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Published on: December 16, 2010
From playing styles to game model: deconstructing the paradigm through analysts' perspective
Adrián Martín-Castellanos1,2, Diego Muriarte Solana1, Claudia Portillo Martín1
1Departamento de Deportes, Facultad de Ciencias de la Actividad Física y del Deporte (INEF), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
Frontiers in Sports and Active Living
|August 8, 2026
Summary
Professional football analysts view playing styles as general team tendencies, with game models applying these contextually. Offensive styles like possession-based play are clear, but defensive styles are less defined, influenced by various factors.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Football Analytics
- Tactical Performance
Background:
- The concept of playing style in football is widely discussed but lacks consistent definition and interpretation in research and practice.
- Understanding tactical behavior organization is crucial for football performance analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore how professional performance analysts conceptualize and interpret playing styles in elite football.
- To address the inconsistency in the definition and practical application of playing styles.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative and interpretative research design.
- Semi-structured interviews with 18 professional performance analysts from top Spanish leagues and national teams.
- Reflexive thematic analysis of interview data.
Main Results:
- Analysts perceive playing styles as general team tendencies, distinct from the team-specific game model.
- Predominant offensive styles identified: possession-based, direct, and transitional play; defensive styles are less defined.
- Contextual factors (coach philosophy, player characteristics, competition level, opponent tactics) influence the rigidity/fluidity of game models.
Conclusions:
- A theoretical framework is proposed integrating offensive and defensive play dimensions within the team game model.
- The framework distinguishes between rigid and fluid styles, enhancing conceptual clarity.
- Provides analytical value for future research and applied performance analysis in football.
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