Table 1 Match-related performance indicators
From: Exploring the impact of professional soccer substitute players on physical and technical performance
Performance indicators related to scoring: operational definition | |
 Goals | The number of times a goal has been scored when the entire ball has crossed the goal line, between the goal posts and under the crossbar, provided the shooting team has not committed a foul |
 Assists | The action (such as a throw or pass) of a player who enables a teammate to score a goal |
 Shots | An attempt to score a goal, made with any (legal) part of the body, either on or off target |
 Shots on target | An attempt to score a goal, which required intervention to stop the ball going in or resulted in a goal/shot that would have gone in without diversion |
Performance indicators related to passing and organizing: operational definition | |
 Passes | An intentional played ball from one player to another |
 Pass accuracy (%) | Successful passes as a proportion of the total passes |
 Ball control | Keeping the possession of the ball |
 Key passes | The final pass assisting a shot (without scoring) |
 Crosses | Balls sent into the central area of the box from a wide position of the attacking third |
 Breakthroughs | The number of times the ball handler successfully got rid of an opposing player after dribbling past that player |
 Fouled | Where a player is fouled by an opponent |
 Short passes | Any attempted pass less of 25 yards |
 Long passes | Any attempted pass of 25 yards or more |
Performance indicators related to defending: operational definition | |
 Fouls | Any infringement that is penalised as foul play by a referee |
 Offsides | Awarded to the player deemed to be in an offside position where a free kick is awarded. If two or more players are in an offside position when the pass is played, the player considered to be most active and trying to play the ball is given offside |
 Tackles | The action of gaining possession from an opposition player who is in possession of the ball |
 Interceptions | A player intercepts a pass between oppositions and prevents the opponent receiving the ball |
 Clearances | A player kicks or hits the ball away from the goal of his or her own team without a precise target |
 Pass blocks | Number of blocked passes completed |
 Shot blocks | Number of blocked shots completed |
Situational Variables performance-related parameters: operational definition | |
 Match location (ML) | The competition venue is for the participating teams to play the game, which is divided into home and away |
 Team strength (TS) | Strength of the participating team. TS is evaluated using the ranking of the team and divided into top, middle, and bottom |
 Quality of opposition (QO) | Strength of the opponent team. QO is evaluated using the ranking of the team and divided into top, middle, and bottom |