Feature: Football / Soccer
No.47
May 2006
 
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Match Analysis and the 2006 FIFA World Cup
Christopher Carling
A. Mark Williams

 

Abstract
The majority of professional football clubs and National teams now use match analysis in order to provide objective information to guide the decision-making process. In this article, we highlight how technological enhancements have greatly improved the efficiency and value of the match analysis process. In particular, we consider how National coaches may use this technology during, and as part of their preparations for, the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Finally, we consider the future of match analysis and provided some examples of how technology is likely to play an increasing role in the game in future years.
Key Words: performance analysis, soccer, strategy, tactics, motion analysis

Introduction
The continual drive for success has led coaches to search for different means of evaluating and improving performance at all levels of the game. There is a permanent need for objective, accurate and pertinent feedback on match performance (Carling et al., 2005). Coaches are unable to recall every sequence of events from a match accurately and may fail to appreciate where successful plays originated or mistakes began. Match analysis provides a factual record of events provided the data collection methods are reliable, accurate and objective. Moreover, the process of match analysis provides a means of evaluation through quantifying and qualifying various characteristics of individual and team performance.
Match analysis systems can be designed to collect data on several aspects of performance, embracing physical, technical, tactical and behavioural factors (Carling, 2003). These data can help the coach to determine the most effective strategy and tactics that should be employed to maximise the chance of success by providing objective data upon which to base the decision-making process. Feedback on performance can be presented to players during team-talks in various formats using, for example, edited video sequences, graphs, tables, animated game reconstructions or simple descriptive reports. These team-talks provide a collective opportunity to appraise performance critically and suggest areas for performance enhancement. Finally, relevant coaching sessions can subsequently be planned and implemented to prepare optimally for future competition.
The typical coaching cycle is presented in Figure 1, with the importance of observation and analysis highlighted. A match analyst will observe and analyse competition to collect information on various aspects of performance, before collating and presenting the results. The coach can then examine and interpret this information before planning and preparing future match strategy/tactics. Probably the most important stages in the analysis process are the interpretation of data and how findings are integrated and applied on the training field. The process invariably depends on the type and quantity of data collected and the way these are presented as well as the time available to the coach for optimum interpretation. The analysis cycle can be repeated following each match or at any time during the season.


Figure 1. The coaching cycle highlighting the importance of observation and analysis (adapted from Carling et al., 2005).

It is only in the last decade or so that formal match analysis has gained widespread acceptance among soccer coaches, with most professional clubs now enjoying access to match analysis in some form or other. Professional clubs frequently employ computerised analysis systems and specialist consultants or scientific support staff with expertise in this area. The systems used by clubs often exploit the very latest in state-of-the-art video and computer technology to record and evaluate their own team’s performance to identify strengths that can be built upon and weaknesses to be remedied during practice. Similarly, systems can be employed for surveillance of upcoming opponents to provide information that can be used to suggest ways of countering the opposition’s strengths and to exploit weaknesses. A detailed knowledge of the opposition’s strengths and weaknesses can help a team prepare effectively, leaving nothing to chance; at the highest levels this factor may be the fine line between success and failure. In this article we highlight how match analysis systems have evolved over recent years and by way of illustration provide examples to suggest ways in which match analysis techniques will be employed by coaches in preparation for, and during, the 2006 FIFA World Cup Finals.

