Analysis of goal pattern in women's football competition: first and second division
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v64.110774Keywords:
Observational analysis, competition, effectiveness, women's football, goalsAbstract
Introduction: Despite the large number of published studies on the factors influencing goal-scoring during football matches, few have focused on women’s football. Objective: To identify the variables and the most favourable context for scoring goals in the 1st Division (first Iberdrola) and 2nd Division (retro Iberdrola) of Spanish women’s football, and to determine the main differences between them. Methodology: An observational analysis was conducted on 60 matches from both leagues during the 2021/2022 season. A coding panel was developed using LongoMatch Open Source software, enabling the recording of actions according to six variables: timing, striking surface, type of play, playing area, position, and whether the players were starters or substitutes. The collected data were stored in a database and subsequently subjected to statistical analysis, comparing means using the non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test for independent samples. Results: Both leagues exhibited very similar values for each variable, with significant differences observed in the timing of the match between the 60th and 75th minutes (1st Division > 2nd Division: p = .045), the use of the instep as a striking surface (1st Division < 2nd Division: p = .033), and penalty plays (1st Division > 2nd Division: p = .04).
Conclusions: Understanding the most favourable contexts for scoring goals in competition can help design training sessions that simulate real match scenarios for finishing actions.
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