Linear advancing actions followed by deceleration and turn are the most common movements preceding goals in male professional soccer

Figures & data

Table 1. Movement classification table for goal scoring situations analysis, modified from Bloomfield, et al. (2004).

GROUP OF MOVEMENTS	MOVEMENTS	MODIFIER 1: DIRECTION	MODIFIER 2: INTENSITY	MODIFIER 3: BALL
Linear Advancing Motion	Walk Jog Run Sprint	Forwards, Forwards Diagonally, Backwards	Walk (Low), Jog (Low), Run (Medium), Sprint (High),	Yes, No
Lateral Advancing Motion	Shuffle Crossover		Low, Medium, High	Yes, No
Change in Angle Run	Cut Arc Run		Low, Medium, High	Yes, No
Ball Striking	Pass Shoot
Ball Blocking	Dive Slide
Turn		0°-60°, 60°-120°, 120° −180°, 180°-270°, 270°-360°,	Low, Medium, High	Yes, No
Deceleration		Forwards, Forwards Diagonally, Backwards, Sideways	Low, Medium, High	Yes, No
Skip		Forwards, Backwards, Sideways		Yes, No
Impact				Yes, No
Stand Still				Yes, No
Jump
Land
Fall
Get Up

Table 2. Interpretation and definitions of movement group and movements.

Movement Group	Definition
Linear advancing motion	Actions were a player accelerates or maintains speed in a sagittal plane.
Lateral advancing motion	Actions were a player accelerates or maintains speed in a frontal plane.
Change in angle run	Actions were a player advancing on a linear direction maneuvers without or with very little loss in speed.
Ball blocking	Drive purposefully the lower limb or head in a certain manner to stop a ball or an attacker with
Ball striking	Contact made with the ball with the objective of passing or scoring a goal.
Movement	Definition
Walk:	Moving slowing by stepping.*
Jog:	Moving at a slow monotonous pace (slower than running, quicker than walking).*
Run:	Manifest purpose and effort, usually when gaining distance.*
Sprint:	Maximal effort, rapid motion.*
Shuffle:	Sideways advancing movement in which head, shoulders and hips face forward while legs and feet do not cross.
Crossover:	Sideways advancing movement in which head, shoulders and hips face forward while legs and feet cross.
Deceleration:	To slow down or brake suddenly.**
Turn:	To rotate while standing, decelerating or accelerating/sprinting.
Cut:	Path change of less than 45° with this involving little or non-previous deceleration to accomplish the task.
Arc Run:	Player (often leaning to one side) moving in a semicircular direction.*
Skip:	Moving with small bound-like movements.*
Impact:	Any intense contact made with another player.*
Stand Still:	More or less stationary or staying in one spot.*
Jump:	Spring free from the ground or other base by the muscular action of feet and legs.*
Land:	Entered after jump when contact with ground is made.*
Dive:	To purposefully and controllably propel the body rapidly through the air either feet or head first.*
Slide:	To purposefully and controllably drive the body along the floor with feet leading the movement.
Fall:	Descending to the ground.*
Get up:	Ascending from the ground.*
Pass:	Any attempt to give the ball to a team-mate. Entered as contact made with the ball along with how*.
Shoot:	Any attempt on goal. Entered as contact made with the ball along with how.*

*Definition from Bloomfield et al. (2004)

** Modified definition from Bloomfield et al. (2004)

Table 3. Interpretation and definitions of different modifiers.

