Football Lineup Diagram: Understanding Player Roles in Team Offense and Defense

How is a football field structured. What are the key positions in football offense and defense. How do different player roles contribute to team strategy. What are the main objectives for each position on the field.

The Structure of a Football Field: Key Elements and Dimensions

A football field serves as the battleground for this intense sport, with specific areas and markings that play crucial roles in gameplay. Understanding the layout of the field is essential for both players and fans alike.

Essential Components of a Football Field

• End zone: This is where the magic happens – touchdowns are scored here.
• Goal-line: When an offensive player crosses the opponent’s goal-line with possession of the ball, a touchdown is awarded.
• Goal-posts: Two upright posts extending above a crossbar, situated at the back of each end zone, used for field goals and extra points.
• Sidelines: These boundary lines run the length of the field, defining the lateral limits of play.

The rectangular grass field is meticulously designed to create a fair and challenging environment for both teams. Each element of the field serves a specific purpose in the game’s strategy and scoring system.

Offensive Positions: The Playmakers and Protectors

In football, the offense is responsible for advancing the ball and scoring points. Each position on the offensive side has a unique role that contributes to the team’s overall strategy.

Key Offensive Positions and Their Roles

1. Quarterback: The field general and primary decision-maker on offense.
2. Running Backs: Versatile players who run the ball, receive passes, and block for protection.
3. Wide Receivers: Speedy and agile players who are the main targets for pass attempts.
4. Tight Ends: Hybrid players who block and catch passes, providing flexibility to the offense.
5. Offensive Linemen: The unsung heroes who protect the quarterback and create running lanes.

How does the quarterback impact the game? The quarterback is often considered the most important player on the field, responsible for reading the defense, calling plays, and distributing the ball to his teammates. Their decision-making skills and ability to execute under pressure can make or break a team’s offensive success.

The Offensive Line: The Unsung Heroes of Football

While they may not get the glory of scoring touchdowns, the offensive line is crucial to a team’s success. These players are the backbone of the offense, providing protection and creating opportunities for their skill position teammates.

Composition of the Offensive Line

• Center: Responsible for snapping the ball to the quarterback and anchoring the line.
• Guards: Positioned on either side of the center, they provide interior protection and run blocking.
• Tackles: The outermost linemen who often face the defense’s best pass rushers.

Why is the offensive line so important? Without a strong offensive line, even the most talented quarterbacks and running backs would struggle to perform. They create the time and space needed for plays to develop, allowing the offense to function effectively.

Defensive Positions: Stopping the Opposition

The defense’s primary goal is to prevent the opposing team from scoring and to regain possession of the ball. Each defensive position plays a vital role in achieving these objectives.

Key Defensive Positions and Their Responsibilities

1. Defensive Linemen: Disrupt the offensive line and pressure the quarterback.
2. Linebackers: Versatile players who can stop the run, rush the passer, and cover receivers.
3. Cornerbacks: Primarily responsible for covering wide receivers and defending against passes.
4. Safeties: The last line of defense, they provide support in both pass and run defense.

How do defensive players create turnovers? Defensive players can force turnovers through interceptions, fumble recoveries, and tackles for loss. These game-changing plays can shift momentum and give their team’s offense additional opportunities to score.

Special Teams: The Often Overlooked Third Phase of Football

While offense and defense often steal the spotlight, special teams play a crucial role in field position and scoring. These units handle kicking, punting, and return situations that can significantly impact the game’s outcome.

Key Special Teams Positions

• Kicker: Responsible for field goals, extra points, and kickoffs.
• Punter: Kicks the ball to the opposing team when the offense fails to get a first down.
• Long Snapper: Specializes in accurately snapping the ball for punts and field goals.
• Returners: Fast, agile players who receive kickoffs and punts, attempting to gain favorable field position.

How can special teams change the course of a game? A well-executed punt can pin the opposing team deep in their own territory, while a long field goal or explosive return can provide a sudden boost in momentum and points.

Football Strategy: The Chess Match on the Gridiron

Football is as much a mental game as it is physical. Coaches and players must constantly adapt their strategies to outwit their opponents and exploit weaknesses.

Elements of Football Strategy

1. Play-calling: Selecting the right plays based on down, distance, and defensive alignment.
2. Formation variations: Altering player positions to create mismatches and confusion.
3. Situational awareness: Understanding how to manage the clock and make decisions based on the game situation.
4. Adjustments: Adapting to the opponent’s strategies and tendencies throughout the game.

Why is football often compared to chess? Like chess, football requires careful planning, anticipation of your opponent’s moves, and the ability to think several steps ahead. The complexity of strategies and the constant battle for field position make it a true test of both physical skill and mental acuity.

The Importance of Team Chemistry and Communication in Football

While individual talent is crucial, the success of a football team often hinges on how well players work together and communicate on the field.

Key Aspects of Team Chemistry

• Trust: Players must rely on each other to execute their assignments correctly.
• Communication: Clear and effective on-field communication is essential for making adjustments and avoiding mistakes.
• Leadership: Strong leaders can inspire and guide their teammates, especially in high-pressure situations.
• Cohesion: A unified team that works well together is often greater than the sum of its parts.

How does team chemistry impact performance on the field? Strong team chemistry can lead to better execution of plays, fewer mistakes, and the ability to overcome adversity. Teams with great chemistry often perform at a higher level than those with more individual talent but less cohesion.

The Evolution of Football Positions and Strategies

Football is a dynamic sport that has evolved significantly over the years. As the game has changed, so too have the roles of various positions and the strategies employed by teams.

Notable Changes in Football Over Time

1. Increased emphasis on passing: The role of the quarterback has become more prominent as teams rely more on aerial attacks.
2. Specialized positions: The emergence of roles like slot receivers and nickel cornerbacks to counter modern offensive schemes.
3. Hybrid players: Athletes who can fill multiple roles, providing flexibility and creating mismatches.
4. Analytics-driven decision making: The use of data to inform play-calling and personnel decisions.

How has the increased focus on player safety impacted the game? Rule changes aimed at protecting players, particularly quarterbacks and defenseless receivers, have altered tackling techniques and defensive strategies. This has led to a more open, high-scoring style of play in many cases.

The continuous evolution of football ensures that the sport remains dynamic and exciting for players and fans alike. As strategies adapt and new innovations emerge, the roles of various positions may continue to shift, making it crucial for players and coaches to stay adaptable and forward-thinking.

Understanding the intricacies of football positions and their roles within team offense and defense provides a deeper appreciation for the complexity of the sport. From the quarterback’s decision-making to the offensive line’s protection, and from the defensive line’s pressure to the secondary’s coverage, each position plays a vital part in the overall strategy and execution on the field.

As we’ve explored the various elements of football, from the structure of the field to the evolution of strategies, it becomes clear that success in this sport requires a perfect blend of physical prowess, mental acuity, and teamwork. Whether you’re a player, coach, or fan, recognizing the nuances of each position and how they interact can greatly enhance your enjoyment and understanding of America’s favorite game.

The beautiful complexity of football lies in its ability to combine individual brilliance with collective effort. As the sport continues to evolve, so too will the roles and responsibilities of players across all positions. This constant state of adaptation ensures that football remains a thrilling and engaging spectacle for generations to come.

Football Field Diagram and Football Positions

Washington Football Team Depth Chart| Washington Football Team

Washington Football Team Depth Chart| Washington Football Team – WashingtonFootball. com

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Formations in football – the development from 1-1-8 to 3-5-2

The core of football tactics is the formation of the team. In football (soccer) the formations are classified in names consisting of numbers that represent defenders, midfielders and attackers (the goalkeeper is unnecessary to involve in this tactical aspect). Here is a historical overview of the most utilized formations in football.

Formations are simplified ways to describe a team’s positional tactic schematically. As Jonathan Wilson writes in Inverting the Pyramid: “designations of formations can at times seem a little arbitrary. Just how far behind the main striker does the second striker have to play for 4–4–2 to become 4–4–1–1? And how advanced do the wide midfielders have to be for that to become a 4–2–3–1?”  

1-1-8

You probably never guess the existence of this formation in serious circumstances. It was a while ago, though, more exactly in the 19th century in the pre-modern era of football.

To use only one defense player and one midfielder and put the rest on attack seems crazy today, but the matches looked different at the current time with minimal passing in sideways and instead full attack with much dribbling going on.

The reason for all that dribbling was not just because football in these days lacked sophistication, but more due to the fact that the offside rule was completely different from what it is today. Until 1925, the rules prescribed that a player was not allowed to be ahead of the ball (in some respects more similar to ice hockey than modern football), and as a result had to dribble it forwards.

Another early formation connected with the dribbling game was 2-1-7, among other teams associated with Old Etonians.

2-3-5

In the 1890s, 2-3-5 (“the pyramid”) became popular as a more balanced tactical formation. It would become standard for a long time and was used by all the British teams. The transition from 1-1-8 to 2-3-5 did not happen over a day, though. Other formations, such as 2-2-6 and 1-2-7, had been taken into practice in between.

With the popularity of the set-up, a standardization followed with numbers linked to the position on the field:

The introduction of the offside rule in 1925 started a development of other formation more adapted to the offside.

W-M

One of the first side steps from the well-established 2-3-5 was the “W-M” (the attacking cluster is W-formated and the defending cluster is M-formated), or 3-2-2-3. The innovator was the great football theoretician Graham Chapman during his time as manager for Arsenal in the early 1930s.

It was a formation used by many teams in 1950 World Cup, although not by the winning team Uruguay.

3-2-5

After the change of the offside rule in 1925, both attacking and defending strategies would transform and new playing systems as a result emerged. The altered offside rule would benefit the attacking side so a third defender was more often taken into consideration (another formation used at this period was 3-4-4), but it was obviously still an emphasis on attack.

Ahead of the three defenders and two midfielders there was a five-man offense. The offense was organized with one center forward flanked by double wings on both sides. Among the most successful team with this formation was Arsenal.

2-3-2-3

Instead of the usual defender-midfielder-forward configuration, the so-called Metodo system brought a formation with four units into practice. This formation was used by Italy and helped the team to win the 1934 and 1938 World Cups.

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4-2-4

This formation was a product from Brazil. It was first tested in the Brazilian league and later in the 1958 World Cup which Brazil won. It should be mentioned that the 4-2-4 was not a Brazilian novelty, but the Brazilians had most success with it – they would use it again in the 1970 World Cup with supreme result. One of the features of 2-4-2 and of the Brazil national team was the attacking full-backs.

4-3-3

This modern way of organizing the team was executed by England in the 1966 World Cup as an alternative to their 4-1-3-2. It was the first formation ever without wing forwards.

