To do so we used directional correlation with time delay analysis [34] - which detects similarity/difference between concurrent motion patterns among players.
The aim of our study was to analyze collective patterns in the motion of football players to reveal the underlying coordination among players within teams as well as between players at different teams in order to reveal collective strategies associated with team performance. To do so we used directional correlation with time delay analysis [34] - which detects similarity/difference between concurrent motion patterns among players. Using high-spatiotemporal resolution positional data of the players (and of the ball), we demonstrated how football players dynamically adapt their behavior depending on different contexts, such as changing their movements relative to their teammates and opponents according to their playing position (goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders or forwards) and according to the match phase (offense vs. defense). This work opens up new possibilities for quantifying the performance of sport teams which can serve as an innovative method for applications from design and development of team strategies to the screening of players with tactical talent.