Thirteenth International Conference on Sport & Society

Abstract

This study is based on a dataset of club football teams consisting of the top five European Leagues. Twenty-six years of data were examined to understand the importance of time period in a game of fixed timekeeping. Time period was broken into equal sessions of 15 minutes each; 1st – 15th, 16th – 30th, 31st – 45th, 46th – 60th, 61st – 75th and 76th – 90th. Thus, for the full 90 minutes match duration, there were 6 sessions. The extra time provided at the end of each half was also taken into consideration. Since the extra time for each match varies, it was described as 45+ and 90+. In all, eight sessions form the distribution frame of this study. The impact of the CoVID – 19 pandemic which lead to the absence of fans from the stadiums was also taken into consideration. Results indicate that most (least) goals are scored during the 76th – 90th (1st – 15th) sessions respectively across all the 5 European Leagues. When comparing the number of goals scored at the extra time given by the referees i.e. at the 45+ and 90+ time sessions, it was found that more goals are scored during the latter. The absence of fans from stadiums didn’t cause any impact on the initial rankings obtained. This study is a seminal longitudinal study that highlights importance of certain time periods over another in a limited time sport, and has cues for players, coaching staff, managers, referees, football associations, and fans.