5-4-1

This formation with five defending players was developed by the famous Inter coach Helenio Herrera. The 5-4-1 system was focused on defense, but also allowed counterattacks.

Both Italian clubs and the Italian national team had success with 5-4-1, including the World Cup silver medal won in 1970.

4-4-2

The 4-4-2 formation was a development of the 4-3-3 utilized by Swedish clubs like IFK Gothenburg and Malmo FF which led to some international successes for these teams. The inventing is otherwise attributed to the Soviet Russian coach Viktor Maslov.

The playing system included factors of collective strategy and with players working over a big part of the field. Many teams around the world use the 4-4-2 formation today and it is especially preferred in British top football.

3-5-2

In contrast to the 4-4-2 formation, 3-5-2 would put more emphasis on individual skills. West Germany won the World Cup in 1990 practicing this formation and it is often used in football of today. It is uncertain when it was first used, some say it materialized when Miroslav Blažević coached Dinamo Zagreb in the middle 1950s.

The positions of the players could be arranged in some different ways, one alternative is with an offensive midfielder behind the forwards as the picture above suggests.

4-2-3-1

The 4-2-3-1 formation is a modification of the 4-4-2 and was first used widely in top-level football in the 2010 World Cup. In front of the four defenders and behind the lonely forward, there are two defensive and three offensive midfielders.

This formation is used by tons of clubs in elite football and is for example the most used system in the Spanish La Liga.

No tactic formation is the “best”

No formation is optimal in all situations. What is best depends on different circumstances. The formation should for example be based on the opponent and the players the manager has to his disposal.

References:
The National Encyclopedia
Jonathan Wilson, Inverting the Pyramid: The History of Soccer Tactics (2013)
Chris Anderson and David Sally, The Numbers Game (2013)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formation_%28association_football%29
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1458955-great-team-tactics-englands-world-cup-winners-in-1966
Image source:
Thomas MM Hemy’s painting “Sunderland v. Aston Villa 1895”

NFL Rules | The Football Girl

Beginner’s Guide to Football

LEARNING NFL RULES

If you are a football beginner, one of your biggest obstacles to achieving full enjoyment of the game is likely understanding football rules.  While learning NFL rules may take some time, knowing the basic football rules can dramatically increase one’s enjoyment of the game.  Below we explain NFL rules basics for beginners.  If you are not a beginner, please go straight to part 2 of our rules tutorial, where we explain some of the more difficult and controversial football rules and specific NFL rules.

THE TEAMS

How many players are on a football team? Each team is made one of 11 players.  One 11-man team has possession of the football. It is called the offense and it tries to advance the ball down the field-by running with the ball or throwing it – and score points by crossing the goal line and getting into an area called the end zone.

The other team (also with 11 players) is called the defense. It tries to stop the offensive team and make it give up possession of the ball. If the team with the ball does score or is forced to give up possession, the offensive and defensive teams switch roles (the offensive team goes on defense and the defensive team goes on offense). And so on, back and forth, until all four quarters of the game have been played.

THE OFFENSE

While only the quarterback, the wide receivers and tight ends, and the running backs can legally handle the ball, it is the quarterback who is the leader of the team and the playmaker. In fact, he’s a man of many talents – he not only throws the ball, he outlines each play to his team.

THE OFFENSIVE PLAYERS

• The quarterback (“QB”) passes or hands off the ball.
• The center snaps the ball to the QB and blocks the defense.
• 2 guards and 2 tackles keep the defense at bay.
• 2/4 wide receivers catch the ball thrown by the QB.
• 1 or 2 running backs take the ball and run with it.
• 1 or 2 tight ends block the defense and can also catches passes.

THE DEFENSE

The job of the defense is to stop the offense. The 11 men on the defensive team all work together to keep the offense from advancing toward the defense’s end zone.

THE DEFENSIVE PLAYERS

• Linebackers defend against the pass, and push forward to stop the run or tackle the QB.
• The defensive line (ends and tackles) battles head-to-head against the offensive line.
• Cornerbacks and safeties defend against the pass from the QB to the wide receiver and help to stop the run.

To see how the offensive and defensive players usually line up click here

THE FIELD

What are the dimensions of an NFL football field? The field measures 100 yards long and 53 yards wide. Little white markings on the field called yard markers help the players, officials, and the fans keep track of the ball (note: that yellow line on your screen is generated by a computer for TV viewers). The most important part of the field is the end zone. It’s an additional 10 yards on each end of the field. This is where the points add up! When the offense – the team with possession of the ball-gets the ball into the opponent’s end zone, they score six points.

In the back of the end zone are goalposts that measure 10 feet high. How wide are NFL goal posts? NFL goal posts as 18 feet six inches wide.  This is approximately 5 feet narrower than college football goal posts, which are 23 feet, 4 inches wide.  As discussed below, kicking the ball through the goal posts is another way for teams to score points.

TIMING

How long are NFL football games? NFL games are divided into four 15-minute quarters, separated by a 12-minute break at halftime. There are also 2-minute breaks at the end of the first and third quarters as teams change ends of the field after every 15 minutes of play. At the end of the first and third quarters, the team with the ball retains possession heading into the following quarter. That is not the case before halftime. The second half starts with a kickoff in the same way as the game began in the first quarter.

Each offensive team has 40 seconds from the end of a given play until they must snap of the ball for the start of the next play, otherwise they will be penalized for delay of game.  The clock stops at the end of incomplete passing plays, when a player goes out of bounds, when a penalty is called, or when a team calls a timeout (thus, it is very important for teams to save their timeouts).  The clock starts again when the ball is re-spotted by an official.

If a game is tied at the end of regulation, a 15-minute overtime period will be played. In the NFL, this is sudden death and the first team to score wins. Possession is determined before the period begins by a coin toss.

THE KICKOFF

A game starts with the kickoff. The ball is placed on a kicking tee at the defense’s 35-yard line, and a special kicker (a “placekicker”) kicks the ball to the offense. A kick return man from the offense will try to catch the ball and advance it by running. Where he is stopped is the point from which the offense will begin its drive, or series of offensive plays. When a kickoff is caught in the offense’s own end zone, the kick returner can either run the ball out of the end zone, or kneel in the end zone to signal a touchback – a sign to stop the play. The ball is then placed on the 20-yard line, where the offense begins play.

Unlike a punt (discussed below), it is important not to kick the ball out of bounds, because that allows the receiving team to place the ball at the 40-yard line.

FIRST DOWN

All progress in a football game is measured in yards. The offensive team tries to get as much “yardage” as it can to try and move closer to the opponent’s end zone. Each time the offense gets the ball, it has four downs, or chances, in which to gain 10 yards. If the offensive team successfully moves the ball 10 or more yards, it earns a first down, and another set of four downs. If the offense fails to gain 10 yards, it loses possession of the ball. The defense tries to prevent the offense not only from scoring, but also from gaining the 10 yards needed for a first down. If the offense reaches fourth down, it usually punts the ball (kicks it away). This forces the other team to begin its drive further down the field.

MOVING THE BALL – The Run and the Pass

A football play begins with the snap. At the line of scrimmage (the position on the field where the play begins), the quarterback loudly calls out a play in code and the player in front of him, the center, passes, or snaps the ball under his legs to the quarterback. From there, the quarterback can either throw the ball, hand it off, or run with it.

THE RUN

 There are two ways for the offense to advance the ball. The first is called a run. This occurs when the quarterback either runs himself or hands the ball off to a running back, who then tries to gain as many yards as possible by eluding defensive players. During running plays, all other offensive players will try to block defensive players to clear a path for the runner.  Blocking is not just about brute force; rather, coaches often diagram very complicated blocking schemes (i.e., misdirection, option, reverse) to try to try to get the defense out of position and open up holes.

The defense prevents the offense from advancing the ball by bringing the ball carrier to the ground by a “tackle.” A player is tackled when any part of his body other than his feet or hands touches the ground.  The play is then over. A play also ends when a player runs out of bounds.

THE PASS

The other alternative to running the ball is to throw it. Or as they say in football, pass it! Usually, the quarterback does the passing, though there are times when the quarterback my hand the ball to another player to pass in an effort to confuse the defense (i.e., making them think it’s a running play).  Actually, anyone on the offensive team is allowed to pass the ball as long as the pass is thrown from behind the line of scrimmage. A pass is complete if the ball is caught by another offensive player, usually the “wide receiver” or “tight end.” If the ball hits the ground before someone catches it, it is called an incomplete pass.

If the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he is able to pass the ball, it is called a sack.

SCORING

The object of the game is to score the most points. There are four ways to score points in football.

TOUCHDOWN = 6 POINTS

A touchdown is the biggest single score in a football game. How many points is a touchdown worth? It is worth six points, and it allows the scoring team an opportunity to attempt to get an extra point. How is a touchdown scored? To score a touchdown, the ball must be carried across the goal line into the end zone, caught in the end zone, or a fumble recovered in the end zone, or an untouched kickoff recovered in the end zone by the kicking team.

EXTRA POINT and the TWO-POINT CONVERSION = 1 or 2 POINTS

Immediately following a touchdown, the ball is placed at the opponent’s two-yard line, where the offense has two options. Usually the offense will kick an extra point, also called the point after touchdown, conversion, or PAT. If the offense successfully kicks the ball through the goal posts, it earns one point. The offense can also score two points by running or throwing the ball into the end zone in the same manner as you would score a touchdown. Since going for two points is more difficult than kicking an extra point, the offense usually chooses to kick the extra point.

FIELD GOAL = 3 POINTS

If the offense cannot score a touchdown, it may try to kick a field goal through the goalposts at the back of the end zone. How many points is a field goal worth? Field goals are worth three points and often are the deciding plays in the last seconds of close games. They can be attempted from anywhere on the field on any down, but generally are kicked from inside the defense’s 45-yard line on fourth down. For a field goal to be “good,” the placekicker (or field goal kicker) must kick the ball through the goal-post uprights and over the crossbar. The defense tries to block the kick and stop the ball from reaching the goal post.

SAFETY = 2 POINTS

The safety is worth two points is scored by the defense.  A safety occurs when the offensive ball carrier is tackled behind his own goal line.  It usually occurs on passing plays when the quarterback is sacked before he is able to throw the ball.

TURNOVERS

While trying to advance the football to the end zone, the offense may accidentally turn the ball over to the defense in one of two ways.  In either case, the defense then becomes the offense and is allowed to advance the ball until the ball carrier is tackled.

