International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport

ISSN: 2474-8668 (Print) 1474-8185 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rpan20

What are the differences between first and second

divisions of Spanish football teams?

Julen Castellano & David Casamichana

To cite this article: Julen Castellano & David Casamichana (2015) What are the differences
between first and second divisions of Spanish football teams?, International Journal of Performance
Analysis in Sport, 15:1, 135-146

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/24748668.2015.11868782

Published online: 03 Apr 2017.

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Download by: [University of Florida] Date: 11 May 2017, At: 13:40

 International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport
2015, 15, 135-146.

45-344.
What are the differences between first and second
divisions of Spanish football teams?

1
Julen Castellano and 2David Casamichana
1
Faculty of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences. University of the Basque Country
(UPV/EHU). Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain.
2
Faculty of physiotherapy and speech therapy Gimbernat-Cantabria University School
associated with the University of Cantabria (UC). Torrelavega, Spain.

Abstract

We compared the performance of teams in the first and second divisions

of the Spanish soccer league (BBVA and Adelante Leagues, respectively)
in 2013-14. We analysed 320 first-division (L1) matches and 335 second-
division (L2) matches. Variables related to use of space (width/depth of
play and height of defense) and physical performance (total kilometers))
were coded using TRACAB®, while technical-tactical actions (shots,
centre kicks, corner kicks, total passes, and percentage of successful
passes) were coded by OPTA®. The 42 teams were divided into four
groups: top 10 and bottom 10 teams in L1 (L11 and L12) and top 10 and
bottom 12 teams in L2 (L21 and L22). Significant differences were found
for all the indicators, with L11 teams performing better than the other
three groups for almost all variables. It is noteworthy that L12 teams
performed significantly better than L21 teams in terms of width and depth
of play and height of defense. Our findings add to the body of knowledge
of game models employed by elite soccer teams in match situations and
may help coaches to design training drills focusing on specific skills and
tactics, physical requirements, and use of space to optimise game
dynamics and overall performance.

Key words: team sport, patterns of play, competitive level, notational

analysis, performance.

1. Introduction

Recent years have witnessed the introduction of multiple indicators (Hughes & Bartlett,
2002; Mackenzie & Cushion, 2012; Reina & Hernández-Mendo, 2012) for analysing
the performance of soccer teams in match situations (Carling, Williams, & Reilly,
2005). Most studies have focused on physical performance (Castellano, Blanco-
Villaseñor & Álvarez, 2011), but the emergence of indicators to analyse game-related
variables (Barreira, Garganta, Castellano, Prudente, & Anguera, 2014; Castellano,
Álvarez, & Blanco-Villaseñor, 2013; Castellano, Álvarez, Figueira, Coutinho, &

135
Sampaio, 2013; Robles & Castellano, 2012; Vales, Areces, Blanco, & Arce, 2011) has
opened up new opportunities for analying the larger set of dimensions that influence
match outcomes (Vales et al., 2011).

The availability of increasingly sophisticated technology (Castellano & Casamichana,

2014; McGarry, Anderson, Wallace, Hughes, & Franks, 2002) provides access to high
volumes of match-generated data, which no longer focus exclusively on physical
aspects (Castellano, Álvarez & Bradley, 2014). A growing number of studies are using
variables to study both individual actions (Gómez, Gomez-Lopez, Lago, & Sampaio,
2012), such as those that result in a centre cross, shot, or goal (Armatas & Yiannakos,
2010; Ensum, Pollard, & Taylor, 2005), and group actions (Lago-Ballesteros, Lago, &
Rey, 2012; Tenga, Holme, Ronglan, & Bahr, 2010), aimed at analysing the efficacy of
different types of attack (direct, indirect, counter attack) against different types of
defense.