The Evolution of Match Analysis Technology
Match analysis systems are becoming increasingly more sophisticated and complex, mirroring quite closely the rapid developments in technology generally. Over the last two decades, analogue video and, more recently, digital technology combined with specialist statistical packages have changed the face of the match analysis process and have been progressively adopted by many top professional soccer teams across the globe. It is now possible to have feedback about athletic performance available throughout the cyclical process of competition, analysis and practice (Franks, 2004). The methods of collecting, storing, analysing and presenting data have developed from using pen, paper and a calculator to semi-automated, computer-based systems (Olsen and Larsen, 1997). Previously, simple manual, hand-based notation systems were used by coaches at all levels. These can be developed cheaply (pen and paper) and relatively easily, and provide answers to questions posed by the majority of coaches, particularly at lower levels of the game. However, the symbols used to code action need to be learnt, a somewhat lengthy and tedious process, and the quantity of information that may be collected in this manner is limited and time-consuming. Computer and video technology has many advantages and contributes to the match analysis process by facilitating data input and output. The main advantages of computer- over hand-based systems are listed below.
  • Learning time is generally quicker and data input easier due to user-friendly computer interfaces and advanced inputting tools such as voice recognition or touch pads. Overall, ergonomic design of both software and hardware has vastly improved and many systems now enable ‘real-time’ analysis of performance.
  • Systems provide extremely quick, relevant and objective feedback. Data processing is now only a matter of seconds.
  • At the touch of a button, such systems automatically provide any form of presenting data which are easy to understand such as graphs or tables or edited video sequences. The general improvement in communication between coaches, software development companies and sport scientists has greatly enhanced the amount and quality of information available to coaches in soccer and other sports.
  • Statistics may now be combined with the video images using a synchronised time code (electronic indexing method) allowing immediate access and visualisation of any particular action or moment in the game. This process allows analysts to locate any action quickly and avoids having to search for action sequences by rewinding and fast-forwarding through the footage (as with an analogue VCR) which is extremely time-consuming.
  • Large databases of information on previous performances can be created for analysis of trends over any defined period of time.
It should also be noted that the price of audio-visual and computer equipment has dramatically decreased over the years, although coaches at the lower end of the game and in poorer countries may still not be able to purchase the best systems or the most recent video equipment. Furthermore, systems must comply with strict quality control specifications. These include reliability, accuracy and objectivity (Carling, 2001a). Only tailored, good quality and well-exploited match analysis systems and equipment can provide a sound basis to analyse, evaluate and better understand performance.
In performance analysis, analogue video cassette recordings were initially used as a means of visualising and analysing performance before being gradually phased out by advancements in digital technology. The use of digital technology offers several advantages, notably:
  • greater user-friendliness due to seamless connection and transfer of digital video from camera to computer;
  • improved quality of image recording and playback;
  • more stream-lined editing and user-friendlier visualisation capacities;
  • the facility to synchronise video with statistical information and immediately access and visualise any selected game action;
  • availability of advanced editing tools to visualise performance better including synchronised split-screen or multiple-screen options or blending two recordings for simultaneously comparing game actions.
Most modern systems combine a digital video feed into a computer with statistical input using a specialised software interface. As the match progresses, the analyst will enter or “code” information on specific match actions often pre-defined by the coach. For each action, the player’s name and pitch position, and the time and type of and action, are manually inputted. This process can be carried out in ‘real-time’ or post-match depending on the quantity and type of information required and the needs of the coach. Small handheld or palm top computers have also been developed to code match actions using specially adapted analysis software. Their portability and user-friendliness mean they can be used to analyse performance from any position in and around the pitch.
These video-based statistical systems do have certain limitations. For example, pitch positions of player actions are often determined by clicking on a schematic pitch representing the playing area. This procedure will to a certain extent lead to the production of inaccurate positional data. Furthermore, as video is often restricted to a single camera viewpoint of the action, analysis of performance is generally limited to only the player in possession and those around the ball. There are further problems if broadcast television footage is used due to the prevalence of action replays. As the replay is being shown, the viewer cannot analyse the on-going action and may miss several key incidents. Finally, these systems do not allow analysts to monitor physical performance through player motion analysis. In other words, it is not possible to recreate and analyse the movements and actions of every single player during a match. This potential lack of measurement precision and sensitivity has led to the development of high-tech video tracking analysis systems (e.g., ProZone by ProZone Group Ltd and AMISCO by Sport-Universal Process Ltd) which automatically and accurately track, calculate and recreate players’ positions and movements.
The AMISCO system initially developed in 1996 requires the installation and optimal positioning of several cameras to cover the whole pitch so that every player is always captured on video, whatever their position on the pitch and the moment in time (Brulé et al., 1998). This process is achieved through the calibration of stadium and pitch information (height, length, width) which is then transformed into a two-dimensional model to allow the calculation of players’ positions from the raised camera viewpoints. Using complex trigonometry, mathematical algorithms and digital video/image processing techniques, each player’s positions and movements can be calculated and tracked at every single moment of the game as illustrated in Figure 2. AMISCO was the pioneer player-tracking system and is now used by many top European clubs. It allows analysis, post-match (although if a coach chooses to track a limited amount of players e.g. for comparing two midfielders, this can be done in ‘real-time’) the movements of all players, referee and the ball, ten to twenty-five times a second during the whole 90 minutes. This process leads to a database for each match containing around 4.5 million positions as well as 2500 ball touches. Some human input is still required to check and complete the data. For example, the system may encounter difficulties in identifying and tracking players during corner kicks (due to the sheer number of players in a confined area) and various match actions evidently cannot be automatically calculated by the system (e.g., red cards, tackles, headers). The major advantage of this type of player-tracking system is that players do not have to be equipped with an electronic tag which up to now, is forbidden by all soccer authorities. Although other ‘real-time’ tracking systems are currently being developed and tested around the world using electronic tracking equipment such as microprocessors placed on players), the AMISCO and Prozone systems are currently accepted as the standard in contemporary match analysis.