THE FUMBLE

When the ball carrier or passer drops the ball before he is tackled, that’s a fumble. Any player on the field can recover the ball by diving on it or he can run with it. The team that recovers a fumble either gets-or retains-possession of the ball.  As explained in part 2 of our rules tutorial, determining whether a ball is fumbled before a player is tackled is often very controversial.

THE INTERCEPTION

An aggressive defense can regain possession of the ball by catching (intercepting) passes meant for players on the other team.
Source: NFL.com

PFF Player Grades | PFF

PFF grades have become synonymous with player performance in both the NFL and college football over the last 10-plus years, but what goes into creating those player grades?

WHAT WE DO

The PFF grading system evaluates every player on every play during a football game. We believe that #EveryPlayCounts and that attention to detail provides insights and data that cannot be found anywhere else. The grading system was founded on the principle of grading “production” rather than traits or measurables, but perhaps a better way to describe it is a player’s “contribution to production” on a given play. 

Did the quarterback make a great throw, but it was dropped? The quarterback contributed to positive production and will receive a positive grade for that effort, even though the receiver let him down, earning a negative grade along the way.

The benefits of this style of grading are numerous. Taking every play into consideration allows for a larger sample size of data to tell the proper story rather than just a highlight reel of plays that we tend to remember, for better or worse. We also work to eliminate bias by not caring about the level of player who is being graded, so whether it’s the best tackle in the league missing a block or one of the worst, the same grade is given. Preconceived level of ability has no impact on the grading system. This style has worked well in unlocking undervalued gems through the years, while also not being swayed by player hype if it is undeserved.

THE GRADING SCALE

Each player is given a grade of -2 to +2 in 0.5 increments on a given play with 0 generally being the average or “expected” grade. There are a few exceptions as each position group has different rules, but those are the basics. The zero grade is important as most plays feature many players doing their job at a reasonable, or expected, level, so not every player on every play needs to earn a positive or a negative.  

At one end of the scale you have a catastrophic game-ending interception or pick-six from a quarterback, and at the other a perfect deep bomb into a tight window in a critical game situation.

Each position has its own grading rubric so our analysts know how to put a grade on the various expectations for a quarterback on a 10-yard pass beyond the sticks or what the range of grades might look like for a frontside offensive tackle down blocking on a “power” play. 

There is then an adjustment made to the “raw” grades to adjust for what the player is “expected” to earn given his situation on the field. For instance, a player’s grade may be adjusted down slightly if he plays in a situation that is historically more favorable while a player in more unfavorable circumstances may get an adjustment the other way. We collect over 200 fields of data on each play, and that data helps to determine what the baseline, or expectation, is for each player on every play.

Each grade goes into a specific “facet” of play in order to properly assess each player’s skillset. The facets include passing, rushing, receiving, pass blocking, run blocking, pass-rushing, run defense and coverage. Special teamers also have their own facets of kicking, punting, returning and general special teams play. Facets are important in order to have a clear view of where a player’s strengths and weaknesses lie. 

A collection of grading examples across all facets of play is included on this page.

WHO IS DOING THE GRADING?

PFF employs over 600 full or part-time analysts, but less than 10% of analysts are trained to the level that they can grade plays. Only the top two to three percent of analysts are on the team of “senior analysts” in charge of finalizing each grade after review. Our graders have been training for months, and sometimes years, in order to learn, understand and show mastery of our process that includes our 300-page training manual and video playbook. We have analysts from all walks of life, including former players, coaches and scouts. We don’t care if you played.

Each grade is reviewed at least once, and usually multiple times, using every camera angle available, including All-22 coaches’ tape.

YOU DON’T KNOW THE PLAY CALL?

We are certainly not in the huddle, but we are grading what a player attempts to do on a given play. While football is extremely nuanced regarding the preparation and adjustments that go into each play call, once the ball is snapped, most players are clear in what they’re trying to accomplish on each play, and we evaluate accordingly. Of course, there are always some gray areas in football. Plays in which there is a clear question mark regarding assignment, we can defer to a “0” grade and not guess as to which player is right or wrong. These plays are few and far between and since we are grading every snap, missing out on a handful throughout the year should not affect player evaluations. Examples of potential gray areas include coverage busts, quarterback/wide receiver miscommunications and missed blocking assignments. 

CONVERTING THE GRADES

The plus-minus grades are then converted to a 0-100 scale at the game and season level. This makes it easier to compare players across positions relative to their peers, though it doesn’t account for positional value, i.e. which positions are most valuable when trying to predict wins. 

Season-level grades aren’t simply an average of every game-grade a player compiles over a season, as the season grade credits the entire body of work. An 80.0 game grade is not close to one of the best games of all-time, but 16 games of 80.0 grades will equal an outstanding season of consistency and likely one of the better seasons in a given year. A simpler example is a three-touchdown game from a quarterback. We’ve seen many three-touchdown games but doing so in all 16 games would be one of the best seasons of all-time.

It is entirely possible that a player will have a season grade higher than any individual single-game grade he achieved because playing well for an extended period of time is harder to do than for a short period.

PLAYER RANKINGS

The grades allow for easy player comparisons, whether using an overall grade or a facet grade. While we believe the grade is an excellent baseline for how well a player performed his given role, we also believe the using the entire context is crucial when evaluating players. Perhaps a slot receiver had to play more than expected on the outside or a nose tackle was forced to play more three-technique than his coaching staff initially desired. Both players are being evaluated based on what they did, and that context is important when using the grades. PFF ELITE allows users to sort by player grades, but they can also see the simple and advanced stats that tell the story for each player.

Want to see who was the best pass protecting offensive tackle? The best run-stopping linebacker? It’s all in Premium Stats 2.0 as part of PFF ELITE. 

Premium Stats allows you to not only rank players by position but also filter by teams, to compare the grades of just one team’s cornerbacks, for example. We also combine defensive fronts and group players as either edge defenders, or interior defenders, to save confusion between 4-3 and 3-4 defensive fronts that in today’s NFL are often in the same alignment by defensive technique, just from either a two- or three-point stance.

It’s important to understand that PFF is not grading talent in these numbers, rather strictly performance on the field. Talented players can have bad games, runs, or even seasons, and often players without nearly as much talent can put together impressive play on the field. We are not necessarily telling you who the best players are. Our rankings are more of a performance evaluation and a reflection of how efficiently a player made plays in the time he was on the field.

GRADES VS. STATS

We aren’t grading players based on the yardage they rack up or the stats they collect. Statistics can be indicative of performance but don’t tell the whole story and can often lie badly. Quarterbacks can throw the ball straight to defenders but if the ball is dropped, you won’t see it on the stat sheet. Conversely, they can dump the ball off on a sequence of screen passes and end up with a gaudy looking stat line if those skill position players do enough work after the catch.

PFF grades the play, not its result, so the quarterback that throws the ball to defenders will be downgraded whether the defender catches the ball to notch the interception on the stat sheet or not. No amount of broken tackles and yards after the catch from a bubble screen will earn a quarterback a better grade, even though his passing stats may be getting padded.

The same is true for most positions. Statistics can be misleading. A tackle whose quarterback gets the ball out of his hands quicker than anybody else may not give up many sacks, but he can still be beaten often and earn a poor grade. Receivers that are targeted relentlessly could post big-time numbers but may offer little more than the product of a volume-based aerial attack.

Here’s a great example from the 2016 season as to why grades and stats may not match up:

In 2016, Atlanta Falcons edge rusher Vic Beasley led the NFL in sacks in a breakout season for the NFC Champions, but he was only the 31st-ranked edge rusher in terms of PFF pass-rushing grade. Here are some of the things to note about how Beasley rated in our system:

Not all sacks are created equal

Beasley sacked the quarterback 16 times, but eight of those sixteen were either unblocked or clean-up sacks that owed more to somebody else flushing the quarterback towards where Beasley was than they did to him beating a blocker to make the play. PFF grading takes into account the quality of the play made to get the sack, and excellent plays to defeat blocks will be graded higher than sacks where the quarterback just happened to be flushed past a player as he was being blocked only to get taken down.

Pressures matter

All pass-rushers are trying to sack the quarterback, but even the best will only do so on around three percent of their snaps on the field. Hits and hurries combine with sacks to form a much more robust picture of total pressure generated.

Pressure that does not result in a sack is important too, as just pressuring the quarterback sees an average drop in passer rating of 32.0 points from 94.4 to 61.8 over the past 10 years. That’s the equivalent of turning Ben Roethlisberger into Blaine Gabbert just by hurrying him in the pocket.

Beasley led the league in sacks, but he was just 18th even among edge defenders when it comes to total pressures. Compare that to a player like Oakland’s Khalil Mack who led the league with 96 combined sacks, hits and hurries, and Beasley has a significant deficit in total pressure.

When we used our analytics to run numbers to find out just how valuable pressure was compared to sacks, our Expected Points Added data showed that a sack is worth around 2.1 pressures of any other kind. So, a player like Mack would only need to have had an extra 11 hits or hurries to have added more value as a pass-rusher than Beasley despite having five fewer sacks over the season. Mack, in reality, had 40 more pressures, and so had a significantly higher PFF grade than Beasley.

Run defense matters

Mack’s overall grade of 95.2 was also far higher than Beasley’s 74.2 because Khalil Mack was one of the best run defenders in the game, capable of shedding blocks and knifing into the backfield to blow up plays. Beasley wasn’t nearly as accomplished in this area, an area that can get lost in all the talk of sacks but is counted in the PFF grading.

HOW DO WE USE IT?

The PFF grading dates back to 2006 for NFL and 2014 for college football, and we’ve gleaned many unique insights along the way. As mentioned, context is key as each position group comes with its own challenges when trying to isolate each player from a grading perspective. We understand that PFF grade is not perfect, but it’s also a unique look at a player’s production, and when paired with PFF’s advanced data, it’s one of the most powerful tools in the game. PFF grading is both descriptive and predictive, and in many cases, we’ve debunked myths about traditional stats, showing that the production grade is a better indicator of what happened on the field and what will happen going forward. 

Season-level Player Grades are included with PFF EDGE

• PFF EDGE gives you access to the most popular Player Grades features, and much more.
• Rankings by position, player grades and snap counts for the current season
• Grades for each facet of a player’s game (receiving, run blocking, coverage etc.) on a 0-100 scale.
• Head to head matchup charts featuring multiple offensive and defensive formations.
• Full grades for each player in the NFL by team roster and position.

Game-Level Player Grades and Premium Stats 2.0 is included in PFF ELITE

• Premium Stats includes 0-100 grades for teams and players by week.
• PFF Signature Stats by position and week.
• Pre-snap position tables show how often a player lined up at each position per game.
• Historical game grades and performance data, including the playoffs, back to 2008.
• Grades for each facet of a player’s game (receiving, run blocking, coverage etc.) on a 0-100 scale.
• PFF Greenline game projections and much more.