Increasingly, elite soccer teams are using spatial-temporal coordinates to reconstruct the
position of players during matches (Brekaoui, Cazorla, & Léger, 2010; Carling,
Bloomfield, Nelsen, & Reilly, 2008). Advances in this area have made it possible to
analyse with greater precision the strategic use of space in team sports and given rise to
concepts such as width, depth, height of defense, effective area of play, and centroid
(Castellano, Álvarez & Blanco-Villaseñor, 2013; Duarte, Araujo, Correia, & Davids,
2012). The information generated is already being applied to the study of the collective
use of space in both elite soccer (Bartlett, Button, Robins, Dutt-Mazumder, & Kennedy,
2012; Castellano, Álvarez, Figueira et al., 2013) and youth soccer (Folgado, Lemmink,
Frencken, & Sampaio, 2012). Analysis of team-level variables has already been used to
study the degree of imbalance or perturbation that precedes goals (Barlett et al., 2012)
and to determine the extent to which teams employ compact defending strategies when
faced with a team of superior or inferior quality (Castellano, Álvarez, Figueira, et al.,
2013). There is, however, little evidence on how the collective use of space varies
among teams competing in different divisions.

While performance indicators have commonly been used to compare successful and
unsuccessful teams (Castellano, Casamichana, & Lago, 2012; Vales et al., 2011),
studies analysing teams playing in different divisions have primarily focused on
physical indicators, such as total running distance or distances covered at different
speeds (Bradley et al., 2013a; Rampinini, 2009). Although Mohr, Krustrup and
Bangsbo(2003), in a study of the English Premier League and the Danish league,
reported that players from higher-level teams cover greater distances during matches,
this observation does not appear to be supported by more recent studies. Bradley et al.
(2013a), for instance, found that both total and high-intensity running distances were
shorter in lower competitive standards of English soccer. Similarly, other authors have
observed that teams towards the bottom of the league cover longer total and high-
intensity running distances (Di Salvo et al., 2009; Rampinini et al., 2009). However, we
are unaware of any studies analysing differences in total running distances between
teams in different divisions and positions of the league table.

Knowledge of how different physical, behavioral, and spatial indicators reflect the
performance of teams in different divisions is thus lacking. The aim of this study was to

136
analyse the strategic component of teams in the first and second division of the Spanish
soccer league according to their position in the table at the end of the season. The
following variables, or indicators, were used: width, depth, height of defense, total
running distance covered by team, centre kicks, shots at goal, corner kicks, total passes
made and percentage of successful passes. We hope that our findings will provide
greater insights into indicators that reflect differences in game tactics employed by
teams playing in different divisions and help coaches and their assistances to design
specific training strategies.

2. Methods

2.1. Sample
We analysed 42 professional soccer teams that played in the first (L1) and second (L2)
division of the Spanish football leagues (BBVA and Adelante Leagues, respectively)
during the 2013-14 season. For each of the two divisions (L1 and L2), we divided the
teams into two groups using as a cutoff the median number of points secured at the end
of the season (47 for L1 and 57 for L2). Four groups were thus formed: L11 (top 10
teams in L1), L12 (bottom 10 teams in L1), L21 (top 10 teams in L2), and L22 (bottom
12 teams in L2).

Of the 842 matches played, 655 (320 from L1 and 335 from L2) were included in the
study. We thus analysed 640 team performances in L1 and 670 in L2. We excluded all
matches for which the information required was not available, as well as matches in
which one or more players were sent off, as this may have modified the performance of
the team. The data were processed and classified in accordance with the principles of
the Declaration of Helsinki to ensure that none of the teams could be identified. The
Ethics Committee of the University of the Basque Country (CEISH) also gave its
institutional approval of the study.

2.2. Variables and procedures

Team-level spatial, physical, and behavioral variables were used as performance
indicators. Similarly to other authors (Castellano, Álvarez & Blanco-Villaseñor, 2013;
Castellano et al., 2013; Duarte et al, 2012), we used the following spatial variables: 1)
width (AMP), defined as the distance between the two furthest-apart players across the
width of the pitch; 2) depth (PRO), understood as the distance between the two furthest-
apart players along the length of the pitch; and 3) height of defense (ALT), understood
as the distance between the furthest-back defender and the goal he is defending.
Physical performance (KM) was evaluated using the physical burden index (Vales et al.,
2011), which is calculated by adding the distances covered by all the players on a team,
including the goalkeeper, during a match. This indicator has been used in previous
studies (Blanco, 2013; Casamichana & Castellano, 2014). To evaluate behaviors, we
used variables related to volume, precision, and course of play, as proposed by Vales et
al (2011). These were 1) total number of passes, 2) percentage of successful passes; and
3) number of corner kicks, centre kicks, and shots at goal. Mean values were calculated
for spatial indicators (AMP, PRO, and ALT), total kilometers for the physical burden
indicator (KM), and absolute or relative frequencies per match for the behavioral
indicators.

