{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T01:12:28Z","timestamp":1760145148650,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":32,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,6,20]],"date-time":"2024-06-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1718841600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Fremantle Football Club"},{"name":"Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship"},{"name":"University of Western Australia and UWA Tech &amp; Policy Lab"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Information"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Sports teams aim to understand the tactical behaviour of their opposition to gain a competitive advantage. Prior research of tactical behaviour in team sports has predominantly focused on the relationship between key performance indicators and match outcomes. However, key performance indicators fail to capture the patterns of ball movement deployed by teams, which provide deeper insight into a team\u2019s playing style. The purpose of this study was to quantify existing ball movement strategies in Australian-rules Football (AF) using detailed descriptions of possession types from 396 matches of the 2019 season. Ball movement patterns were measured by social network analysis for each team during offensive phases of play. K-means clustering identified four unique offensive strategies. The most successful offensive strategy, defined by the number of matches won (83\/396), achieved a win\/loss ratio of 1.69 and was characterised by low ball movement predictability, low reliance on well-connected athletes, and a high number of passes. This study\u2019s insights into offensive strategy are instructional to AF coaches and high-performance support staff. The outcomes of this study can be used to support the design of tactical training and inform match-day decisions surrounding optimal offensive strategies.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/info15060364","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,6,20]],"date-time":"2024-06-20T11:42:03Z","timestamp":1718883723000},"page":"364","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Clustering Offensive Strategies in Australian-Rules Football Using Social Network Analysis"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2768-9202","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Zachery","family":"Born","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"UWA Tech and Policy Lab, The University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Australia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6624-2895","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Marion","family":"Mundt","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"UWA Tech and Policy Lab, The University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Australia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5206-3842","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ajmal","family":"Mian","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Computer Science, The University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Australia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4101-9851","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jason","family":"Weber","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"UWA Tech and Policy Lab, The University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Australia"},{"name":"SpeedSig, Perth 6000, Australia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8866-0913","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jacqueline","family":"Alderson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"UWA Tech and Policy Lab, The University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Australia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,6,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"637","DOI":"10.1080\/02640414.2015.1066026","article-title":"Explaining match outcome in elite Australian Rules football using team performance indicators","volume":"34","author":"Robertson","year":"2015","journal-title":"J. Sport. Sci."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"467","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jsams.2018.09.235","article-title":"The relationship between match performance indicators and outcome in Australian Football","volume":"22","author":"Young","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Sci. Med. Sport"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"237","DOI":"10.1080\/02640414.2018.1491113","article-title":"Collective team behaviour of Australian Rules football during phases of match play","volume":"37","author":"Alexander","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Sport. Sci."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2416","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2018.02416","article-title":"Data-driven visual performance analysis in soccer: An exploratory prototype","volume":"9","author":"Theron","year":"2018","journal-title":"Front. Psychol."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"145","DOI":"10.1515\/hukin-2017-0166","article-title":"Changes in Effective Playing Space When Considering Sub-Groups of 3 to 10 Players in Professional Soccer Matches","volume":"62","author":"Folgado","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Hum. Kinet."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"28","DOI":"10.1177\/1471082X18808628","article-title":"Analysis of association football playing styles: An innovative method to cluster networks","volume":"19","author":"Diquigiovanni","year":"2019","journal-title":"Stat. Model."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2906","DOI":"10.1177\/0886260518759655","article-title":"Using behavior sequence analysis to map serial killers\u2019 life histories","volume":"36","author":"Keatley","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Interpers. Violence"},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1275","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ress.2011.05.003","article-title":"The use of a social network analysis technique to investigate the characteristics of crew communications in nuclear power plants\u2014A feasibility study","volume":"96","author":"Park","year":"2011","journal-title":"Reliab. Eng. Syst. Saf."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"21","DOI":"10.1007\/s13278-010-0012-6","article-title":"Social network analysis: Developments, advances, and prospects","volume":"1","author":"Scott","year":"2011","journal-title":"Soc. Netw. Anal. Min."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"170","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jsams.2010.10.459","article-title":"Networks as a novel tool for studying team ball sports as complex social systems","volume":"14","author":"Passos","year":"2011","journal-title":"J. Sci. Med. Sport"},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"682","DOI":"10.1016\/j.socnet.2012.08.004","article-title":"Network structure and team performance: The case of English Premier League soccer teams","volume":"34","author":"Grund","year":"2012","journal-title":"Soc. Netw."