams competing in LaLiga, the Spanish professional football league. The data collection spanned thirteen seasons from 2008/09 to 2020/21. For these matches, the researchers collected offensive sequence data, amounting to a total of 9880 sets of data (two sets per match, representing the two competing teams). Importantly, it’s noted that the data were officially provided by LaLiga, and the study was conducted with the full authorization of LaLiga. The ethical guidelines of LaLiga were strictly followed in conducting this research, ensuring that no player-identifying information was included in the study, thereby preserving players’ privacy and confidentiality. This ethical consideration is essential in adhering to standards for responsible data usage in sports research.
Procedure
The procedure outlined in this section details a comprehensive descriptive and comparative analysis conducted over thirteen seasons, aiming to discern the evolution of offensive team sequences within the first division of Spanish football. The technical and tactical attributes of these sequences were meticulously collected through the use of the Mediacoach video tracking system, renowned for its capacity to accurately assess match statistics for professional football teams. Notably, this system derives its data from OPTA Sportsdata, organizing the information to facilitate the subsequent analysis of these variables.
The fundamental unit of analysis in this investigation is the offensive team sequence, precisely defined as a segment of play during which one team maintains possession of the ball, concluding with defensive actions, stoppages in play, or a shot. For each of these offensive team sequences, a comprehensive set of twelve technical and tactical variables was scrutinized, providing a holistic description of the sequences, their passing dynamics, and offensive performance.
In this analysis, two primary categories of variables were considered. Firstly, collective tactical variables were assessed, including the number of sequences per match, sequence width, length, duration, passes per sequence, direct speed, sequences culminating in the attacking third, and sequences culminating in a shot. These variables offer insights into the general characteristics and tactical elements of the team sequences.
Secondly, technical variables were examined, incorporating data on the number of passes per match, passing accuracy, key passes, and through passes. These technical attributes provide detailed information about the passing quality and finesse exhibited during these sequences. Through the comprehensive evaluation of these variables, this research endeavors to provide a thorough understanding of how offensive team sequences in Spanish football’s top tier have evolved across thirteen seasons. This methodology ensures a rigorous and systematic approach to the analysis, utilizing a rich dataset to unveil the intricate technical and tactical aspects of football evolution.
Statistical Analysis
In the realm of statistical analysis, the authors employed a systematic approach to extract insights from the data. Initially, the data obtained from Mediacoach was transferred to a structured .csv database, which was further organized using Microsoft Excel. The statistical analyses were conducted with IBM SPSS Statistics Version 27.0. Given the hierarchical structure intrinsic to football team performance, where each team exhibits its unique tactical style, a multilevel mixed model, a powerful statistical technique [28], was applied. This model allowed the clustering of collective performance at level 2 into distinct teams at level 1.
The central objective was to scrutinize the longitudinal effects of the season, regarded as the fixed effects, on various tactical variables of interest within the study. Importantly, this analysis incorporated the team’s influence as random effects, acknowledging that “team effects” encapsulated unobservable team-specific characteristics that affect collective performance, addressing the interdependence of the data [29]. In recognition of contextual nuances [30], the model encompassed four additional contextual variables as fixed effects. These contextual variables encompassed match location (home vs. away), match outcome (win vs. draw vs. lose), opponent ranking in quartiles (first, second, third, and fourth), and team ranking in quartiles (first, second, third, and fourth).
To evaluate the magnitude of the effects of these factors, the Cohen F2 statistic was computed. This effect size metric quantified the proportion of variance in the outcome explained by the fixed effects included in the model. Cohen’s F2 categorizes effect sizes as trivial, small, medium, or large, depending on the calculated value [31]. A value below 0.02 is considered trivial, 0.02 indicates a small effect, 0.15 signifies a medium effect, and 0.35 corresponds to a large effect [32].
To visually represent the longitudinal evolution of the various tactical variables across seasons, the researchers generated graphical charts with predicted means and confidence intervals, derived from the generalized mixed linear model. These charts offered a tangible depiction of how the tactical attributes changed over time. Furthermore, Fisher’s least significant test was employed to conduct pairwise comparisons of the estimated means, a statistical technique that reveals which means differ significantly from each other. The significance level for these analyses was set at P < 0.050, ensuring robust statistical significance testing throughout the investigation.
Results
The results of the study provide valuable insights into the technical and tactical evolution of offensive team sequences in Spanish LaLiga football over a 13-season period, from 2008/2009 to 2020/2021. A comprehensive comparison of various variables between these two endpoints revealed noteworthy trends.
In the realm of sequence characteristics, it was observed that the number of sequences per match experienced a significant decrease over the seasons, particularly from 2016/2017 onwards. Moreover, sequences became progressively shorter in length, with this decline starting from the 2014/2015 season. However, the duration of team sequences exhibited an intriguing increase, notably from the 2014/2015 season onwards, representing a substantial 33.3% augmentation.