137
Location and motion data were obtained from the computerised multicamera tracking
system (TRACAB®) and behaviors (events) were obtained the sports data company
OPTA®, both of them using Mediacoach® software. From Mediacoach® tool the
reports were generated for the predefined performance indicators. The reliability and
validity of similar videotracking system has been demonstrated previously (Di Salvo,
Collins, McNeill, & Cardinale, 2006) also the reliability of OPTA Sportsdata has been
assessed (Liu et al., 2013). The SPSS statistical software package (version 20.0) was
used for data analyses.

2.3. Data Analysis

Data were expressed as means (SD) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The Levene
test was used to assess equality of variances and the Shapiro-Wilk test to test for
normality. Standard error expressed as a coefficient of variation (Hopkins, 2000) was
calculated for all variables (range, 7-23%). Two different ANOVA analyses were
implemented (one-way and two-way analysis). Firstly, one-way ANOVA analysis of
variance for independent samples was used to test for differences in the performance
indicators between the four groups (L11, L12, L21, and L22). Secondly, as an extension
of the one-way ANOVA, a two-way analysis of variance was done, to discover the
influence of two different categorical independent variables (by level: two divisions,
BBVA vs Adelante leagues, and ranking: top vs bottom teams) on one continuous
dependent variable, assessing if there is any interaction between them. Significant
results were then analysed using post hoc Bonferroni tests. Effect sizes were also
calculated (Hopkins, 2000), and defined as follows: null, <0.3; mild, 0.3-0.5; moderate,
0.5-0.7; strong, 0.7-0.9; and very strong, 0.9-1.0. All analyses were performed using
SPSS v.20.0 for Windows, and the significance level was set at p<0.05.

3. Results

Figure 1 shows the means, SDs and 95% CIs for the three spatial variables by group.
The highest mean value was width (AMP=43.8 m), followed by height of defense
(ALT=37.8 m), and depth (PRO=37.2 m). The greatest variability was seen for ALT
(SD, 3.5 m). Significant differences were found for the three variables, as follows: AMP
(L11>L12[ES=0.32] and L22[ES=0.22]; L21>L12[ES=0.46] and L22[ES=0.33]), PRO
(L11>L12[ES=0.32], L21[ES=0.45] and L22[ES=0.54]; L12>L22[ES=0.22]), and ALT
(L11>L12[ES=0.26]; L21>L12[ES=0.22]; L22>L12[ES=0.22]). In the two-way analysis the
variable ranking (top vs bottom) was significant in AMP, PRO and ALT (p<0.01), in
PRO (p<0.01) for the variable league and only in ALT for the interaction
league*ranking.

138
 b,d b,d

b
b
b

b,c,d
d

Figure 1. Values in meters, showing mean, SD, and 95% CI for spatial variables (width [AMP], depth
[PRO], and height of defense [ALT]) according to four groups: L11 and L12 (top- and bottom-ranking
teams in the first and second divisions of the Spanish soccer league) and L21 and L22 (top- and bottom-
ranking teams in the second division). Significant differences were established at p<0.05, where b is
greater than L12, c is greater than L21, and d is greater than L22. All for a significance level of p<0.05.

The physical burden index (Figure 2) was significantly higher in group L11
[F(3.1315)=3.7; p=0.018; ES=0.22] than in the other three groups, for which no significant
differences were found (L12=L21=L22). In the two-way analysis only the variable
ranking (top vs bottom) was significant (p=0.037).

139
 Figure 2. Values shown in meters, mean, SD, 95% CI, for total distance covered by teams according to
four groups: L11 and L12 (top- and bottom-ranking teams in the first and second divisions of the Spanish
soccer league) and L21 and L22 (top- and bottom-ranking teams in the second division), where b is
greater than L12, c is greater than L21, and d is greater than L22 for a significance level of p<0.05.

