Using tracking data from the full 2025/26 LALIGA EA SPORTS season, we compared 225 players with themselves as starters and substitutes. Players produced more high-speed running per minute from the bench, and intensity increased further as playing exposure shortened. The pattern is consistent with pacing:...
What does “running more” actually mean in football? Across five LALIGA EA SPORTS seasons, the answer changes by team, season and metric. Total distance and high-intensity running often tell different stories, while league averages hide major differences. A match-by-match approach reveals why outrunning the opponent...
Traditional Voronoi models describe who is closest to each point on the pitch, but not necessarily who can reach it first. By incorporating player-specific locomotor characteristics derived from optical tracking—acceleration, braking, time-to-distance and directional change costs—we can estimate a more realistic form of spatial accessibility...
What if reduced-space training is not an artificial constraint, but a reflection of competition itself? Using 2025/26 LALIGA data and a 25 Hz spatial model, we examine how compact opponent structures, high defensive lines and dynamic interaction zones shape the attacking environment faced by FC...
An attacker can transform a defence without touching the ball. Using tracking data from 99 LALIGA matches, this study reveals how off-ball runs activate defenders, transfer marking responsibilities and reshape the collective structure. Discover how a new analytical model identifies which movements pin opponents, disrupt...
Around 82% of movement time and 72% of total distance in elite football occur below 14 km/h. The difference between these two figures reveals not only how players move, but also where much of football performance is actually produced. High-speed running and sprinting dominate many discussions...