Research on ball possession and the desirable respect for cultural plurality
Abstract
The percentage of ball possession is an example of a quantitative performance indicator that is largely studied and discussed. In the literature, it is notable that there is much controversy over the relationship between long ball possession during a match and success. The aim of this study is to observe the non-linearity in the way teams win their games from the percentage of ball possession in a large sample. Data from 3 Football European competitions of the 2016/17 season (Serie A, La Liga and Premier League) were collected and analyzed. After analyzing the inclusion and exclusion criteria in the research, 887 ball possession data were selected from the winning teams (300 from Serie A, 291 from La Liga and 296 from Premier League). Mean and standard deviation of club's ball possession percentages showed a non-linearity of the respective percentages. On the other hand, the Leagues analyzed obtained close values in a general way (Serie A 51,91% ± 10,33% / La Liga 52,4% ± 10,56% / Premier League 53,21% ± 11,61%). There wasn't, apparently, a linearity or logic that allowed us to infer that short or long ball possession is better to obtain victories and there were not reasons to look for an algorithmic predictor of victories, as recommended by part of the literature. In conclusion, we support the idea that scientific research should be less concerned finding algorithms that supposedly translate into grater chances of success. However, research could study the game from heuristic procedures that respected club's cultural diversities.
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