Figure 2. An example of player tracking using the AMISCO system (Carling et al., 2005).

One major problem encountered by coaches over the years is the storage, retrieval and comparison of data from previous matches. A major evolution in the development of computerised systems is the incorporation of databases to store automatically the information obtained from match analysis and allow trends in performance over defined periods of time to be analysed. Databases can store and combine any type of information on physical, tactical and technical performance. For example, the database can be queried to know how often over a 10-game period, the player’s high-intensity work-rate drops at the end of a game (e.g., number, duration, length and speed of sprints). The database can then provide technical information on the passing success rate as well as positional data on the same period of the match. This information can then be graphically displayed to show, for example, that a midfielder’s performance tended to decrease in the final ten minutes of match (increased recovery time between sprints, lower passing success rate and stayed in more defensive areas hence also contributed little to attacking play). A specific fitness training programme may then be implemented and an analysis of the next 10 games can be made to evaluate whether the problem has been remedied.

Match Analysis and Preparation for the FIFA World Cup Finals Tournament
The vast majority of coaches will use match analysis in some form or other when preparing for a major tournament such as the World Cup Finals. The coaches’ analyses are likely to be based around three major areas:
  • their own team during the World Cup qualification campaign and international warm-up matches;
  • their own players for their respective clubs during domestic league and cup games and in international competitions;
  • future opponents including group stage adversaries and possible opposition in view of qualification for the next round.
It is important to mention that coaches of National teams have a major advantage compared to club coaches in that they have more time spare to observe and analyse performance, whether it be that of their own team or of future opponents. The coaches of teams playing in domestic and international competition will have a limited amount to spend on analysing team performance and even less time to focus on the opposition due to the higher frequency of matches. On the other hand, the club coach has the advantage of seeing the players on a daily basis in both training and competition and will probably have a better idea of how they are currently performing. However, most National team coaches will try to keep close contact with club coaches so as to receive regular updates on player performance. We now provide a brief overview of the type of information that may be collated in each of the three areas highlighted above.

Analysis of the performances of one’s own team during the World Cup qualification campaign and international warm-up matches
Most coaches will employ match video recordings to observe, analyse and evaluate previous team and player performances. Players can relate better to video than pure statistics due to its familiarity and the notion that ‘a picture paints a thousand words’ (Robertson, 2002). Video recordings supply valuable information that may have been missed or forgotten by coaches and players during the match. More importantly, they provide an opportunity to play back match actions repeatedly to demonstrate errors or identify areas that may require improvement. Also, this medium may be used to highlight aspects of successful performance such as defensive structure or delivery at set plays (Kormelink and Seeverens, 1999). These examples of good performance can be memorised and re-used or adapted by coaches to create ‘motivational’ videos. The coach can present an edited video sequence of important match actions and repeat the action sequence as often as necessary to ensure that the players have absorbed and understood the required information. The action can be played back at different speeds (e.g. slow-motion replay of all the opposition’s goals from open play) or paused to highlight a particular issue (e.g. the positioning of defenders and goalkeeper during opposition set-plays). Slow-motion replay is extremely useful when breaking down individual game sequences. For example, the team may have been caught out several times by opposition counter-attacking situations. Using a slow-motion facility, the coach can ‘walk’ the players through the critical movements and freeze-frame to highlight player positions and actions. This information can then be presented against an example of good performance (where the counter-attack was successfully broken down).
The player-tracking systems mentioned earlier are sometimes utilised by national teams. Analysis of the physical performance of a player obtained by means of motion analysis is more limited in value in one-off matches at international level compared to the high frequency of matches played at club level. At club level, a coach can build up a profile or benchmark of a player’s physical capacities and compare performance against this yardstick on a game to game basis. For example, comparison of the total distance run which is representative of the overall severity of exercise (Reilly, 1994) by a midfielder over several games may provide a useful picture of his current efforts. However, unless data from club performances are available, it may be difficult to determine whether a midfield player is performing at optimal level during an international match. A coach could compare data from the same match against those obtained on fellow midfield players (own or opposition), albeit bearing in mind that various tactical choices may have limited the player’s contribution (e.g. a player who ran less may simply have had a more defensive or ‘holding’ role). The coach may prefer to evaluate high-intensity actions, to see if the player sprinted less at certain moments in the game, although again it is difficult to draw conclusions from a one-off performance. The coach may even have data from several previous international matches or even better (but more unlikely) access to data supplied by clubs which can be used for more accurate and objective comparisons.
The collection of precise positional data via tracking systems may be more important than information on physical performance at international level. These data can be used to create animated, two-dimensional reconstructions of key action within a match as illustrated in Figure 3. These reconstructions can be used to visualise and dissect the movements, positions and actions of each player at every moment of the game. Similarly, team tactics and strategies can be easily visualised and broken down by a coach and then presented to players. In contrast to conventional film footage, these systems provide valuable ‘off the ball’ information. This latter factor may be particularly important given that players are often only in possession of the ball for around 2-3% of the match duration. For example, the coach may want to know how an opposition’s goal was scored. Unfortunately, the normal video footage was concentrated on the player in possession and those around him and the scoring midfield player’s run from deep was not picked up. This focus on the ball to the exclusion of information relating to ‘off the ball’ activity is particularly frustrating for coaches.