Begin your journey into PFF Player Grades today. Choose the subscription that suits you here.

Wing-T Offense – Plays, Strategies and Coaching Tips

Glenn Warner, or as he was better known, Pop, laid the ground work for the Wing-T offense with his single wing scheme. At a time when everyone was concerned with overpowering their opponents, Pop Warner sought to trick it.

Over time, it evolved into the Wing-T, which has been made famous by University of Delaware Coach Harold “Tubby” Raymond. Often considered one of the best misdirection formations in the game, it has fallen out of favor in the pro game in recent years, but is still very effective at the youth level.

Wing-T Formation

The Wing-T has a classic offensive line setup, with 2 guards, 2 tackles, a center, and the quarterback behind center. It’s characterized by having a wingback just off of your tight end on the strong side, and a split end lined up on the weak side. The tailback and the fullback can move around a little bit, but are generally split, and can often end up offset to the strong or weak sides as well.

Basic Wing-T Formation

Famous Wing-T Offenses

• Late 70s Kansas City Chiefs
• Pre 2002 University of Delaware

Wing-T Offense Strengths

• Counters
• Reverses
• Bootlegs
• Short Passing Plays

Wing-T Offense Weaknesses

• Power Plays
• Deep Passing Plays

Wing-T Offense Plays

If you’re interested in learning more about Wing-T Offense, make sure you check out our Wing-T Playbook. It’s packed with 10 simple, fun and effective plays designed for youth and high school football. All explained with player responsibilities, step by step diagrams, and implementation tips for coaches.

Below are some sample plays you can check out.

Running Play: Wing-T 21 Dive

Play Strategy

Try running the FB dive at the 2 hole a couple of times before you try this fake. This is a great power play for short yardage – so when the defense starts to collapse in to take away the middle, have your QB keep the ball and run a bootleg out left to catch them off guard!

Wing-T Dive is a simple power play that’s great for short yardage situations

Offensive Line

• LT: Seals off DE outside.
• LG: Double teams man in front of C.
• C: Double teams man with LG.
• RG: Blocks man outside, away from gap.
• RT: Runs a loop block, pulling inside behind the RG to block weak side ILB.

Backs & Receivers

• TE: Releases from line to block FS.
• SE: Runs an out route; blocks CB.
• WB: Runs an out route; blocks CB.
• FB: Fakes dive to 2 hole, blocks strong side ILB.
• HB: Runs dive through 1 hole.
• QB: Reverses pivot, fakes handoff to FB with left hand, hand off ball to HB with right.

Coaching Tips

• The blocks of the FB and RT will make or break this play – if your RT can get out in front of the HB and put a block on the weak side LB, the HB can usually get huge yardage.
• While the TE isn’t going to block the DE in front of him, the release inside will keep him occupied long enough that they end up behind the play

Passing Play: Wing-T Waggle Left Throwback

Play Strategy

This has big play potential written all over it. That’s why you want to use it sparingly – I prefer to pull it out when I’m still outside of the red zone but in my opponents field. If the TB can beat the outside CB, you’ll be looking at a 2 on 1 with the WB able to lay a good block down on the SS.

This Wing-T passing play has potential for big yardage

Offensive Line

• LT: Pass blocks man.
• LG: Pulls left, protecting the back side of the play.
• C: Pass blocks man.
• RG: Pulls left, protecting the back side of the play.
• RT: Pass blocks man.

Backs & Receivers

• Z: Runs a flag route, but instead of a quick double move, runs deep enough inside to occupy FS before cutting back out.
• TE: Runs a deep in to keep MLBs occupied.
• WB: Runs a skinny post, trying to keep the CB and SS occupied.
• FB: Runs a dive track before releasing out into the flat.
• TB: Fakes a sweep, keeps running into a wide swing route.
• QB: Reverse pivots, waggles out left, makes pass to TB.

Coaching Tips

• The SE, TE, and WB need to really sell their routes – this play hinges on their ability to grab the defense’s attention.
• The QB needs to do his part to sell the pass downfield as well, moving the secondary with his eyes, as he looks for the SE and TE before checking down to the TB for the pass.

For more plays like this, check our complete Wing-T Playbook today!

More Football Offenses

• I-Formation Offense: great for playing smash mouth football and overpowering the defense at the line
• Double Wing Offense: uses two wingbacks to set up power runs and misdirection plays
• Singleback Offense: a versatile passing offense, which also works well for draws and outside runs
• Spread Offense: spreads the defense horizontally, making it easier to isolate man coverage, as well as find and throw to the holes in the zone
• Pro Set Offense: provides excellent balance, allowing you to get the ball to any area of the field very quickly

Or, if you need help develop fundamental offensive skills, don’t miss our drill collections covering quarterbacks, offensive line, running backs and receivers.

Football Tactics basics: The 4-3-3 formation explained

7500 to Holte tactical guide: The 4-3-3

The 4-3-3 is set out in three lines on the pitch – a typical defence of two centre-backs and two full-backs, three central midfielders who may form a triangle and three strikers, one central and two who play on the flanks.

Image from soccer-training-guide.com

Key to this formation are the wide forwards, that flank the lone central striker. These players are all-round attacking players with pace and shooting ability, who use their speed on the wings before cutting in towards goal. Cristiano Ronaldo is the outstanding example. The lone striker himself may be a powerful target man or someone who drops deep to drag defenders away and leave space for the wide forwards, in the famous ´False 9´ style of Lionel Messi .

These strikers are aided by at least two of the central midfielders. Those central midfielders form a tight triangle in the middle of the pitch and often fall into the roles of ‘creator-destroyer-passer’, to attack, defend and maintain possession. Some midfielders combine all of those elements but a well-balanced midfield is key to the formation.

With a compact central midfield, the full-backs can also join the attack and use huge amounts of space due to the high positioning of the wide forwards.

Pros

The 4-3-3 is arguably the most potentially overwhelming of all modern formations. There’s a reason why many of the most dominant sides of European football – Chelsea, Real Madrid, Barcelona – use it. These are the sides that expect a win each week, with enough offensive power to overcome sides determined to leave with a draw.

In possession, the 4-3-3 allows at least 7 players to attack, as the wide forwards squeeze the defence, the full-backs come up behind them and two of the central midfielders push forward.

However the special quality of a good 4-3-3 is the strangling quality it brings. This comes from combining two elements, a three man central midfield which can dominate possession via passing triangles and three strikers who can press high up the pitch. Opponents find it hard to get the ball and hard to keep it. Midfielders can´t get a hold of the ball and are pressured quickly when they do.  The defenders are faced with three men pressing them and there are no easy balls to the wings when the full-backs push up.

A fully-functioning offensive 4-3-3 is like the tide against a sandcastle – it might take a while, but it’s gonna break through the defences eventually. And there has never been a 4-3-3 that functioned better than the Barcelona side of 2008-09 under Pep Guardiola in his first season, treble winners who dominated Manchester United in the Champions League final and Real Madrid in the league.

Cons

The flipside is that a 4-3-3 which can’t keep hold of the ball while attacking is potentially very vulnerable. The only players left back in defence are the centre-backs and the defensive midfielder. That creates a very dangerous situation on the counter as opposing wide players have plenty of space to break into. Anything less than a top defensive midfielder, who is physically strong, has great positioning , lots of pace and accurate passing can leave the centre-backs very exposed. One misplaced pass and the opposing team have a dangerous counter.

The 4-3-3 also requires a huge amount of discipline from its wide players. The potential to be exposed by having wide forwards who fail to track back is enormous. Full-backs who storm up in support of an attack must have the energy to race back and defend for 90 minutes. If not, opposing wide players will run riot on the flanks.

Paul Lambert’s 4-3-3

While the name of Paul Lambert may be mud around Villa Park nowadays, there was a time when Villans were optimistic about the future of the side. That feeling was strongest at the back end of the 2012-13 season, when the all-out attack of Abgonlahor, Benteke and Weimann combined to drive Villa out of the relegation zone. The highlight was the 6-1 victory over Sunderland.

Unfortunately, apart from that front three, there really wasn’t the material to make a stable team with cut-price defensive midfielders in Yacouba Sylla and Karim El-Ahmadi and the continuing lack of quality full-backs. That problem continued into this season, where the two losses against Arsenal and the exposure of Carlos Sánchez showed the vulnerability of a 4-3-3 with a lack of pressing and a top defensive midfielder.

The 4-3-3 and Villa right now

Tim Sherwood hasn’t shown much inclination to use the 4-3-3, seemingly preferring either Benteke as a lone striker or in a pair with Abgonlahor, and Andi Weimann largely confined to the bench. It was only used in the first FA Cup game against West Brom when Scott Sinclair and Charles N’Zogbia were made into makeshift wide forwards on either side of Gabby Abgonlahor, and just about squeezed through.

The key positions of full-back and defensive midfielder are still being worked out in this Villa side, so we’re unlikely to see this formation in Claret and Blue any time soon.

More articles in the 7500toHolte Football Tactics Basics series can be found here:

The 4-4-2  formation explained

The 3-5-2 formation explained

The 4-2-3-1 formation explained

The full-back position explained

Football Club – Juventus

Juventus is a football club from the city of Turin, the most titled club in Italy and one of the most successful clubs on the planet. Juventus was founded in 1897 and is one of the oldest clubs in Serie A. In 1999, the Black and Whites took the Intertoto Cup and became the only club in the world to win all UEFA-sponsored tournaments. He plays his home games at the Juventus stadium, which opened in September 2011 in honor of the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy.Juve’s large army of fans numbers over 15 million people around the world. The best scorer, as well as the record holder for the number of matches played for Juve, is Alessandro Del Piero.

In 1897, a group of schoolchildren from a secondary school in Turin founded the Juventus Sports Club, which would later become one of the most renowned and recognizable football clubs in the world.

Already in the next season after the founding, the “striped” get into the top division of the Italian championship.It took another three years to gain a foothold in the elite and win his first Scudetto. Already at this time, Juventus amazed with their well-coordinated actions, playing tactically consistent football. The trio of defencists Combi-Cagliaris-Rosetta created a truly concrete defense, which, together with the hammering forwards Giovanni Ferrari and Luis Monti, brought the “old lady” five league titles in a row between 1930 and 1935.

In the years after World War II, Juventus lost many of their championship squad players who simply ended their playing careers.The second half of the 20th century was a golden time for the “striped”, who won the fame of the most formidable European club, and then entered the top three teams of the century. In the 1949-50 season, they managed to issue a scudetto, followed by a significant strengthening in the person of Omar Sivori and John Charles. Having issued three scudettos in the period from 1958-61, Juventus became the leader in terms of the number of national trophies, and Sivori was awarded the Ballon d’Or.

