Journal
JOURNAL OF SPORTS SCIENCES
Volume 34, Issue 10, Pages 980-987Publisher
TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD
DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2015.1082614
Keywords
standard; sprinting; football; Longitudinal; passing
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This study investigated the evolution of physical and technical performances in the English Premier League (EPL), with special reference to league ranking. Match performance observations (n=14,700) were collected using a multiple-camera computerised tracking system across seven consecutive EPL seasons (2006-07 to 2012-13). Final league rankings were classified into Tiers: (A) 1st-4th ranking (n=2519), (B) 5th-8th ranking (n=2965), (C) 9th-14th ranking (n=4448) and (D) 15th-20th ranking (n=4768). Teams in Tier B demonstrated moderate increases in high-intensity running distance while in ball possession from the 2006-07 to 2012-13 season (P<0.001; effect size [ES]: 0.68), with Tiers A, C and D producing less pronounced increases across the same period (P<0.005; ES: 0.26, 0.41 and 0.33, respectively). Large increases in sprint distance were observed from the 2006-07 to 2012-13 season for Tier B (P<0.001; ES: 1.21), while only moderate increases were evident for Tiers A, C and D (P<0.001; ES: 0.75, 0.97 and 0.84, respectively). Tier B demonstrated large increases in the number of passes performed and received in 2012-13 compared to 2006-07 (P<0.001; ES: 1.32-1.53) with small-to-moderate increases in Tier A (P<0.001; ES: 0.30-0.38), Tier C (P<0.001; ES: 0.46-0.54) and Tier D (P<0.001; ES: 0.69-0.87). The demarcation line between 4th (bottom of Tier A) and 5th ranking (top of Tier B) in the 2006-07 season was 8 points, but this decreased to just a single point in the 2012-13 season. The data demonstrate that physical and technical performances have evolved more in Tier B than any other Tier in the EPL and could indicate a narrowing of the performance gap between the top two Tiers.
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