Figure 3. The software presented above developed by the French company Sport-Universal Process is used by many top European Clubs to reconstruct and dissect their own teams and opponents play. The graphical line helps the coach to visualise team shape (adapted from Carling, 2001b). The overhead, animated viewpoint offers a fascinating insight and unlimited possibilities to visualise and analyse match performance.

Analysis of the current performances and form of one’s own players for their home clubs during domestic league and cup games and international competitions
The methods of analysis used for evaluating the current performances and form of national team members when playing for their domestic clubs tend to be more simplistic than that used for analysing the opposition. The coach or one of his support staff will often see a player perform ‘live’ and simply take notes or draft up a descriptive scouting report. Video from broadcast television coverage of a player’s performance may also be employed if further analysis is required or if the coach has not been able to see the match ‘live’. In these cases, statistics are rarely used and the coaches tend to create descriptive reports, subjectively using their own experience, knowledge and judgement of player performance. These reports often contain analyses on how well a player is performing tactically and may also consider players’ work-rates and behaviours (e.g., body language, decision making). For example, is a centre-forward making the right tactical runs behind the defence, is (s)he tracking back to help the defenders when possession is lost, or does the body behaviour suggest a lack of confidence when a scoring opportunity is missed?
It is possible the national coaches may access data from support staff at a player’s professional club, but this would depend on the nature of the relationship between the club and national coach and the sensitivity of the data. As the World Cup usually takes place at the end of the domestic league season, some players may have participated in up to sixty matches for their club and country and fatigue may take its toll. Motion analysis data on the physical performance of players could be useful in determining the current workload level at which certain players are operating. It may be necessary to access detailed information on work-rates over the whole season to check if there is any reduction in physical performance over recent club matches. For example, has the overall distance run dropped or does the time spent in high-intensity exercise tend to decrease in the second half compared to the first half or towards the end of matches. The output from this type of analysis is presented in Figure 4. The importance of high-intensity efforts in soccer cannot be over-emphasised and a close evaluation of a player’s ability to perform maximal or near-maximal sprints repeatedly (speed-endurance) may be necessary. Soccer players may experience fatigue during a match regardless of fitness level but, with appropriate training, the periods of fatigue during match-play can be shortened or delayed (Bangsbo, 1994).
Figure 4. Real-time analysis every five minutes of the maximal sprint speed performance of an international midfielder over a whole match (from Carling, 2002). It can be seen that the player is suffering from a decline in high-intensity exercise performance during the last few minutes of this match as maximal sprint speed has decreased; an opponent may be able to exploit this weakness. A coach may want to know if this apparent weakness is a common occurrence by comparing data obtained from other matches.

