The effect of COVID-19 lockdown on ball possession performance in Spanish professional soccer leagues

ABSTRACT

This research analysed the influence of lockdown and interruption of competitions due to COVID-19 on different ball possession-related variables. Also, match location and the differences between divisions were considering between the pre- and post-lockdown. A total of 144,689 records from 842 soccer matches during the 2019/20 season of the First (n = 380) and Second Spanish Division (n = 462) were collected. Match data were collected using the ChryonHego video-tracking system. Pre-lockdown (1^st–27^th matchday in First Division and 1^st–31^st matchday in Second Spanish Division) and post-lockdown periods (28^th–38^th matchday in First Division and 32^nd–42^nd matchday in Second Spanish Division) were compared. The match location contextual-related variable was also considered for the analysis. Linear mixed models showed that the number of outplayed players by ball possession (3.1%), successful passes (17.5%) and total passes (18.9%) increased during the post-lockdown period (p < .001). In addition, match location and league significantly influenced the successful and total passes in all situations (p < .001), increasing in the post-lockdown period. In conclusion, the lockdown period has led changes in the ball possession of the soccer teams. These results help to understand the impact that a particular and unusual situation as the interruption of the league due to COVID-19 lockdown had on the performance of professional soccer teams.

KEYWORDS:

• COVID-19 outbreak
• elite soccer
• match analysis
• pandemic
• technical-tactical

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the Government of Extremadura (Department of Economy and Infrastructure) and LaLiga Research and Analysis Sections.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the Government of Extremadura (Department of Economy and Infrastructure) and LaLiga Research and Analysis Sections.