Temporal pattern analysis and its applicability in soccer

In order to optimize sports performance it is considered necessary to employ sound scientific principles of physical conditioning and coaching. One of the most critical of these scientific principles is the rule of specificity. To elicit a high degree of transfer from training into competitive scenarios in key performance attributes such as physical capabilities, skill acquisition and cognitive learning a high degree of specificity of competition is desired in practice situations. To this end the specific requirements of the performance must be investigated and reported. A popular method of investigating the physical demands is that of time-motion analysis where various modes of motion are subjectively or objectively chosen and each are recorded throughout the performance. To date, researchers in soccer have often chosen fewer than 8 modes of motion in their investigations, however it is arguable that this does not provide enough detail to report the high degree of specificity required to configure the precise physical demands of the sport. However, the Bloomfield Movement Classification is recognized as the most comprehensive time-motion analysis method in dynamic field-based sports such as soccer, which includes a combination of 17 modes of motion, 14 directional categories, 4 intensity types and other specific instantaneous movement and sport-specific events including turns, swerves and on the ball activity. Historically, time-motion analyses have reported frequencies, totals and means of individual motions and failed to recognize the interaction of movements which cause several different physiological demands. Temporal pattern (T-pattern) analysis can be performed to identify hidden sequences of events and has been used successfully to identify complex playing patterns in soccer matchplay. It is therefore desirable to perform the T-pattern analysis with the movement of the players. In this chapter we offer the work done by our research team at the Department of Sport Science, University of Hull and the use of T-Pattern detection through application of THEME 5.0. The aim of the following sections is, firstly, to review and critique the current research into the physical demands of soccer and secondly to offer an alternative method of detailing the movements performed by the players with an objective of re-producing specific patterns of movement through T-patterns which can be used to enhance physical conditioning and coaching practices.