As is often the case before a World Cup, some players suffer from injury and may just be returning to competitive action. Work-rates can be used to analyse performance by checking the total distance run or number of sprints in matches made before and after injury. Such analyses can help a coach objectively identify if a player is performing at pre-injury levels. When players meet up for National duty, physical performance data previously obtained from match-play can be combined with quantitative information from fitness tests and/or heart rate measurements taken in training sessions to provide vital indicators on the current fitness level of players and help determine the intensity of future training sessions.

Analysis of future opponents including group stage adversaries and possible opposition in view of qualification for the next round
Traditional descriptive scouting reports are often the first step used by coaches to provide an introductory picture of general opposition play. A national coach may send an observer to see a team play ‘live’, or to watch match video footage, draft up a report which can be complimented by further analysis using video and/or statistical information. The coach can immediately identify strong and weak points from the report before starting to implement a ‘game plan’. These reports are traditionally used to outline opposition strengths and weaknesses in strategies, playing systems, tactics, techniques and even behavioural characteristics from both an individual, unit and team viewpoint. Skills such as space creation, penetration, width, improvisation, and switch from defence to attack may be considered. Similarly, defending skills such as support play, reducing space, depth, delay, balance, and the ability to regain possession can be covered. The use of edited video sequences showing individual and team strengths and weakness is commonly used during team-talks to illustrate key points. Some of the typical footage presented in these team sessions is highlighted in Table 1. The coach will want to present and discuss the footage in detail using the playback techniques mentioned earlier and present ways of countering these strengths or exploiting any apparent Achilles’ heel. Individual players may be provided with a report and edited film sequences, perhaps on a DVD, of his/her direct opponent(s). For example, an opponent may be singled out as lacking pace or discipline. Coaches often avoid using match statistics such as percentages, totals or averages unless really pertinent. If a team scores many goals or creates chances from set-plays, a percentage for success rates may be given that is easy to understand.

Match Analysis during the World Cup
Most National coaches will use some of the various match analysis technologies mentioned above, and in particular video due to its efficiency in examining performance, during the tournament itself. Some coaches may be in an unfamiliar position as a result of having less time to spend analysing performance due to the higher frequency of matches. Therefore, time is at a premium, the match analysis process needs to be streamlined as coaches must be able to evaluate and assimilate information on performance quickly and easily. A coach will tend to concentrate on simply identifying areas requiring improvement, highlighting both errors and instances of good performance and then presenting these to players in short, efficient edited video sequences. Coaches will also want to remind players of the strengths and weaknesses of their next opponents and demonstrate the optimal countering strategy and tactics. Care will be taken during team-talks not to alienate players who have made errors, and not to over-emphasise the strengths of the opponents and make players anxious, and not to underestimate the opposition. Many National Federations will also want to carry out a post-World Cup review on their team’s performance, or on the tournament as a whole, using one or more of the methods of analysis previously discussed.

The Future of Match Analysis
Soccer coaches especially at elite levels are constantly looking for new ways to improve performance and consequently, they now need to be at the forefront of developments in technology. The technology currently used to analyse players’ performances will no doubt continue to play an important part in the coaching process and move forward in the way it already has done over the last few years. However, coaches must always be aware of how state-of-the-art systems and technology can be efficiently implemented into the busy working practices of a club or national team and what they can really offer in terms of enhancing performance. The technology used should enhance the process of match analysis and support the coaching process with the eventual output always being that of improving performance (Robertson, 2002). Future systems will certainly be much more complex and powerful in terms of reducing the amount of time required to analyse matches and in the quantity and precision of results obtained. The ultimate problem facing the coach and the analyst is how best to transform oceans of data into meaningful interpretations (Hughes and Franks, 2004). Contemporary use of such systems will go beyond the classic performance analysis cycle by enabling the prediction and modelling of forthcoming contests which is a fundamental function of match analysis (Franks and McGarry, 1996). In the near future, styles of play and patterns of movement may be simulated either as physical models or as computer-driven virtual reality scenarios based on actual match data.
More recently, systems have been developed using Global Positioning techniques and ultrawideband radio frequency procedures and these have much promise for the systematic tracking and recording of players’ locomotion during training and matches. This approach requires tagging individual players electronically and tracking their movements by means of satellites or radio transmitters and receivers positioned around a pitch. Speeds and distances can be measured in ‘real-time’ from the co-ordinates obtained, for both players and the ball, providing a level of precision and quantity of data not yet seen. These tracking systems will provide ‘real-time’ feedback on performance enabling coaches to make split-second decisions at any moment in the match. Although the technologies are currently available for such tracking systems to be used in soccer, existing rules restrict their development and hence they are only used in training sessions.
Expert Systems (an application that uses a knowledge base of human expertise to aid in solving problems) using artificial intelligence (which is the branch of computer science concerned with developing computerised systems to mimic human behaviour) will probably play a major role in the modelling and prediction of performance. Expert Systems using a database containing the very best in human coaching knowledge and expertise will be designed to analyse, understand and interpret the masses of data obtained from match analysis. The Expert System will propose the most optimal strategies/tactics and corresponding training sessions as well as attempting the prediction of the future outcome of matches (Carling, 2003). It is also worth mentioning that the Internet is another modern facet already playing an important part in the match analysis process due to its flexibility in the way information and data about match performance are readily transferred and made available for viewing by coaches. With the advent of broadband connection, video based performance analysis and viewing will soon be possible from anywhere in the world.
Finally, whatever the system and technology used in the future by coaches, it is always important to weigh up the expenditure compared to the results obtained. Do improvements in performance outweigh the initial cost of the system and the time and effort required to measure match performance? Professional teams in English football that have used one of the current high-tech player-tracking systems have reportedly improved on average by 5 points per season leading to a higher final league position and much greater prize money which has seemingly more than justified the investment in match analysis (Prozone Group Ltd, 2005). It will be interesting to see whether the future developments in technology mentioned above have similar or even greater success in helping improve elite performance in soccer.

