Analysis of Outcomes based on the Situations in which Aerial Duels Occurred in Football

This study aimed to analyze the outcomes of aerial duels based on the types of situations in which they occurred. The research focused on all matches (n=228) from the 2023 season of the K League 1, South Korea’s top professional football league. The independent variables were the number of aerial duel attempts, success rates, and second-ball recoveries, while the dependent variables were match results, team identity, and team quality. Aerial duel situations were categorized into passes, crosses, goal kicks, and other situations for both our team and the opposing team. The statistical methods used included descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test, and Mann-Whitney U test. On average, 45.96 aerial duels occurred per match, with nearly half (46.7%) resulting from passes, followed by crosses (16.7%) and goal kicks (12.5%). There was no significant correlation between the number of aerial duel attempts and match analysis indicators (such as goals, shots, ball possession, etc.), nor were there significant differences in match outcomes among winning, drawing, and losing teams. However, weaker teams attempted more aerial duels and recovered more second balls than stronger teams. This study is academically significant because it analyzed the variables based on the types of situations in which aerial duels occurred, a factor not considered in previous research. It is also practically valuable, providing information necessary for analyzing team attacking patterns and aerial duel capabilities on the field.