Juventus continued to win the Scudetto one after another, competing with Roma and Napoli.In the mid-70s, Giovanni Trapattoni came to the coaching bridge, who would later become the most titled coach in the history of the striped. 6 Scudetto, 2 Italian Cups and 3 Uefa Cups, were backed up by the Intercontinental Cup and the European Cup. The composition of that team was dubbed “unforgettable”.

Modern time and the Calciapoli scandal

After a comparative lull in the 90s, Juventus began to regain their former positions, having won four Scudettos between 2001-2005.However, two of them were canceled due to Juventus’ involvement in match-fixing proceedings. This scandal hit the club hard: for the first time in their history, Juventus went to Serie B, and most of the leaders chose to continue their careers in other clubs. Only Buffon and Alessandro Del Piero remained loyal to Old Signora, who became the best goalkeeper and top scorer, respectively.

After returning to Serie A, Juventus gradually began to regain their lost ground.At the beginning there were two seasons with a final seventh place, followed by a breakthrough and third place. With the start of the new decade, Juventus have managed to win 28 Scudettos after more than a 10-year hiatus. In the course of the season, the “striped” did not lose a single game. In the next two seasons, Juventus again became the champion of their country, and the first Italian club to receive the right to wear 3 stars (30 scudettos). Now Juventus has to confirm its viability in the European arena and then everyone will believe that the same “unforgettable” Juventus has returned.However, he will do it without his mentor Conte, who went to the camp of the Italian national team in the summer.

Juventus total domination in Italy

Since the 2011/12 season, Juventus Turin have won eight Serie A league titles in a row with virtually no competition. In addition, the “old lady” won four Italian Cups and four Italian Super Cups during the same period.

In 2015 and 2017, Turin made their way to the Champions League final under the leadership of Max Allegri, but lost twice, first to Barcelona and then to Real Madrid.

By the summer of 2019, the Bianconeri had already won 37 league titles (not counting the two that were dropped because of Calchonopoli), 13 Cup of Italy victories (national record), and 8 victories in the Italian Superbook (national record).

In the summer of 2019, Allegri left Juventus and was replaced by Maurizio Sarri.

Juventus Attributes

• Juventus emblem

Throughout history, one emblem has been used: a black and white shield (three white and four black stripes), the name of the club on a white background and the bull symbol of Turin.In the 70s and 90s, the emblem underwent some changes: the bull became golden in color, and in honor of 20 victories in the national championship, 2 stars appeared on the emblem. The last change took place in 2005: the game of shadows began to be actively used in the logo, due to which the 3-D effect was created, and the stars were removed. In 2012, after winning 30 titles, the question of returning three stars was raised, but this initiative did not find support.

• Juventus Anthem

In 2007, the team’s official anthem was adopted, sung by the famous Italian virtuoso Paolo Belli.The name of the anthem: “Juve” is a story of great love. The famous “Old Lady” fan Francesco de Felice once wrote several songs about the team, which are still actively used by fans: “Old Lady”, “Let’s Dream”, “Black and White Sky”.

• Juventus colors

The black and white kit is the legacy of the oldest professional club on the planet, Notts County, now in the first English league. The away uniform is traditionally pink – it was also the home uniform in the first years of Juve’s existence.In addition, blue and burgundy forms are often used on the road.

Juventus Fans

Juventus fans value the history of their club and are able to defend it by any means available. Since the middle of the last century, fans of “black and white” have founded groups, real “ultras”, called: “Fossa Dei Campioni” and “Panthers”. Over time, these groups disintegrated and reassembled. At the same time, many other organizations were created, for example, the Irriducibli Vallette, created in 1990, had more than 20,000 fans and often took part in clashes.

Most of Juve’s fan communities are politically active, participating in all sorts of political actions. In 2006, over 100,000 Juventus fans gathered in Turin to support their team, which was demoted for the first time in history. Ultras “La Curva Nord” brings together over 1000 different groups around the world. According to La Republica, over 20 million people are rooting for Juventus around the world. Among the most famous fans of Juve are ex-head of the USSR Mikhail Gorbachev, Italian actor Michele Placido, Formula 1 racer Jean Alesi.

Juventus rivals and brothers

Being in a constant struggle for the title, it is impossible not to find principal rivals. First of all, this is the Torino football team, once a large Italian club, which is based in Turin next to the Old Signora. It was in the match against Torino that the most devastating defeat in the history of the striped 8-0 in 1912 was recorded. Another principal rival is the Inter club, with which the Derby of Italia is played.Among the simply important rivals are Roma, Fiorentina and Milan.

Juventus cooperates with Notts County, Spanish club Elche and Polish Legia. The Nigerian Super League is played by the Juventus team.

Famous Juventus players

• Giovanni Ferrari
• Virginio Rosetta
• Alessandro Del Piero (Club’s top scorer: 289 goals, Most played games: 705) 90,038
• Ciro Ferrara
• Guglielmo Nabetto
• Antonio Cabrini
• Claudio Gentile
• Franco Causio
• Gianluigi Buffon
• Andrea Pirlo
• Francesco Morini
• Felice Borel
• John Charles
• John Zansen
• Michelle Platini
• David Trezge
• Zinedine Zidane
• Paolo Rossi
• Fabio Cannavaro
• Roberto Baggio

Interesting facts about Juventus:

90,036

30 scudettos – a record for an Italian club. Also Juventus holds the record for the number of silver medals in the championship – 20.

90,037 107 divisions in the top division – the best achievement of any Serie A club

Meritocratic myth – News – IQ Research and Education Portal – National Research University Higher School of Economics

Why do some athletes achieve high results, while others remain in the shadows, and what do their birthdays have to do with it? In their column, Aleksey Pleshkov, a lecturer at the Faculty of Humanities, and Nikita Semyonov, a graduate of the HSE Lyceum, talk about how the principle of equality of opportunity breaks down on the systemic problem of organizing youth sports.

Justice is the first virtue of public institutions […]. Laws and institutions, however effective and successful, must be reformed or abolished if they are unjust.

John Rawls, The Theory of Justice

Professional sport is often one of the few areas in which the principle of meritocracy is implemented: regardless of origin or connections, the most talented achieve success.The meritocratic myth, however, is largely due to the fact that sports are not so often the focus of social and human sciences. In this column, we will show how a non-reflective attitude towards organizing children’s sports and evaluating the performance of children’s coaches in Russia leads to injustice in adult football. This injustice lies in the fact that in Russian professional football “aquarius” and “fish” are more in demand than “scorpions” and “archers”.But the stars are not to blame for this.

Diagram 1. Statistics of the birth rate of Russian football players in the RPFL since 2004
(R² = 0.9119)

Chart 1 presents data on the months of birth of all Russian footballers who have taken part in the Russian Football Championship (RFPL) since 2004. It is striking not only the fact that there are really a lot of January, February and March birthday parties among the players, but also how inexorably the number of football players born during the calendar year is decreasing.The most likely reaction to these figures is the assumption of the corresponding distribution of the birth rate in our country by month. If the birth rate decreases during the year, then the number of professional football players should also decrease. This explanation, however, is unsatisfactory.

Diagram 2. Statistics of the birth rate in Russia by months for 1970-2000.
(R² = 0.3306)

Figure 2 shows the monthly birth rate statistics for 1970–2000. In the first three months of the year, more children are actually born than in the last three, in the first half of the year – more than in the second.However, this diagram is strikingly different from the previous one. So, on the one hand, in February, one of the most “football” months, almost the smallest number of children are born. On the other hand, May, June and July, the most fertile months, do not favor future footballers too much. Another explanation of the observed phenomenon can be given using two concepts – the “effect of relative age” and the “Matthew effect”.

The first concept was proposed in the mid-1980s by the Canadian psychologist Roger Barnsley.Looking at the program with the composition of the youth hockey team, he drew attention to a suspiciously large number of young athletes born in January. Then, collecting data on North American professional ice hockey players, he found that the most common birth months were January, February and March. Barnsley explained the findings as follows: Children are very different from each other, even with a small age difference. Therefore, between children of the same age group (more precisely, one “selection period” – a calendar or school year, sports season) there is a significant difference in “academic performance” due to the fact that some of them were born earlier. This is easier to understand with an example. The 2010 team of the football school included two children – born on January 1 and December 31. Although both of them were born at the same year and will train and play in the same team, the former is actually a year older than the latter. On average, he is more developed, and therefore will be more successful and in demand than his younger teammate.

The effect of relative age explains unfair treatment of “late” children in youth sports, but why is this important for professional sports, in particular football? Suppose the difference between seven- and eight-year-old “athletes” catches our eye.However, the difference between twenty-seven and twenty-eight-year-old footballers is likely to be almost imperceptible. Here it is necessary to turn to the second concept, the “Matthew effect”. It was developed by the American sociologist Robert Merton in the 1970s. He noted that the degree of recognition and demand for scientific works largely depend on the “accumulated” fame of the scientist: “[. ..] [And] everyone who has will be given and multiplied, but from the one who does not have, what he has will be taken away” (Matthew 25: 29). This effect, as shown by further development, manifests itself in completely different fields, from sports and science to the global economy.It consists in the uneven distribution of advantages, in which the one who already possessed some superiority uses it to further improve his position, and initially “deprived” – eventually finds himself in an ever worse position.

How do these two concepts explain the first diagram? In order to guarantee a positive result, children’s coaches most often choose the most “developed” players within the same age category, ie. focused on those who turn out to be a little older than others.On average, these are those born in January, February and March. In other words, children’s coaches tend to mix “development” and “talent”. Slightly older players get more attention, get more playing time, enjoy more coaches’ trust. They are more likely to get an invitation to the best sports schools, where the workload, quantity and quality of training, as well as the qualifications of coaches, are much higher.

A self-fulfilling prophecy is triggered: some misconception (“older” children are more talented) corrects behavior, which embodies the initial mistake into reality (those born at the beginning of the year often become professionals).The problem is that “junior” players are unreasonably deprived of attention and opportunities for development. Who knows how many talented players ended up not getting enough attention to be able to speak loudly?

This influence is clearly visible not only at the level of all RFPL players, but also at the level of the youth national teams of Russia, where the recruitment is subject to the age qualification. So, among the players of the youth national teams of Russia under 17 (Diagram 3) and under 19 (Diagram 4) years old, called up in the squad since 2009, there are much more players born in January, February and March than in October, November and December.