References
Bangsbo, J. (1994). The physiology of soccer-with special reference to intense intermittent exercise. Acta Physiologica Scandinavica, 15 (suppl 619), 1–156.
Brulé, P., Carling, C., David, A. (1998). The development of a computerised match analysis to automatically track the movements of soccer players. In Book of Abstracts. Notational Analysis of Spor,. IV World Congress, Porto, p.36.
Carling, C. (2003). Outils d'évaluation des stratégies de jeu en sports collectifs. Cahiers de l’INSEP, 34, 147-151.
Carling, C. (2001a). Choosing a Computerised Match Analysis System. Insight, The Football Association Coaches Association Journal, 3 (4), 30-31.
Carling, C. (2001b). Getting the most out of Video and Match Analysis. Insight, The Football Association Coaches Association Journal, 1(5), 16-17.
Carling, C. (2002). Football: A game of chance or does match analysis have the answers? Insight, The Football Association Coaches Association Journal, 2 (5), 41-43.
Carling, C. Williams, A.M. and Reilly, T. (2005). The Handbook of Soccer Match Analysis: A Systematic Approach to Improving Performance. Routledge: London.
Franks, I. (2004). The need for feedback. In Notational Analysis of Sport: Systems for Better Coaching and Performance in Sport. 2nd edition. (edited by M. Hughes and I. Franks), pp. 8-15. Routledge: London.
Franks, I. and McGarry, T. (1996). The science of match analysis. In Science and Soccer, (edited by T. Reilly), pp. 363-375. E. & FN Spon: London
Hughes, M. and Franks, I. (2004). From analysis to coaching. In Notational Analysis of Sport: Systems for Better Coaching and Performance (edited by M. Hughes and I. Franks), pp. 257-271. Routledge: London.
Kormelink, H. and Seeveren, T. (1999). Match Analysis and Game Preparation Book. Reedswain: Pennsylvania.
Olsen, E. and Larsen, Ø. (1997). Use of match analysis by coaches. In Science and Football III (edited by T. Reilly, J. Bangsbo, M. Hughes), pp. 209–20. London: E & FN Spon.
Prozone Group Ltd (2005) Why Prozone ? http://www.pzfootball.co.uk (accessed 25/3/06).
Reilly, T. (1994). Motion characteristics. In Football (Soccer), (edited by B. Ekblom), pp. 31-43. London: Blackwell Scientific.
Robertson K. (2002). Observation, Analysis and Video. The National Coaching Foundation: Leeds, UK.


Table 1. Some match factors on opposition teams commonly looked at during team-talks using video analysis (adapted from Carling et al., 2005).


Contact:
A. Mark Williams
Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool
John Moores University,
The Henry Cotton Building,
15-21 Webster Street,
Liverpool, L3 2ET, UK,
Tel: +44 151 231 4334,
Fax: +44 151 231 4353,
E-mail: m.williams@livjm.ac.uk






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