elite football performance Archives - Football Innovation Hub

03 Jul Optimal Acceleration Profile: It Does Not Mean Maximum, It Means Matched to the Demand

Posted at 11:03h in Research

Two wingers can cover the same sprint distance. Two centre-backs can perform the same number of accelerations. Two forwards can reach similar peak speeds. And yet, their acceleration profiles may be completely different. That difference matters. Because in football, acceleration is not only about how often a player accelerates....

19 Jun The Higher the Intensity, the More Football Becomes a Deceleration Game

Posted at 10:17h in Research

Football loves acceleration. Sprints.Explosive runs.Maximum speed.High-speed distance. But our data show something that should change the conversation: At medium intensity, players accelerate more than they decelerate.At high intensity, the game flips. At high intensity, football becomes dominated by deceleration. Not slightly. Clearly. Across professional players: High intensity total: +61% more decelerations than accelerations High...

25 May The Biggest Mistake in Football Physical Analysis? Studying Metrics in Isolation

Posted at 13:04h in Research

For years, football science has tried to answer a seemingly simple question: Does physical performance help teams win football matches? The answers have usually been frustrating. Some studies showed that successful teams covered more high-speed running distance. Others showed no relationship at all. Some even found that losing...

14 May Football’s Acceleration Demands Depend on Position and Tactical Context

Posted at 13:07h in Research

A contextual analysis of ACC MAX demands across playing positions in LALIGA EA SPORTS 2024/25 Most coaches associate maximal acceleration with counterattacks and open-field actions. But our analysis of 419 outfield players from LALIGA EA SPORTS 2024/25 suggests something very different. The highest acceleration demands in elite football...

10 Feb Position Bias

Posted at 13:08h in Research

Why comparing football players without respecting their demarcation systematically distorts performance analysis in elite football https://youtube.com/shorts/arMpCYD-btc?feature=share Comparing players is a daily habit in professional football.We compare passes, sprints, accelerations, duels and shots.Dashboards look clean. Rankings look objective.Decisions feel data-driven. But a structural problem sits underneath these comparisons.A bias...

05 Feb Competitive Level Bias

Posted at 13:49h in Research

Comparing players from different competitions is one of the most common practices in performance analysis. It is also one of the most misleading. https://youtube.com/shorts/U1YIO3pL-Ng?feature=share In professional football, physical metrics are often used as a shortcut to describe player capacity. Total distance. High-speed running. Sprint counts. These numbers...

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