In this study we sought to verify whether network analyses could be used to identify key players in attacking phases of a professional football match and establish the main interactions and preferential linkages between attacking teammates during competitive performance. For this purpose, we examined circulation of the ball on field during randomly selected attacking phases of play in a video-taped Portuguese Premier League match. We observed six matches and notated 1488 collective attacking actions, including: passes completed, passes received, and crosses involving a total of 4126 intra-team interactions (eg., 2063 passes and crosses performed and 2063 passes and crosses received). We used Amisco® software to perform quantitative and qualitative analyses of the attacking actions. Results indicated how key individual players are instrumental in orchestrating team performance, exerting a powerful influence in creating attacking patterns of play. Our findings may help coaches and sports scientists quantify the contributions and interactions of individual team members through analysis of their relevant actions in team sports like football.

The main objective of this study was to analyze the influence of tactical and situational variables on offensive sequences during elite European handball matches. A sample of 55 games and 5.857 offensive sequences from the European Handball Federation Champions League, the selected teams were classified as the top eight teams in the league, were analyzed usingX²and logistic regression analyses. Results indicated that positional attacks [odds ratio (OR) = 0.34; 95% CI: 0.28–0.42;p < 0.001] and fast attacks (OR = 0.46; 95% CI: 0.36–0.57;p < 0.001) decreased the probability of success for an offensive sequence by 66% and 54% when compared with counterattacks. Offensive sequences that start in the attacking zone seem to be less effective (~78%) than those that start from a situation of “ball in center.” Additionally, offensive sequences that finished in the defensive zone of the observed team were 3.19 times more effective than those that ended before the 9 m zone. We concluded that compared with offensive sequences where the shot is performed from the 9 m zone, the chances of an offensive sequence ending successfully are 3.65, 3.60, and 2.21 times higher, for offensive sequences where the shot is performed from 9 m, 6 m, and the defensive zone, respectively. On the other hand, many variables seem to impact the performance of handball teams. Nevertheless, a significant challenge remains, and more research needs to be conducted to analyze the obstacles that teams need to overcome while attacking in the most effective way possible.

Characteristics of 32 international and 41 local under-17 (U-17) (14.5–16.5 years) roller hockey players were considered in the context of discrimination by competitive level using training history, anthropometry, skeletal maturation, and several laboratory and field performance tests. More international (42%) than local (22%) players were advanced in maturity status. International players had slightly less hockey experience (years), but had more practice sessions and match time (minutes) during the season. Local players were shorter and attained better performance in the 25-m dash, while international players performed better in sit-ups, ball throw and 20-m shuttle run. The fatigue index derived from the Wingate anaerobic test was higher among local players, while peak torques of knee extension and flexion were greater in international players. Stepwise discriminant function correctly classified 85% of players by competitive level based on grip strength, ratio of eccentric and concentric knee extension, number of training sessions, playing time and fatigue index. The results suggested an interaction among strength, anaerobic fitness and training plus game time as factors in discriminating international from local level players and by inference in the selection and development of youth roller hockey players.

The aim of this study was to analyse the offensive actions preceding shots, using a combination of pass sequences and network analysis of the Portuguese national football team in the European Championships. The sample consisted in the observation and analysis of 118 collective offensive actions that ended in a shot based on seven European Championships matches (e.g., 3 x group stage matches, 1 x round of 16, 1 x quarter-finals, 1 x semi-finals and 1 x final). The results indicated that 488 intra-team interactions were performed, and the highest level of interactions occurred between player number 10 (midfielder) and player number 7 (forward), with a total of 11 interactions. More passes were made during the group phase (97.3 ± 50.1 passes), compared with the knockout phase (49 ± 23.6 passes), assuming that the team adapted to their rivals during the last phase of the competition. The InStat© platform was used to access the matches in a video file format and consequently coded through the VideObserver® and Upato® software’s. This study demonstrates important trends in relation to passing sequences and adds key insights into interactional context within and between players during a European Championships. On a practical level with this type of analysis, coaches can characterise the standard actions of a team, as well as identify key players. This may allow coaches to realize what players contribute in the dynamics of their team as well as the opponent. Keywords: Network, Football, Match Analysis, VideObserver®, UPato®.

Background: The aim of this review was to collect and systematize results of studies from the last 5 years concerning the influence of the Pilates method (PM) on functional body composition (FBC). Methods: The criteria of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) were used in this review. We conducted research in three scientific databases: (i) Web of Science Core Collection, (ii) SCOPUS, and (iii) search directory of the library catalog of the Faculty of Sport and Physical Education of the University of Coimbra—EBSCO Discovery Services. We found 334 articles, covering the period between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2021. After the selection process, we found 33 eligible articles. Results: The main results seem to point to a tendency to get a better body weight and body fat percentage (BFP), hip circumference (HC), waist, and skinfolds from the chest, abdomen, triceps, and supra-iliac in mostly female samples. Available evidence indicates that, in body composition (BC) and FBC, Pilates practice tends to be effective in reducing obesity as a multifactorial condition. Conclusions: It is concluded that there is a marked trend in the benefits of Pilates in FBC, which is in line with other systematic reviews at the BC level (which includes body weight (BW) and body mass index (BMI)) and in the reduction of the percentage of fat mass (FM). It is also concluded that there is a vast lack of studies on the male population, preventing further scientific development in this area. The limitations of this systematic review can be overcome with studies that bring together multidisciplinary aspects of FBC, better designed and methodologically more robust, which will allow more reliable analyses for the implementation of the Pilates method in terms of FBC. In addition, further studies with a male sample or mixed samples (men vs. women) could confirm the trend of no gender differences in the benefits of Pilates practice.

Peak oxygen uptake (V̇O_2peak) is routinely expressed in litres per minute and by unit of body mass (mL·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹) despite the theoretical and statistical limitations of using ratios. Allometric modeling is an effective approach for partitioning body-size effects in a performance variable. The current study examined the relationships among chronological age (CA), skeletal age (SA), total body and appendicular size descriptors, and V̇O_2peakin male adolescent roller hockey players. Seventy-three Portuguese, highly trained male athletes (CA, 15.4 ± 0.6 years; SA, 16.4 ± 1.5 years; stature, 169.9 ± 6.9 cm; body mass, 63.7 ± 10.7 kg; thigh volume, 4.8 ± 1.0 L) performed an incremental maximal test on a motorized treadmill. Exponents for body size descriptors were 2.15 for stature (R²= 0.30, p < 0.01) and 0.55 for thigh volume (R²= 0.46, p < 0.01). The combination of stature or thigh volume and CA or SA, and CA²or SA², increased the explained variance in V̇O_2peak(R²ranged from 0.30 to 0.55). The findings of the allometric model combining more than 1 body size descriptor (i.e., stature and thigh volume) in addition to SA and CA²were not significant. Results suggest that thigh volume and SA are the main contributors to interindividual variability in aerobic fitness.