Table 1 summarises the results for the behavioral indicators. Significant differences
(p<0.05) were found for shot at goal (REM) [F(3.1315)=23.2; p<0.001], corner kick
(COR) [F(3.1315)=6.2; p<0.001], total passes (PT) [F(3.1315)=27.8; p<0,001] and successful
passes (%P) [F(3.1315)=30.7; p<0.001]. Shots at goal, total passes, and successful passes
were significantly more common in group L11 than in the other three groups. Corner
kicks were significantly more common in L11 than L12, and no significant between-
group differences were found for corner kicks. Group L21 also made a significantly
higher number of passes than group L12 (p<0.05). In the two-way analysis the variable
ranking, league and their interaction were significant for REM and %P (p<0.01). Also
the interaction was significant in the variable PT, with differences existing between the
top and bottom teams. Finally, in the variable COR there were only significant
differences between leagues.

140
 Table 1. Mean values (X), standard deviation (SD) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) for shots at
goal (REM), centre kicks (CEN), corner kicks (COR), total passes (PT), and successful passes (%P) for
the top and bottom teams in the first and second divisions of the Spanish soccer league (L11, L12, L21,
and L22, respectively).
Groups
L11 L12 L21 L22
X SD 95% CI X SD 95% CI X SD 95% CI X SD 95% CI
REM 14bcd 6 13 14 12 4 11 12 11 4 11 12 12 4 11 12
CEN 22 9 21 23 22 9 21 22 21 8 20 21 21 9 20 22
COR 6cd 3 6 6 5 3 5 6 5 3 5 5 5 3 5 5
PT 496bcd 128 483 509 431 93 422 441 464b 102 454 473 446 92 438 454
%P 76bcd 8 75 77 72 7 71 72 73 8 72 73 72 7 71 72
Note: A is greater than L11, b is greater than L12, c is greater than L21, and d is greater
than L22 for a significance level of p<0.05.

4. Discussion

The aim of this study was to investigate differences between teams in the Spanish
BBVA league (first division) and the Adelante league (second division) during the
2013-14 season. We analysed a range of performance indicators related to physical
aspects, behaviors, and use of space for the top- and bottom-ranking teams in both
divisions. We detected significant game-related differences for all three areas analysed.
Furthermore, the top-ranking teams in the BBVA league (L11) obtained the highest
values in all cases.

To our knowledge, this is the first study to analyse the collective use of space based on
width and depth of play and position of the defense line to compare the performance of
teams with different levels of play. While earlier studies have shown that teams use
space differently (in terms of width, depth, and surface area occupied) depending on the
level of the opposing team (Castellano, Álvarez & Blanco-Villaseñor, 2013), nobody to
date has investigated whether the distribution of players on the pitch varies between
teams in different divisions. We observed that teams use the width of the pitch more
than the length, supporting findings from previous studies (Castellano Álvarez &
Blanco-Villaseñor, 2013; Fradua et al., 2013). This is probably related to the limitations
of the offside rule and the concentration of players in the centre areas of the pitch. In
other words, an attacking team would be obliged to seek out the wings in order to reach
the opponent’s goal (Quellette, 2004). The width (AMP) values were significantly
higher in the top-ranking teams in each league (L11 and L21), but we observed no
significant differences across the groups (i.e. L11 vs L12 or L21 vs L22). One possible
explanation for this is that teams in possession of the ball make greater use of width
(Castellano, Álvarez, Figueira, et al., 2013; Moura, Martins, Anido, de Barros, &
Cunha, 2012; Okihara et al., 2004), and more successful teams tend to hold the ball for
longer (Collet, 2013). We also observed that depth of play (PRO) decreased as the level
of the team decreased, with the lowest values seen in L22. This may also be related to
ball possession, as teams without the ball attempt to concentrate their players
(Castellano, Álvarez, & Blanco-Villaseñor, 2013), resulting in lower PRO and AMP

141
values. It is noteworthy, however, that the two first-division groups obtained higher
PRO values than the two second-division groups, indicating that teams in different
divisions employ different strategies regarding the use of space during matches.
Information on the height of the defense line (ALT) can provide insights into several
aspects of play (e.g. current score, venue [home vs away match], etc.) as well as
strategies adopted by teams, such as positioning of players to cause offside, or
tightening of spaces to keep the attacking line as far away as possible from the goal. The
distance between the furthest-back players and the goal they are defending varies
according to the location of the ball and reflects the ‘intensity’ of the team’s defense
(Castellano, Álvarez, & Blanco-Villaseñor, 2013). Teams in the top half of the BBVA
league (L11) were positioned further up the pitch than teams in the bottom half (L12).
Interestingly, the back defense line of teams in L11 was also further back than that of
either L21 or L22. These results could be explained by the use of more ‘intense’ defense
tactics or better defense performance in the first division.