Diagram 3. Statistics of the birth rate of the players of the youth national team of Russia U17
(R² = 0.914)

Diagram 4. Statistics of the birth rate of players of the Russian youth national team under 19 years old
(R² = 0.8912)

Probably the most problematic of this bias is felt if we look at the distribution by months of birth of the players of the main Russian national football team. The relative age effect and the Matthew effect explain the uneven distribution of the number of professional footballers by birth month, but there is no “real” talent in a footballer by birth month.If we agree that the main team is a team of the most talented football players in the country, then the discovered dependence at the national team level should not be seen. In other words, the month of birth significantly determines the possibility of “entering” the profession, but does not guarantee the success of a professional. This is confirmed by an analysis of the dates of birth of all players involved in the main national team of the country over the past 15 years (Diagram 5).

Diagram 5. Statistics of the birth rate of the players of the Russian national team for the last 15 years
(R² = 0.3409)

The closely related age effect and the Matthew effect create a clear inequity in access to the profession: those born earlier in the year are more likely to become professional footballers.The study reveals an important problem in the development of football in our country, which consists in the fact that coaches, focusing on immediate results, pay more attention to the physically and mentally more developed, simply because of their age, juniors. Accordingly, talented players born at the end of the calendar year are in less favorable conditions for development, as a result of which their chances of becoming professional footballers are significantly reduced. As simple and seemingly hassle-free as the design of children’s competitions, along with evaluating the effectiveness of coaches based on the performance of children’s teams, results in a strikingly unfair distribution of opportunities in professional football.
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Barcelona football: very scientific tiki-taka

• Philip Ball
• BBC Future

October 28, 2014

Photo by Getty

Barcelona’s signature tiki-taka style is great vision of the field, short passes and continuous movement with the ball – revolutionized football. But, as you know, “the revolution is devouring its children.”Did the rivals manage to get rid of the obsession and find successful methods of dealing with Barça? Here are the conclusions reached by author

BBC Future .

Last weekend the first El Clásico of the Spanish football season was played – Real Madrid hosted Catalan Barcelona. One of the most important confrontations in world club football this time ended in favor of the hosts – Cristiano Ronaldo and the company beat Barça with a score of 3: 1.

If you analyze Barcelona’s tactics, it becomes clear that this club (which many consider the best team of the last decade) has its own unique style.

Pablo Rodriguez, director of Telefonica, a telecommunications company in Madrid, has taken on this style in collaboration with computer specialists from Qatar. Rodriguez’s company has a commercial interest in Barcelona, ​​but the results of the study are no less interesting.

Photo author, Getty

Caption,

Messi is a great master, but he is not the only one who makes Barça’s game

Like many other leading clubs in the world, modern Barcelona considers football to be a “game of numbers” (this term was coined football columnists Chris Anderson and David Sully, who wrote the book of the same name).Coaches and their assistants try to win by analyzing statistics: who has the best possession of the ball, what areas of the field these players cover, who passes the ball to whom . .. is not limited to trivial counting of shots on goal and percentage of possession. Coaches are interested in the patterns and patterns of the development of the game.

During the analysis of the match, modern fans regularly see computer maps on TV, which clearly demonstrate the territory of the field controlled by this or that player, or diagrams of passes that led to a goal.

Photo author, Getty

Photo caption,

In the last el-clasico against Real Madrid, Messi’s magic did not help

Deep knowledge often dispels myths: when Jose Mourinho came to England to coach Chelsea, he was genuinely surprised by the enthusiastic reaction stands for earned corners. An experienced coach, who was familiar with statistics, understood perfectly well that little was hammered from corners, but the chances of getting a dangerous counterattack in response increased.

Telefonica could hardly have found a more interesting research object than Barcelona. This club has changed the way we look at football – not because it has wizards like Lionel Messi, but because Barça has developed a new style of play that prevents an opponent from possessing the ball. It was called “tiki-taka”: the team holds the ball, passing it with short, accurate passes.

Oddly enough, this is essentially a defensive approach to the game. By analogy with the catenaccio invented in Italy, this approach can be called “pasenaccio”.

The Spanish national team also adheres to similar tactics and, as we remember, often with good results.In such football, less attention is paid to bold and beautiful attacks, and instead of them, patience, reliability and a mindset to avoid defeat rather than win come to the fore.

But what makes tiki-taka so unique? Even for young children just starting to play football, coaches immediately explain how important it is to pass. And what about the Barça players – are they just doing it better? Rodriguez and his colleagues tried to find an answer to this question.

They looked at video footage of the 2012-2013 season in the major leagues in Spain, Italy, England, France and Germany, trying to isolate the characteristic patterns in the passes.Passing in football has been researched before, but, as a rule, attention was paid to other aspects: for example, how certain pairs of players interact with each other. Rodriguez and his colleagues took a deeper look at ball passing patterns, trying to find so-called “circulation patterns”: multi-pass sequences of passes between players. Scientists have already applied the concept of describing network structures through diagrams of their interconnection to studies of such natural systems as genes, neurons, and organisms in food chains.

The uniqueness of the Catalan football web

Having identified patterns of circulation in the schedules of a particular team, the researchers then calculated how often the same patterns would be repeated in randomly generated systems with similar parameters (for example, with the same number of interacting elements) . .. To do this, we had to process data on hundreds of thousands of passes.

Photo author, Getty

Photo caption,

Messi is ready to dribble, but he can also pass.What he will do next – no one knows

Even at first glance, Barcelona’s statistics were different from other Spanish teams. The Catalans used the A-B-A-C scheme much more often (for example, Xavi-Messi-Xavi-Neymar), and the A-B-C-D scheme – much less often. In other words, Barça’s play was much more structured: according to the researchers, tiki-taka is not endless random passes, but a precise, skillfully constructed pattern. ”

Barcelona’s uniqueness was even more pronounced when the researchers conducted this called cluster analysis, grouping teams according to how often they use each of the five possible four-pass patterns (A-B-A-B, A-B-B-A, etc.)etc.). All other Spanish teams were divided into two groups, and “Barca” stood apart.

If we add clubs from other European leagues to the calculations, the situation does not change much – there are a couple of teams (Torino, West Ham, Juventus) that do not quite correspond to the parameters of the main cluster, where most of the clubs have got. But “Barcelona” differs from others much more significantly.

Is this special punching pattern the key to Barça’s success?

Let’s take a closer look at the statistics of the 2014 World Cup: the Spanish national team played in a similar “Barcelona” style, but the ruthless Dutch rolled it into a pancake, and the Chileans put fillings in this pancake and ate it up with gusto. (Of course, the reasons for the defeat of the Spaniards in Brazil lie not only in the fact that their game was deciphered – the national team has aged elementarily, its players have already won everything that one can dream of, etc. – Ed.)

As we have already We know that Real Madrid also managed to find an antidote to the exhausting “tiki-taki” this time.

Does this mean that due to thoughtful analysis and skillful “game of numbers” you can be guaranteed to defeat even the most famous rivals? Unlikely. The ball, as they say, is round.

[PDF] Monitoring the functional state of football players high

Download Monitoring the functional state of high . ..

Monitoring of the functional state of highly qualified football players during the competitive season E.N. Bezuglov, Yu.A. Krasnozhan, E.A. Stukalov, S.A. Rossiyskiy. Yardoshvili A.E., Usmanova E.M. ZAO FC Lokomotiv First Moscow State Medical University named after IM Sechenov RGUFKSiT ABSTRACT The article provides data on modern methods of monitoring the functional state of highly qualified athletes using the example of football players, provides characteristics of various types of monitoring, which are divided into groups depending on the tasks.Using specific examples, the effectiveness of the proposed measures as a means of preventing overtraining and determining the orientation of the training process is shown, the main advantages of the research methods introduced into practice are described. Key

words:

functional

state,

overtraining, aerobic and anaerobic performance, body composition analysis, post-exercise recovery Professional football player’s state monitoring during the competitions. Bezuglov E.N., Krasnozhan Y.A., Stukalov E.A., Rossiyskiy S.A., Yardoshvili A.E., Usmanova E.M. FC “Lokomotiv” I.M.Sechenov First MSMU RGUFKS & T 1

There are different facts about modern control methods of functional high qualified footballers state in this article. The following football players example different kinds of methods are given. These methods are divided into groups according to the purpose. Exact examples show the useful activity that were given as prophylactics of overtraining and in what way the process of training will be.Here there is a description of the main advantages of methods in this research. Key words: functional status, overtraining, aerobic and anaerobic performance, analysis of body composition, recovery after exercise recovery. At the present stage of the development of football, revolutionary changes in the construction of the game are practically impossible, which is not surprising, given more than a century of development history. Thanks to careful selection, modern training technologies and the use of innovative pharmacological methods, the physical capabilities of the players’ bodies have also reached threshold values. In this regard, the control of the functional state of the body of athletes during the season becomes very important, which allows not only to adequately assess the current state, but also to predict and prevent the onset of negative changes. Speaking about monitoring during the season, we mean that before its start, the athlete has already undergone an in-depth medical study

according to

developed by

program

[3],

which

allowed

to correct the identified limiting factors and assess the baseline functional state.The main tasks of functional monitoring are: – assessment of the current level of the functional state – prevention of overtraining 2

– determination of

conformity

of the direction

of the training

process to the set goals and tasks – control over the processes of urgent recovery – control of the main systems for the dynamics of changes in capacity energy supply – timely identification of changes in the body of athletes potentially dangerous for the health of athletes – assessment of the adequacy of the pharmacological support and “point” correction of the identified changes In the course of work, several programs are used that differ in volume and tasks. Based on this, basic, milestone and current studies are distinguished. Despite the differences between them, they must meet the following criteria: -be stereotyped in terms of timing and conditions -easy reproducible – systemic -unambiguously interpreted -be

at least

invasive

and

relatively

easily tolerated

athletes Each of the types of monitoring in one combination or another includes

hematological

monitoring

(tab.1),

psychophysiological

testing, body composition analysis, determination of the state of the main energy supply systems, cardiovascular screening. Table No. 1 The volume of hematological monitoring 3

Types

base

staged

current

analyzes General blood test

+

+

–

General urine analysis

+

+ 9000 ALT

+

+

–

AST

+

+

–

Total bilirubin

+

+

–

creatine2 +

–

creatine2 +

–

creatine2 +

creatine2 + 5c.