Passing performance exhibited some noteworthy trends. The total number of passes per match, passing accuracy, and passes per sequence all demonstrated a slight but consistent increase over the years, indicating an evolving precision and frequency in passing. In contrast, the direct speed of progression declined progressively, particularly from the 2013/2014 season onward, revealing a preference for a more measured build-up.
Regarding offensive indicators, several interesting trends emerged. The number of key passes significantly decreased from the 2014/2015 season, suggesting a shift in playmaking strategies. Additionally, the number of through balls began a decreasing trend from the 2011/2012 season onward. The number of sequences concluding in the attacking third of the field also experienced a gradual decline, pointing toward alterations in offensive positioning and strategies.
Notably, the number of sequences culminating in a shot showed a statistically significant decrease from the 2008/2009 season, and this trend persisted throughout the subsequent seasons, reflecting changes in the frequency and effectiveness of goal-scoring opportunities.
These results collectively depict an evolving landscape in Spanish LaLiga football, with shifting preferences towards shorter sequences, increased precision in passing, a more measured pace of play, and strategic changes in offensive playmaking and goal-scoring opportunities. These insights provide a rich understanding of how technical and tactical aspects of the game have transformed over the years, shedding light on the evolution of football strategies in one of the top football leagues in the world.
Discussion
The discussion of this study provides a comprehensive analysis of the technical and tactical evolution in LaLiga football teams from the 2008/09 season to the 2020/21 season. The findings reveal significant shifts in the style of play, indicating a growing trend towards an associative, possession-oriented approach.
Over the years, several key changes were noted. There was a decrease in the number of offensive sequences per match, aligning with a global trend towards more elaborative play. Sequences became longer in duration, marked by an average time increase of 33.3%, showing teams’ commitment to creating more elaborate plays.
Passing performance demonstrated an evolution towards a more precise, combinative style. The number of passes per match, passing accuracy, and passes per sequence showed a consistent, albeit slight, increase. At the same time, the direct speed of progression declined, suggesting a preference for a more patient, horizontal approach.
An interesting boost in these trends was observed during the 2010/11 season, potentially influenced by the success of the Spanish National Team’s possession-oriented style, which culminated in winning the 2010 World Cup. This aligns with Pep Guardiola’s successful tenure at FC Barcelona, emphasizing intricate passing and player connections.
Despite these changes, there was a decrease in the length of sequences, the number of through balls, and key passes. This suggests that while teams opt for longer sequences and possession-based play, they often build further from the opposing goal and adopt a more cautious approach. This may be influenced by strengthened defensive organizations and pressure on the ball, making it challenging to penetrate opponent lines.
Offensive performance indicators, such as sequences ending in the attacking third or shots, declined, reflecting a more controlled and predictable offensive context where penetrating the final third or creating scoring opportunities became more challenging.
The results of this investigation underline the technical and tactical changes in LaLiga football, with a shift towards a more collective, organized, and possession-oriented style of play. This change has likely led to a more controlled, but also a more challenging, offensive environment. Understanding these shifts is vital for both researchers and practitioners in football to adapt training and strategy to the evolving nature of the game.
However, it is essential to note the limitations of this study, primarily the static approach to data collection without considering contextual variables within matches and the focus on elite male players in a national football league, limiting the generalization of findings to other leagues, categories, or women’s football. Further research is needed to delve deeper into the dynamics of these changes and their implications on the game.
Conclusions
The conclusions drawn from this research offer valuable insights into the technical and tactical evolution of football teams in LaLiga over a period of thirteen seasons. The findings suggest that LaLiga teams have undergone a subtle transformation in their style of play, moving towards a more associative and combinative approach. Key observations include longer passing sequences in terms of both duration and the number of passes, reflecting an emphasis on maintaining possession.
This tactical evolution also manifests as a reduction in the speed of progression and the distance covered within each sequence. Additionally, there is a decrease in the number of through balls, key passes, and shots, indicating less offensive verticality and penetration.
From a practical standpoint for football coaches and sporting directors, these findings suggest the need to adapt training and player development strategies. Coaches should focus on enhancing players’ accuracy in ball possession and equipping them with excellent dribbling and passing skills to disrupt opposing teams’ defensive structures.
Furthermore, the decline in the production of through balls, key passes, and shots highlights the importance of having players with attributes to execute these actions effectively. These attributes can be crucial in building a successful football squad.
In summary, this study provides a thought-provoking perspective on the ongoing development of football tactics, emphasizing the need for adaptability in coaching and player recruitment strategies to align with the evolving dynamics of the game. It underscores the importance of not only maintaining possession but also having players capable of creating key offensive opportunities in a slightly altered football landscape.
References
González-Rodenas, J., Moreno-Pérez, V., López-Del Campo, R., Resta, R., & Coso, J. (2024). Technical and tactical evolution of the offensive team sequences in LaLiga between 2008 and 2021. Is Spanish football now a more associative game?. Biology of Sport, 41(2), 105–113. https://doi.org/10.5114/biolsport.2024.131818