Modifiers	Definition
Direction
Forward (Linear advancing motion)	Head, shoulders, hips all face forward moving in a forward direction.
Forward (deceleration)	Player braking with both or one limb and stopping body inertia pushing linearly forward.
Forward Diagonal (linear advancing motion)	Player’s body turned about 45° left/right, head turned left/right, player looks over left/right shoulder, legs facing forward or slightly rotated advancing in a forward direction.**
Forward Diagonal (deceleration)	Player braking with both or one limb and body position turned approximately 45° left/right stopping body inertia pushing diagonally forward.
Backward (Linear advancing)	Head, shoulders, hips all face forward moving in a backward direction.
Backward (deceleration)	Head, shoulders, hips all face forward stopping body inertia pushing in a backward direction.
0°-60°:	Turn ≤$1/6$ circle.
60°-120°:	Turn > $1/6$ circle and ≤ $1/3$ circle.
120–180°:	Turn > $1/3$ circle and ≤ $1/2$ circle.
180°-270°:	Turn > $1/2$ circle and ≤ $3/4$ circle.*
270°-360°	Turn > $3/4$ circle and ≤ full circle.*
Intensity
Low:	Little effort.*
Medium:	Some to great effort.*
High:	Maximal effort.*
Ball
Yes:	When the player is in possession of the ball
No:	When the player is not in possession of the ball

*Definition from Bloomfield et al. (2004)

** Modified definition from Bloomfield et al. (2004)

Table 4. Frequencies and percentages of movements in EPL overall, for individual players and groups of players.

Movements		Assistant (%)	Scorer (%)	Defender of Assistant (%)	Defender of Scorer (%)	Attackers (%)	Defenders (%)	Movement Total
Linear Advancing Motion		594 (35% ±2.3%)^¥x	862 (36.9% ±2%)^¥x	484 (29.8% ±2.2%)	648 (27.8% ±1.8%)	1456 (36.1% ±1.5%)^#	1132 (28.6% 1.4%)	2588 (32.4% ±1%)*
Deceleration		381 (22.5% ±2%)^&x	431 (18.5% ±1.6%)^¥	399 (24.6% ±2.1%)^x	400 (17.2% ±1.5%)	812 (20.2% ±1.2%)	799 (20.2% ±1.3%)	1611 (20.2% ±0.9%)**
Turn		388 (22.9% ±2%)^β	466 (20% ±1.6%)^¥	267 (16.4% ±1.8%)^x	458 (19.6% ±1.6%)	854 (21% ±1.3%)^#	725 (18.3% ±1.2%)	1579 (19.8% ±0.9%)**
Change in Angle Run	Arc Run	67 (4% ±0.9%)^Ω	88 (3.8% ±0.8%)^xΩ	72 (4.4% ±1%)^Ω	118 (5.1% ±0.9%)^Ω	155 (3.8% ±0.6%)^# Ω	190 (4.8% ±0.7%)^Ω	345 (4.3% ±0.4%)
	Cut	104 (6.1% ±1.1%)^¥x	163 (7% ±1%)^¥x	31 (1.9% 0.6%)	48 (2.1% ±0.6)	267 (6.6% ±0.8%)^#	79 (2% ±0.4%)	346 (4.3% ±0.4%)
	Totals	171 (10.1% ±1.4%)^¥x	251 (10.8% ±1.3%)^¥x	103 (6.3% ±1.2%)	166 (7.1% ±1%)	422 (10.5% ±1%)^#	269 (6.8% ±0.8%)	691 (8.7% ±0.6%)*
Lateral Advancing Motion	Crossover	26 (1.5% ±0.6%)^β	65 (2.8% ±0.7%)^¥x	64 (3.9% ±0.9%)	94 (4% ±0.8)	91 (2.3% ±0.5%)^#	158 (4% ±0.6%)	249 (3.1% ±0.4%)
	Shuffle	36 (2.7% ±0.8%)^¥x	49 (2.1% ±0.6%)^¥x	68 (4.2% ±1%)	91 (3.9% ±0.8)	85 (2.1% ±0.4)^#	159 (4% ±0.6%)	244 (3.1% ±0.4%)
	Totals	62 (3.7% ±0.9%)^¥x	114 (4.9% ±0.9%)^¥x	132 (8.1% ±1.3%)	185 (7.9% ± 1.1%)	176 (4.4% ±0.6%)^#	317 (8% ±0.9%)	493 (6.2% ±0.5%)*
Ball Blocking	Dive	9 (0.5% ±0.3%)^¥x	10 (0.4% ±0.3%)^¥x€	125 (7.7% ±1.3%)^€	186 (8% ±1.1%)	19 (0.5% ±0.2%)^#	311 (7.9% ±0.8%)^€	330 (4.1% ±0.4%)^€
	Slide	3 (0.2% ±0.2%)^β	21 (0.9% ±0.4%)^β	38 (2.3% ±0.7%)^β	183 (7.9% ±1.1%)	24 (0.6% ±0.2%)^#	221 (5.6% ±0.7%)	245 (3.1% ±0.4%)
	Totals	12 (0.7% ±0.2%)^¥x	31 (1.3% ±0.5%)^¥x	163 (10% ±1.5%)^x	369 (15.8% ±1.5%)	43 (1.1% ±0.3)^#	532 (13.4% ±1%)	575 (7.2% ±0.6%)*
Jump		25 (1.5% ±0.6%)	93 (4% ±0.8%)^β	17 (1% ±0.5%)^x	46 (2% ±0.6%)	118 (2.9% ±0.5%)^#	63 (1.6% ±0.4%)	181 (2.3% ±0.3%)
Other (skip, impact, stand still, land, fall, get up)		61 (3.6% ±0.9%)	86 (3.7% ±0.8%)	60 (3.7% ±0.9%)	59 (2.5% ±0.6%)^β	147 (3.6 ± 0.6%)	119 (3% ±0.5%)	266 (3.3% ±0.4%)
Player totals		1694 (100%)	2334 (100%)	1625 (100%)	2331 (100%)	4028 (100%)	3956 (100%)	7984 (100%)