+

+

+

creatinine

+

–

–

testosterone

+

+

–

cortisol2 +

9000 –

cortisol2 +

9000 9000

+

+

–

OZHSS

+

+

–

ferrite n

+

+

–

D-dimer

+

–

–

thyroid-stimulating hormone

+

–

–

–

protein

–

marker

+

+

–

+

–

–

immune status

+

–

–

electrolytes, (Mg,

,

+

–

uric acid

+

–

–

total cholesterol

+

–

–

glucose

+

–

– Laps total

protein

and

protein fractions

Na, P)

4

The indicated volume of hematological parameters allows how to identify the main limiting ph actors and evaluate

indicators,

used for screening [8]. For example, a change in the concentration of thyroid-stimulating hormone indicates possible changes in the thyroid gland and dictates the need for further examination. It is also important to determine the level of D-dimer, which is a marker of latent thrombi that do not manifest clinically. I would like to separately note that the definition of

of the reduced

immune status is carried out only before the season, since our own experience of three-year control of the immunograms of football players of all ages did not reveal clinically significant changes in the corresponding indicators in any group of observed and in any mode of games and training.

We are

[2].

training

we connect

loads

pharmacological

and

this is

with

good

permanently

correction,

in

volume

immunity

tolerance

…

An important role is played by systemic work to eliminate chronic foci

infection

(caries,

tonsillitis),

that

significantly

reduces the

risk of

immunological suppression. Characteristics of types of monitoring Basic monitoring (BM) is carried out twice during the season (before the season and in the off-season) or upon signing the contract and is part of the in-depth medical examination. A distinctive feature of this type of monitoring is a rather long period of absence of training before it. It allows you to assess the level and capacity of the main energy supply systems (treadmill test, MAM and Wingate tests), the rate of post-exercise recovery, fat and muscle content in the body, possible hematological limiting factors (low levels of hemoglobin, testosterone, electrolytes, iron, etc.).and a number of other significant factors that change against the background of physical exertion, which 5

can be selectively used for urgent correction of the training process – the speed of the sensorimotor

reaction [6], muscle tone, decreased muscle mass

, stress cardiomyopathies. Basic monitoring includes: 1) bioimpedance analysis of body composition 2) biochemical blood test, complete blood count, hormonal spectrum (testosterone / cortisol ratio, thyroid stimulating hormone level) 3) treadmill test

with

gas analysis (definition

total

working capacity, maximum heart rate, TANM, rate of recovery in terms of heart rate and lactate ion at 3 and 8 minutes) 4) Wingate test, MAM test (anaerobic performance and its capacity) 5) electrocardiography (stress cardiomyopathies) 6) sensorimotor speed reactions at rest and after exercise 6) muscle tone 7) spirometry at rest and after exercise (detection and prevention in case of physical exertion asthma) The results obtained during this type of study provide not only information for analyzing the current state and their correction, but also allow comparison of the obtained data with subsequent studies. Stage monitoring (EM) Stage monitoring is carried out 6-8 times a year: before the last pre-season collection, and then monthly. All studies are carried out 6

after two days of rest, which facilitates interpretation of the data and reduces the effect of post-load changes. It includes 1) bioimpedance analysis of body composition 2) biochemical blood test, complete blood count, hormonal spectrum (testosterone / cortisol ratio)) 3) Wingate test, MAM test 4) Luscher test 5) speed of sensorimotor reaction before and after load 6) muscle tone Current monitoring can be carried out at different stages of training microcycles, but most often the next morning after matches and hard training sessions or in the middle of the cycle to assess the tolerance of the proposed loads.It includes: 1) hematological control (creatine phosphokinase, urea, hemoglobin) 2) base heart rate and blood pressure

and their processing in various combinations

(Kerdo vegetative index, double product, etc. ) 3) determination of the speed of the sensorimotor reaction 4) Luscher test As

shows

practice,

carrying out

of

above

studies is possible only if the medical service and the coaching staff have the necessary equipment and the ability of doctors to competently conduct these studies and interpret them.For these purposes we use: 7

– stress testing system with gas analysis CARDIOVIT AT-104 PC Ergo-Spiro from Schiller – bicycle ergometer Monark Peak Bike 894E – portable laboratory Roche (Switzerland) for the determination of creatine phosphokinase, urea, hemoglobin and lactate – portable lactometers “AKKUTREND LACTAT” (Roche) -spirometer (multifunctional workstation CARDIOVIT AT-104 PC Ergo-Spiro, Schiller firm) -electrocardiograph

(electrocardiograph

CARDIOVIT

AT-1042) – Schiller

9000 computer programs for determining the speed of the sensorimotor reaction and conducting the Luscher test – bioimpedance analyzer of body composition ABC-01 “Medass” – apparatus for measuring muscles in dynamic movement “Myotest”. We consider it possible

to carry out all

studies in the proper volume only on our own (with the exception of ECG decoding, which must be carried out by a sports cardiologist), which dictates high requirements for the qualifications of representatives of the medical service. Another

important condition

is

understanding

by the coaching staff

of the significance of the tests carried out and the use of the results obtained in practice.

The fulfillment of

of the conditions listed above

allows

to form a proper attitude towards testing among football players, which is sometimes fundamentally important, especially when performing a test to failure.

8

The involvement of third-party specialists and organizations makes it practically impossible to carry out all stages of monitoring in the proper volume, both due to organizational difficulties and due to the lack of proper trust on the part of athletes. Below we want to give the main characteristics and features of some studies, as well as their order. As previously mentioned, the activities

of the base and stage

monitoring stages are carried out in the morning after a minimum of two days of rest.They begin with taking blood from a vein of a laboratory employee and conducting an analysis of body composition, since these stages require an empty stomach. After that, the athletes have a snack (sports bars, bananas, cookies) and a study of the motor reaction rate is carried out. The next step is electrocardiography at rest, Luscher’s test and the speed of the sensorimotor reaction at rest. In the absence of pathological changes, the player proceeds to perform the MAM and Wingate tests. And only after all this is a treadmill test with gas analysis and lactate ion determination before and after exercise (3rd and 8th minutes).We consider a two-fold determination of lactate to be fundamentally important, since by the dynamics of changes in its concentration in capillary blood, we can judge the rate of recovery and the level of preparedness – the growth of lactate ion by the 8th minute is an unfavorable sign. It is important to determine the speed of the sensorimotor reaction immediately after exercise, which, when compared with the results obtained at rest, gives an idea of ​​the degree of stability and stability of the sensorimotor reaction [5]. 9

Our own experience testifies that it takes no more than 6 hours to carry out all these studies in 15 people of the main team, which does not burden them with proper planning of the arrival of athletes.The time spent on each player does not exceed 80 minutes. We must not forget that at present most of the high-level sports teams are international in composition and the tests they offer should be simple enough to perform, which is why we use the Luscher test to assess the current psycho-emotional background, and as a technique that most quickly signals the onset of fatigue, the speed of the sensorimotor reactions. All other studies entered into everyday practice either because of their high accuracy or simple reproducibility and relatively uniform interpretation. The first group includes the determination of working capacity by the direct method (treadmill test, MAM and Wingate tests) and hematological control. The second group includes various methods of cardiovascular screening, used on a daily basis and allowing a quick and accurate assessment (in combination with other methods) of the current functional state [9]. As an example of the effectiveness of the developed scheme, the data of one of the basic and stage studies will be given below. Before the 2011 competitive season, the baseline monitoring indicators were assessed as part of the UMO.During the treadmill test, a group of football players with a slowed

recovery was identified

heart rate

and

with

relative to

low

indicators of maximum heart rate, which led to the correction of working heart rate zones on the Polar system, which was used during of the preparatory period and the intensity of the work of these players was 10

, estimated

is adequate to

of their

characteristics.

If

was used

would be

the classical formula for calculating the maximum heart rate (220-age) [1], then the proposed load would be excessive for these athletes. A number of football players showed changes in the work of the heart muscle, which were not pathological, but could limit them when performing the proposed loads – timely pharmacological correction was carried out and the training direction was changed [4]. Two football players had high levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone, which is a screening hormone to determine the state of the thyroid gland.He underwent an ultrasound scan, which excluded organic damage. Particular attention to this particular organ is dictated by its decisive role in the main metabolism, a decrease in which directly affects the athlete’s performance. According to the results of hematological control, all players were divided into groups with high and relatively low hemoglobin and testosterone levels. Taking into account the data obtained, during all the preparatory camp, measures were taken to increase the level of these indicators [6]. Already during the competitive season, after a staged study, data were obtained on the first low iron content in the body of a number of football players and an excessively high level of the muscle fraction of creatine phosphokinase and urea – an urgent pharmacological and pedagogical correction was started. At the same time, despite rather intense training, not a single football player had an electrolyte deficiency, the levels of hemoglobin and testosterone remained high, which indicated the adequacy of the pharmacological and nutritional support.11

Separately, it should be noted the important role of determining the body composition

by the method of

bioimpedance

analysis,

which

is strong

entered

into

everyday practice from the very beginning of the preparatory period. The introduction of this technique made it possible to move away from the stereotypical assessment of the effectiveness of the training process depending on the dynamics of the weight of a football player [7]. As a control, not a decrease in total weight was assessed,

but

change

in the ratio

fatty

and

musculoskeletal

components.The main task was to increase the musculoskeletal mass (SCM) with a decrease in the proportion of fat in the body, which does not always lead to a decrease in weight, which is confirmed by our own observations – there is even a slight increase in the weight of football players due to an increase in

SCM

at

decrease

content

fat

components (diagrams 1-3) Weight

78 77

76.8

76.5

76 January

Diagram

February

1.

Dynamics

77.1 76.7 March

April

changes

weight

football players

FC

Lokomotiv during the preparatory and competitive periods. % fat

16 14

14.7

14.9

12

14.7 13.9

January

February

March

April

12

Diagram 2.

9000

Dynamics

changes

content

fat

components of FC Lokomotiv footballers during the preparatory and competitive periods.SMM

55 54.4

54.4

54 January

February

54.5 March

55

April

Diagram 3. Dynamics of changes in the musculoskeletal mass of football players (SCM) of FC Lokomotiv during the preparatory and competitive periods. In addition to these indicators, when determining the body composition, the active cell mass (ACM) and phase angle (FU) were assessed, the dynamics of changes in which makes it possible to fairly accurately judge the degree of effectiveness of the training process.As

can be seen

from

given

below

graphs

in

during the

preparatory period there is a systematic increase in ACM and FU,

which

to

reached

maximum indicators

the beginning of the

competitive season (diagrams 4-5).

13

AKM

80 60

56.5

63.1

64.4

40 January

February

March

65.2

April

The dynamics of changes in the active cell mass (ACM) of football players of FC Lokomotiv during the preparatory and competitive periods.

FU

9 8

8.3

8.3

January

Diagram of football players

FC

February

5.