},{"key":"ref_12","unstructured":"Pena, J., and Touchette, H. (2012). A network theory analysis of football strategies. arXiv."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Fewell, J., Armbruster, D., Ingraham, J., Petersen, A., and Waters, J. (2012). Basketball teams as strategic networks. PLoS ONE, 7.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0047445"},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"866","DOI":"10.1080\/24748668.2019.1669007","article-title":"Using social network analysis to assess play efficacy according to game patterns: A game-centred approach in high-level men\u2019s volleyball","volume":"19","author":"Laporta","year":"2019","journal-title":"Int. J. Perform. Anal. Sport"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"209","DOI":"10.2478\/hukin-2019-0044","article-title":"Passing Network Analysis of Positional Attack Formations in Handball","volume":"70","author":"Korte","year":"2019","journal-title":"J. Hum. Kinet."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"822","DOI":"10.1080\/24748668.2017.1402283","article-title":"Network centrality analysis to determine the tactical leader of a sports team","volume":"17","author":"Sasaki","year":"2017","journal-title":"Int. J. Perform. Anal. Sport"},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1026","DOI":"10.1080\/24748668.2019.1689753","article-title":"Comparisons of ball possession, match running performance, player prominence and team network properties according to match outcome and playing formation during the 2018 FIFA World Cup","volume":"19","author":"Aquino","year":"2019","journal-title":"Int. J. Perform. Anal. Sport"},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"400","DOI":"10.1016\/j.humov.2017.10.001","article-title":"A social network analysis of the goal scoring passing networks of the 2016 European Football Championships","volume":"57","author":"McLean","year":"2018","journal-title":"Hum. Mov. Sci."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"123","DOI":"10.1515\/hukin-2015-0013","article-title":"Using network metrics in soccer: A macro-analysis","volume":"45","author":"Clemente","year":"2015","journal-title":"J. Hum. Kinet."},{"key":"ref_20","first-page":"116","article-title":"Evaluating Australian Football League player contributions using interactive network simulation","volume":"12","author":"Sargent","year":"2013","journal-title":"J. Sport. Sci. Med."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"053105","DOI":"10.1063\/1.5006986","article-title":"Complex networks untangle competitive advantage in Australian football","volume":"28","author":"Braham","year":"2018","journal-title":"Chaos Interdiscip. J. Nonlinear Sci."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1101","DOI":"10.1177\/17479541211052760","article-title":"Cooperative passing network features are associated with successful match outcomes in the Australian Football League","volume":"17","author":"Fransen","year":"2022","journal-title":"Int. J. Sport. Sci. Coach."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1053","DOI":"10.1080\/02640414.2020.1740490","article-title":"Network analysis of kick-in possession chains in elite Australian football","volume":"38","author":"Taylor","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Sport. Sci."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"676","DOI":"10.1080\/02640414.2020.1724044","article-title":"Understanding the relative contribution of technical and tactical performance to match outcome in Australian Football","volume":"38","author":"Young","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Sport. Sci."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"291","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jsams.2019.09.012","article-title":"Using cooperative networks to analyse behaviour in professional Australian Football","volume":"23","author":"Sheehan","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Sci. Med. Sport"},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"172","DOI":"10.1080\/24733938.2021.1923792","article-title":"Tactical analysis of individual and team behaviour in professional Australian Football","volume":"6","author":"Sheehan","year":"2022","journal-title":"Sci. Med. Footb."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"331","DOI":"10.1080\/24748668.2019.1605562","article-title":"Understanding effective tactics in Australian football using network analysis","volume":"19","author":"Young","year":"2019","journal-title":"Int. J. Perform. Anal. Sport"},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"64","DOI":"10.1080\/24733938.2022.2046286","article-title":"A holistic analysis of collective behaviour and team performance in Australian Football via structural equation modelling","volume":"7","author":"Sheehan","year":"2023","journal-title":"Sci. Med. Footb."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Moffatt, S.J., Gupta, R., Collier, N.F., and Keller, B.S. (2024). Classifying and quantifying team playing styles in the Australian Football League. Int. J. Perform. Anal. Sport, 1\u201318.","DOI":"10.1080\/24748668.2024.2325269"},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Hagberg, A.A., Schult, D.A., Swart, P., and Hagberg, J. (2008, January 19\u201324). Exploring Network Structure, Dynamics, and Function using NetworkX. Proceedings of the 7th Python in Science Conference (SciPy 2008), Pasadena, CA, USA.","DOI":"10.25080\/TCWV9851"},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"224","DOI":"10.1109\/TPAMI.1979.4766909","article-title":"A cluster separation measure","volume":"PAMI-1","author":"Davies","year":"1979","journal-title":"IEEE Trans. Pattern Anal. Mach. Intell."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"53","DOI":"10.1016\/0377-0427(87)90125-7","article-title":"Silhouettes: A graphical aid to the interpretation and validation of cluster analysis","volume":"20","author":"Rousseeuw","year":"1987","journal-title":"J. Comput. Appl. Math."}],"container-title":["Information"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2078-2489\/15\/6\/364\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T15:01:47Z","timestamp":1760108507000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2078-2489\/15\/6\/364"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2024,6,20]]},"references-count":32,"journal-issue":{"issue":"6","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,6]]}},"alternative-id":["info15060364"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/info15060364","relation":{},"ISSN":["2078-2489"],"issn-type":[{"type":"electronic","value":"2078-2489"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2024,6,20]]}}}