GOAL SCORING FREQUENCY IN SOCCER IN DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS

Abstract

Scoring goals is the main objective and key to success in soccer. Therefore, all the aspects of this important performance indicator must be studied. Many authors have proposed to study different aspects related to goal scoring in soccer. However, the vast majority of these studies include adult players from professional or amateur teams. The aim of the present study was to analyze the goal scoring frequency in 388 soccer matches of Professional, Under-20 and Under-17 competitions from Brazil in order to compare the results between the different age groups. The impact of the first goal scored on the match outcome was also studied. The frequency of 1100 goals was analyzed by dividing the game in two (first and second half) and six equal periods of time. Data showed that there was a tendency of a greater number of goals scored over time with a higher percentage of goals scored in second half in all three competitions (p