8.5 March

Dynamics

8.8

April

changes in

during

phase angle

(FU)

preparatory

and

competitive periods.The above examples once again emphasize the importance of daily systematic work to monitor the functional state of football players, which also includes the formation of a trusting attitude on the part of athletes to the events held. At the same time, the conduct of all examinations should not depend on immediate results and the mood of coaches and football players. 14

In our case, all representatives of the trainer-physician-athlete triangle have an understanding of the importance of the events and their great role in the general complex of building a quick and smart game that we are trying to play.

Literature 1.

Aulik

I.V.

Definition

physical

working capacity in the clinic and sports / Aulik Ivar Vasilievich. – M .: Medicine, 1990, p. 92 2.

Bezuglova

Yu.V.,

Pavlov

V.I.,

Bezuglov

E.N.,

Ordzhonikidze Z.G., Ukhlina E.V. Influence of physical activity of different intensity on the immune status of young

professional athletes,

Therapeutic

physical education and sports medicine, No. 12, p.3338, December 2010 3.

Bezuglov

E.N.,

Russian

survey

S.A.

athletes

Medical high qualification

before signing the contract, Bulletin of Sports Science, No. 2/2010, pp. 43-46

15

4.

Gavrilova E. A. Sports heart: stress cardiomyopathy. M.: Sov. sport, 2007.- p. 198

5.

Jordan

F.A.

Monitoring

functional

readiness of young athletes-reserve sports of the highest achievements, Publishing house Soviet sport, Moscow, 2011, p.141 6.

O.S. Kulinenko Sports Pharmacology Handbook: Medicines. M., Soviet sport, 2004, p. 308

7.

Nikolaev D.V. Bioimpedance analysis of human body composition. M.: Nauka 2009, p. 390

8.

Nikulin

B.A.,

Rodionova

I.I.

Biochemical

control in sports, Soviet sport, 2011, p. 228 9.

Makarova G.A. Sports Medicine Textbook. – M .: Soviet sport, 2003.- 480 s

10.

Ordzhonikidze Z.G., Pavlov V.I. Physiology of football. Publisher: Olympia-Press, 2008 240 pages

16

How to choose the right chart or graph for the annual report

The target audience of your presentation or report – investors, management and just people – expect to receive not a bunch of numbers, but already formulated conclusions or clearly placed accents. It becomes necessary to draw the attention of the audience to factors and circumstances, to show plans and strategy.

Graphic display of information helps to convey the desired idea, to support the formulated conclusion or to emphasize the emphasis

But there is one problem – the perception of positive and negative results. At the same time, different audiences have different attitudes even towards positive ones. For example, journalists may be skeptical about achievements. Shareholders tend to react painfully to losses. And here a subtle, thoughtful approach is needed.

It is very boring and tedious to tell about failures and negativity, and an interesting and cheerful story about successes can be supported by a visual demonstration, including a presentation with impressive graphs.At the same time, a correctly chosen chart can radically change the perception of information: if you simply show how the company’s income grew over the year, it will not be as impressive as if the dynamics of your competitor’s subsidence is shown next to it.

One of the challenges that slows down reporting and analytical work significantly is finding the right chart type. Choosing it incorrectly can cause confusion in the minds of viewers or lead to misinterpretation of the data.

Let’s take a look at an infographic about world oil production.

^{Top Lead infographic for Baker Tilly. View in full size.}

Everything is here – and production volumes, exports, forecasts, demand, consumers and tons of information. This infographic contains, in fact, a huge amount of data for an entire industry. However, it is easy to understand and certain trends are clearly visible on the graph.

To create a chart that explains and demonstrates accurate analytics, you first need to understand the reasons why you might need it at all. In this article, we will look at five questions that arise when choosing a chart type. Then we will give an overview of 13 different types of charts, from which you can choose the most suitable one.

5 questions to ask yourself when choosing a chart

1. Do you need to compare values?

Graphs are ideal for comparing one or more sets of values ​​and can easily display the lowest and highest readings.

Use the following types to create a comparison chart: bar, pie, scatter, scale with values.

2. Do you want to show the structure of something?

For example, you want to talk about the types of mobile devices that site visitors use or the total sales by segment.

Use the following charts to show the structure: Pie, Stacked Bar, Vertical Stack, Area, Waterfall.

3. Do you want to understand how the data is distributed?

Breakdown tables help you understand major trends and point out what is outside the box.

Use these charts: scatter chart, line chart, bar chart.

4. Are you interested in analyzing trends in a specific dataset?

If you want to know more about how numbers behave over a specific time period, there are chart types that represent this very well.

You will need: line chart, double axis (bar and line), bar chart.

5. Want to better understand the relationship between the set values?

Relationship plots are suitable for showing how one variable relates to another or several different variables. This can be used to show a positive, negative, or zero effect on another digit.

Use the following charts for this: scatter chart, bubble chart, line chart.

13 different types of charts for analyzing and presenting data

To better understand each chart and its uses, we will look at all chart types.

Bar graph

A bar graph is used to show comparisons between different items, and it can also compare items over a period of time. This format can be used to track the dynamics of conversions to the landing page or the number of customers over a certain period.

^{Top Lead Infographic for AEQUO Law Firm}

Design Guidelines for Column Charts

1. Choose a consistent color scheme and accentuate the places that you want to highlight as significant moments in time or changes over time …

2. Use horizontal labels to improve readability.

3. Start the y-axis at 0 to correctly plot the values ​​on the graph.

Horizontal bar chart

A bar chart — mostly horizontal bar — should be used to avoid confusion when one data bar is too long or when comparing more than 10 items. This option can also be used to render negative values.

^{Top Lead infographic for Aggeek online edition. View in full size.}

Design guidelines for bar charts

1.Choose a consistent color scheme and accent color places that you want to highlight as significant breakpoints or changes over time.

2. Use horizontal labels to improve readability.

3. Start the Y-axis at 0 to correctly plot the values ​​on the graph.

Line Chart

Line Chart displays trends or progress and can be used to visualize a wide variety of data categories. It should be used when you are creating a graph based on long-term data collection.

^{Top Lead Infographic. Line chart – bottom.}

Design guidelines for line charts

1. Use solid lines.

2. Draw no more than four lines to avoid visual distractions.

3. Use the correct height so that the lines occupy about 2/3 of the Y-axis height.

Dual-axis chart

Dual-axis chart allows you to plot data using two axes, X and Y.Several datasets are used, one of which, for example, is data for a period, and the other is better suited for grouping into categories. Thus, you can demonstrate the correlation or lack thereof between different indicators.

^{Top Lead Infographic for Growth Up. The double axis diagram is at the top.}

Design Considerations for Dual Axis Charts

1. Use the left Y axis for the primary variable because it is natural for people to look left first.

2. Use different plot styles to illustrate the two datasets.

3. Choose contrasting colors for the datasets to be compared.

Area Chart

The area chart generally looks like a line chart, but the space between the X-axis and the graph line is filled with color or pattern. This option is suitable for demonstrating the relationship between parts of a whole, for example, the contribution of individual sales representatives to the total sales for the year.This will help to analyze both the whole picture as a whole and information about trends in individual areas.

^{Top Lead infographic for Baker Tilly. From top to bottom: pie chart, two area charts, pie charts.}

Design guidelines for area charts

1. Use semi-transparent colors.

2. Use up to four categories to avoid confusion.

3.Organize data with a high frequency of volatility at the top of the chart to make it easier to perceive dynamic changes.

Stack chart

This can be used to compare many different items. For example, the frequency of visiting several sites and each page separately.

^{Infographics and layout – Top Lead. For Naftogaz Ukraine. The stacking chart is at the bottom left. View in full size.}

Design guidelines for stacking charts

1. It is best used to illustrate part-whole relationships. Choose contrasting colors for greater clarity.

2. Scale the diagram large enough to see the sizes of the groups in relation to each other.

Pie chart

A pie chart displays a static number and how the parts add up to a whole – the composition of something.The pie chart shows numbers as percentages, and the sum of all the segments should be 100%.

^{Infographics and layout – Top Lead. For Naftogaz Ukraine. View in full size.}

Design Guidelines for Pie Charts

1. Do not add too many categories to make the difference between slices clearly visible.

2. Make sure that the sum of all parts is 100%.

3.You need to arrange the pieces according to their size.

^{Top Lead infographic for Baker Tilly. View in full size.}

Waterfall Chart

Waterfall Chart is used to demonstrate how intermediate values ​​- positive and negative – affect the initial value and lead to the final result. An example would be visualization of how the total revenue of a company depends on different departments and turns into a specific amount of profit.

^{Infographics and layout – Top Lead. Annual report “Naftogaz Ukraine”. Waterfall diagram in the upper half of the layout. View in full size.}

Design Guidelines for Waterfall Charts

1. Use contrasting colors to highlight differences in your datasets.

2. Choose warm colors for growth and cool colors for fall.

Funnel Chart

A funnel chart displays the sequence of stages and the speed at which each stage is completed.It can be used to track the sales process or user interaction with the site.

^{Top Lead Infographic.}

Design Guidelines for Funnel Plots

1. Scale the size of each section to accurately represent the size of the dataset.

2. Use contrasting colors or shades of the same color from darkest to lightest as the funnel narrows.

There are several other types of graphs – they are not used very often, but they can also be useful for visualizing large amounts of data.Among them:

Scatter plot

A scatter plot shows the relationship between two different variables or shows distributional trends. It is suitable if you have many different point data and want to find commonality in the dataset. Such visualization works well in finding exceptions or data distribution patterns.

Design guidelines for scatter charts

1. Include more variables such as different sizes to combine more data.

2. Start the Y-axis at 0 for an accurate distribution of the data.

3. If you use trend lines, you need to limit yourself to a maximum of two so that the graph is clear.

Bubble Chart

A bubble chart is similar to a scatter plot. But only in the sense that it can show distribution and interconnection. There is a third set of data, which is denoted by the size of the circle.

Design guidelines for bubble charts

1.Grade the bubbles based on the area they occupy, not the diameter.

2. Make sure the marks are clear and visible.

3. Use only circles.

Scale with values ​​

This graph shows the progress towards the goal, compares it according to different criteria and displays the result as rating or performance.

Design guidelines for scale with values ​​

1. Use contrasting colors to show dynamics.

2. Use the same color in different shades to measure progress.

Heat Map

A heat map shows the relationship between two elements and provides rating information. Rating information is displayed using different colors or different saturations.

Heatmap Design Guidelines

1. Use a basic and clear map outline to avoid distracting viewers from the data.

2. Use different shades of the same color to show changes.

3. Avoid using multiple templates.

There can be a huge number of design options.

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