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Goalkeeper passing behaviour in women's football: A graph-based analysis
Junyuan Ding1,2, Ben W Strafford1, Alliance Kubayi3
1School of Sport and Physical Activity, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, UK.
Journal of Sports Sciences
|August 3, 2026
Summary
This study analyzed elite women's football goalkeeper distribution using graph-based clustering. Findings reveal tactical patterns influenced by pressure and possession phase, offering insights for performance analysis and coaching.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Football Analytics
- Performance Analysis
Background:
- Elite women's football tactics are evolving, necessitating deeper understanding of goalkeeper distribution.
- Traditional metrics offer limited insight into goalkeeper actions within possession structures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To classify goalkeeper passing behaviours in the English Women's Super League using a graph-based clustering framework.
- To identify recurrent distribution patterns and understand their relationship with tactical factors.
Main Methods:
- Applied a graph-based clustering framework (K-means, k=14) to 29,911 goalkeeper passes from 27,895 possessions.
- Represented pass embeddings within a relational graph to analyze distribution patterns.
Main Results:
- Identified 14 recurrent goalkeeper distribution patterns influenced by spatial context, defensive pressure, and possession phase.
- Observed behaviours organized along continuous gradients, with central clusters showing adaptable distributions and peripheral clusters specialized actions.
- Goalkeeper involvement was highest during possession initiation/termination and transitional moments.
Conclusions:
- Graph-based modelling provides a structured account of goalkeeper distribution in elite women's football.
- Findings support behavioural profiling, tactical interpretation, and evidence-based coaching practices.