Data expressed as frequency (percentage ±95% confidence intervals).

Horizontal axis, difference between players: ^β significant difference from the rest of the players, ^& significant difference from scorer, ^¥ significant difference from defender of assistant, ^x significant difference from defender of scorer, ^# significant difference from defenders.

Vertical axis, difference only between movement totals (includes change in angle run totals, lateral advancing motion totals and ball blocking totals):* significant difference from the rest of the movements, ** significant difference from linear advancing motion, change in angle run, lateral advancing motion, ball blocking, jump.

Vertical axis, differences between movements in the same group (arc run and cut or dive and slide): ^Ωsignificant difference from cut, ^€ significant difference from slide.

Figure 1. Flow chart of goals selected for analysis as well as total involvements.

Figure 2. Percentage of involvements were movements were performed at least once. Jump and ball blocking actions are considered always as HI movements for analysis. *Significant difference from the rest of the movements of same group (all intensities or high intensity). #Significant different from linear advancing motion, change in angle run lateral advancing motion, ball blocking and jump. Linear A.M.: linear advancing motion; Change A.R.: change in angle run; Lateral A.M.: lateral advancing motion; Ball Block: ball blocking.

Figure 3. Movement intensity percentages for all players pooled (panel a), attackers (panel b) and defenders (panel c). #Significant difference from Medium Intensity. †Significant difference from Low Intensity. Linear: linear advancing motion; Dec.: deceleration; Arc: arc run; Cross.: crossover.

Table 5. Frequency and percentage of involvements were players performed at least 1 HI action.

Player	Frequency (percentage)
Assistant	379 (63.7% ±1.9%)*
Scorer	653 (84.9% ±1.4%)^
Defender of assistant	428 (86,1% ±1.4%)^
Defender of scorer	615 (95.8% ±0.8%)
Total Sum	2075 (82.9% ±1.5%)

Data expressed as frequency (percentage ±95% confidence intervals). Jump, ball blocking actions and impact are considered as HI movements for analysis. *Significant difference from the rest of the players, ^significant difference from assistant and defender of scorer.

Bloomfield J, Polman RCJ, O’Donoghue P. 2004. The ‘Bloomfield Movement Classification’: motion analysis of individual players in dynamic movement sports. Int J Performance Analysis in Sport. 4(2):20–31. doi:10.1080/24748668.2004.11868300.

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