The Effects of Ball Recovery Times on Match Results in Football

The aim of this study is to analyze the ball recovery times of the teams in the Turkish Super League. The sample group of the research consists of the teams that finished the league in the first 4 and last 4 places in the 2021-2022 season. For the analysis of the research, a total of 2 matches of the 8 football teams in the sample were selected randomly. The relationship between the ball recovery times and the number of goals scored and conceded, ball possession rate, total number of shots, goal expectation and number of corners were examined using the video analysis method, and comparisons were made between the variables according to the match result. Also, the relationship between these five parameters and the ball recovery times discussed. In the research findings, it was seen that there is a significant negative relationship between the ball recovery times and the number of goals scored, total number of shots, ball possession percentages, goal expectations and points received by the teams. Moreover, the findings show that the ball recovery times of the winning teams were much lower than the losing teams. On the other hand, there is a significant positive relationship between the ball recovery times and the number of goals they concede. In addition, no statistically significant relationship was found between the ball recovery times and the number of corners taken by the teams. In conclusion, this research reveals that recovering the ball back faster is an important parameter for winning a match in football.