Match performance analysis has typically used physical performance indicators, which
generally reflect the running distance covered by players (Castellano et al., 2014) and,
to a lesser extent, by teams (Casamichana & Castellano, 2014). Although we have not
taken into consideration the distance covered by players individually, the results of
physical demands closely resemble the mean values obtained in studies of players in
most of the main European leagues, like the Italian Serie A (Mohr et al., 2003), the
English Premier League (Bradley, Lago-Peñas, Rey, & Gomez Diaz, 2013) and the
German Championship (Dellal, 2008). Our results for the physical burden index differ
to those reported by Bradley et al. (2013a) for the English football system, who
observed that players in Football League One (third division) and the Football League
Championship (second division) covered greater distances than those in the Premier
League (first division). Also, in Italian Serie A, Rampinini et al. (2009) found that the
distance covered by players from less successful teams was higher than more successful
teams. Our results also differ with respect to those reported by Vales et al. (2011), who
found that successful teams obtained significantly different results for all performance
indicators analysed except total team running distances. In our study, the top-ranking
teams (L11) covered significantly greater distances than the other three groups, although
the effect size was null. It is probable that other aspects of the game, such as team
strategy (Bradley et al., 2013b) or other situational match variables (Bradley and
Noakes, 2013; Castellano et al., 2011) could have influenced the results obtained. All
things considered, this result might be due to the particular circumstances of some
teams classified in this group, but probably cannot be considered a feature of all of
them. As we can see in figure 2, the variability (represented by the standard deviation
and 95% confidence intervals) of each group is high, which could mean that the
influence of physical performance on the final score is team dependent. It would be
interesting to know the weight carried by physical demand in each team performance.

Our findings for total number of passes are similar to those previously reported,
although not reflected in a higher number in the rival area (represented by CEN and
COR). On the other hand, a greater effectiveness in completion (represented by REM)
could mark the difference between the best in relation to the rest (Castellano et al, 2012;
Clemente, 2012; Rampinini et al., 2009). Teams in L11 made more passes than the
other teams, which is consistent with findings by James, Jones and Mellalieu (2004) and

142
Lago and Martin (2007), who reported greater possession of the ball among teams with
successful outcomes in European competitions (Collet, 2013). Taken together, the
above results would appear to confirm the general idea that better teams generally retain
the ball for longer. Furthermore, the percentage of successful passes was highest in L11.
Our findings in this respect are similar to those of Castellano et al (2012) in a study of
World Cup matches and those of Casáis, Lago, Lago-Ballesteros, Iglesias, and Gómez
(2011) in a previous study of Spanish first-division teams in the 2008-09 season.

The main limitation of the present study is the use of means, as while these can give an
idea of patterns of play, they do not reflect game dynamics and consequently variability.
Furthermore, we did not study contextual variables (Castellano et al., 2011), such as
match venue (home vs away match), current score, or quality of opponent, which could
all directly influence patterns of play. It is known that team success is complex and
multifactorial and therefore more research is warranted to establish if match running
performance is really determinant in football, or whether it should only be considered as
a support of the team performance, giving priority to tactical and situational strategies.

5. Conclusion

Although this was a pilot study comparing different performance aspects in teams in the
top two soccer division in Spain, our results offer interesting insights that could lead to
new lines of research. Our primary finding is that the most successful teams in the first
division of the Spanish football league in 2013-14 performed differently to the other
teams analysed in terms of the majority of variables studied. Our results could be used
to guide future work in several directions, from basic training concepts that could help
coaches prepare for matches to the use of indicators to evaluate player and team
performance.

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