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Erschienen in:
17.08.2023 | Review
Elite-level defensive performance in football: a systematic review
Erschienen in: German Journal of Exercise and Sport Research | Ausgabe 4/2023
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Background
Defensive action can decisively affect football match performance. However, there has been limited translation of the existing academic literature into improvement in applied practice. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review of the literature to: (1) identify defence-related variables commonly linked to positive/negative performance outcomes, and thereby improve understanding of their potential applications; (2) determine potentially useful directions for future research.
Methods
We searched the databases SPORTDiscus, PubMed and Web of Knowledge Core Collection in May 2023 for observational studies of adult male, football defence-related data, gathered from 2004 onwards at official international or domestic elite-level competitions. Each of the 119 papers was scored for quality according to a 14-item checklist, which itself was based on the Critical Review Form. The findings were organised according to two major themes: (1) variables used in defensive performance analysis and (2) methodological issues and future avenues of research.
Results
Research found teams to vary the game styles that they had adopted, to decrease their spatial occupation of the pitch, and to increase intrateam movement synchronisation whilst defending. Given the research findings, regaining possession higher-up the pitch, whilst maintaining a balanced positioning and opting for an “intense” approach, appears advisable.
Conclusion
A notable research–practice gap was identified. To better address coaches’ “everyday concerns”, future research should (1) become more “process-oriented”, (2) acknowledge the specificities of certain subareas of the pitch, and (3) involve improved processing of spatial–temporal data.