Abstract

In this study, matches from different soccer teams during the last World Championship (Germany ‘06) were observed. A design structure which incorporates different matches between different teams was selected by means of a set of integrated categories. These integrated categories were: ‘ball control’, ‘no ball control’ and ‘ball is not in movement’. The generalizability study probed us that the selected sample is representative to the total World Championships. Specific software developed for the observation of game action in sports, Match Vision Studio (Perea, Alday and Castellano, 2006) was used for the data registering. Observing the matches, we could understand the possession – no possession sequences which are played while the ball is in movement, just as the typology of the fouls – ‘ball not in movement’ that occur along the game. Results show that the percent of balls in game with one possession or with no possession have increased during the last years.