[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-detail-125938-en":3,"doc-seo-125938-105":31,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":93},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",{"doc_id":7,"user_id":8,"nickname":9,"user_avatar":10,"doc_module":4,"category_id":11,"category_name":12,"doc_title":13,"doc_description":14,"doc_content":15,"file_id":16,"file_url":17,"file_type":18,"file_size":19,"view_count":20,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":21,"is_downloadable":21,"audit_status":21,"page_count":22,"language":23,"language_code":24,"site_id":25,"html_lang":24,"table_of_contents":26,"faqs":27,"seo_title":28,"seo_description":14,"update_tm":29,"read_time":30},125938,2336474459895,"Aria","https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/avatar/22000baeef7a5ed0655?x-image-process=image/resize,m_fixed,w_180,h_180&k=1786071322749376916",8,"Research & Report","The Success Factors of Rest Defense in Soccer - A Mixed-Methods Approach of Expert Interviews, Tracking Data, and Machine Learning","Soccer tactics vary across phases of play, yet successful behavior during defensive transition—shifting from attack to defense after ball loss—remains insufficiently understood. This study analyzes rest defense as a group tactic, where players in possession phase protect against rapid counterattacks after a turnover, using mixed methods. Semi-structured interviews with seven professional coaches define rest defense, while tracking and event data from 153 Bundesliga matches (2020/21) support KPI computation and machine-learning prediction. Results indicate that positioning deepest defenders and controlling deep spaces are linked to successful outcomes, emphasizing fast regain of possession after loss.","©Journal of Sports Science and Medicine (2023) 22, 707-725  \n[http://www.jssm.org DOI:](http://www.jssm.org DOI:) [https://doi.org/10.52082/jssm.2023.707](https://doi.org/10.52082/jssm.2023.707)  \nResearch article  \nThe Success Factors of Rest Defense in Soccer – A Mixed-Methods Approach of Expert Interviews, Tracking Data, and Machine Learning  \nLeander Forcher 1,2 􀀍 , Leon Forcher 1,2, Stefan Altmann 1,3, Darko Jekauc 1 and Matthias Kempe 4  \n1 Institute of Sports and Sports Science, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany; 2 TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, Zuzenhausen, Germany; 3 TSG ResearchLab gGmbH, Zuzenhausen, Germany; 4 Center for Human Movement Sciences, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), Groningen, The Netherlands  \nAbstract  \nWhile the tactical behavior of soccer players differs between specific phases of play (offense, defense, offensive transition, defensive transition), little is known about successful behavior of players during defensive transition (switching behavior from offense to defense) . Therefore, this study aims to analyze the group tactic of rest defense (despite in ball possession, certain players safeguard quick counterattacks in case of ball loss) in defensive transition. A mixed-methods approach was used, involving both qualitative and quantitative analysis. Semi-structured expert interviews with seven professional soccer coaches were conducted to define rest defense. In the quantitative analysis, several KPIs were calculated, based on tracking and event data of 153 games of the 2020/21 German Bundesliga season, to predict the success of rest defense situations in a machine learning approach. The qualitative interviews indicated that rest defense can be defined as the positioning of the deepest defenders during ball possession to prevent an opposing counterattack after a ball loss. For instance, the rest defending players created a numerical superiority of 1.69 ± 1.00 and allowed a space control of the attacking team of 11.51 ± 9.82 [%] in the area of rest defense. The final machine learning model showed satisfactory prediction performance of the success of rest defense (Accuracy: 0.97, Precision: 0.73, f1-Score: 0.64, AUC: 0.60) . Analysis of the individual KPIs revealed insights into successful behavior of players in rest defense, including controlling deep spaces and dangerous counterattackers. The study concludes regaining possession as fast as possible after a ball loss is the most important success factor in defensive transition.  \nKey words: Team sports, performance analysis, tactics, defensive play, football.  \nIntroduction  \nIn soccer practice, it is well known that a single attack can make the difference between victory and defeat. It is quite common for one team to seemingly dominate the other, failing to take the lead and leaving the other team waiting for a decisive counterattack. To prevent this from happening, most teams station several players behind the ball to safeguard a possible counterattack in the event of a sudden ball loss. This tactical approach is referred to as rest defense. While it is widely acknowledged in soccer practice, there is only scarce research on it. To close this gap, this study aims to provide a definition of rest defense that enables a quantification of success, and to identify variables that distinguish between unsuccessful and successful tactical behavior of rest defense.  \nWhile soccer performance can be analyzed in the sub-areas of physical, technical, psychological, and tactical performance (Hohmann, 1983; Weineck, 2007), this study will assess the tactical behavior of soccer players in the outlined match situation.  \nIn particular, the tactical behavior of the players differs depending on the playing phase of the game and their respective goals. Accordingly, the match situations in a game can be divided into four distinct playing phases (offensive play, defensive play, defensive transition, offensive transition) w","cbCaibV7akVDf26y","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaibV7akVDf26y","pdf",521483,5,1,19,"English","en",105,"# Introduction\n## Rest defense and defensive transition\n## Rationale and research aims\n# Methods\n## Expert interviews\n## Tracking and event data with KPIs\n## Machine learning prediction\n# Results\n## Qualitative definition of rest defense\n## Quantitative success prediction performance\n## KPI insights for successful behavior\n# Conclusion\n## Key success factor for rest defense","[{\"question\":\"What is rest defense in soccer defensive transition?\",\"answer\":\"Rest defense refers to group positioning where the deepest defenders safeguard quick counterattacks after a ball loss during defensive transition.\"},{\"question\":\"How was rest defense defined in this study?\",\"answer\":\"A mixed-methods approach was used: seven professional coaches participated in semi-structured interviews to establish a practical definition.\"},{\"question\":\"Which data and modeling approach were used to predict success?\",\"answer\":\"The study calculated several KPIs from tracking and event data from 153 Bundesliga matches and used a machine learning model to predict the success of rest defense situations.\"}]","The Success Factors of Rest Defense in Soccer - A Mixed-Methods Approach of Expert Interviews, Tracking Data, and Machine Learning | PDF",1785902132,48,{"code":4,"msg":32,"data":33},"ok",{"site_id":25,"language":24,"slug":34,"title":13,"keywords":35,"description":14,"schema_data":36,"social_meta":88,"head_meta":90,"extra_data":92,"updated_unix":29},"the-success-factors-of-rest-defense-in-soccer-a-mixed-methods-approach-of-expert-interviews-tracking-data-and-machine-learning","",{"@graph":37,"@context":87},[38,55,70],{"@type":39,"itemListElement":40},"BreadcrumbList",[41,45,49,52],{"item":42,"name":43,"@type":44,"position":21},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":46,"name":47,"@type":44,"position":48},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":50,"name":12,"@type":44,"position":51},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":53,"name":13,"@type":44,"position":54},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/the-success-factors-of-rest-defense-in-soccer-a-mixed-methods-approach-of-expert-interviews-tracking-data-and-machine-learning/125938/",4,{"url":53,"name":13,"@type":56,"author":57,"headline":13,"publisher":59,"fileFormat":62,"inLanguage":24,"description":14,"dateModified":63,"datePublished":64,"encodingFormat":62,"isAccessibleForFree":65,"interactionStatistic":66},"DigitalDocument",{"name":9,"@type":58},"Person",{"url":42,"name":60,"@type":61},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-08-25","2026-08-05",true,{"@type":67,"interactionType":68,"userInteractionCount":20},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":69},"ViewAction",{"@type":71,"mainEntity":72},"FAQPage",[73,79,83],{"name":74,"@type":75,"acceptedAnswer":76},"What is rest defense in soccer defensive transition?","Question",{"text":77,"@type":78},"Rest defense refers to group positioning where the deepest defenders safeguard quick counterattacks after a ball loss during defensive transition.","Answer",{"name":80,"@type":75,"acceptedAnswer":81},"How was rest defense defined in this study?",{"text":82,"@type":78},"A mixed-methods approach was used: seven professional coaches participated in semi-structured interviews to establish a practical definition.",{"name":84,"@type":75,"acceptedAnswer":85},"Which data and modeling approach were used to predict success?",{"text":86,"@type":78},"The study calculated several KPIs from tracking and event data from 153 Bundesliga matches and used a machine learning model to predict the success of rest defense situations.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":53,"og:type":89,"og:title":13,"og:site_name":60,"og:description":14},"article",{"robots":91,"canonical":53},"index,follow",{"doc_id":7,"site_id":25},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":94},[95,99,103,107,111,116,121,124,129,132,136],{"id":21,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":47,"category_name":96,"show_sort_weight":97,"slug":98},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":48,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":47,"category_name":100,"show_sort_weight":101,"slug":102},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":54,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":47,"category_name":104,"show_sort_weight":105,"slug":106},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":20,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":47,"category_name":108,"show_sort_weight":109,"slug":110},"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":112,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":47,"category_name":113,"show_sort_weight":114,"slug":115},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":117,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":47,"category_name":118,"show_sort_weight":119,"slug":120},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":11,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":47,"category_name":12,"show_sort_weight":122,"slug":123},30,"research-report",{"id":125,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":47,"category_name":126,"show_sort_weight":127,"slug":128},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":127,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":47,"category_name":130,"show_sort_weight":127,"slug":131},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":133,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":47,"category_name":134,"show_sort_weight":133,"slug":135},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":47,"category_name":137,"show_sort_weight":20,"slug":138},"General","general"]