Multidimensional Variables

This chapter will approach multidimensional performance indicators, consider their influence in team sports, how they can build upon tactical, physical and technical variables, and present how to obtain and apply them. Data from performance analysis researches are mostly reported separately, despite the agreement that physical, tactical and technical dimensions influence each other mutually. Consequently, the performance variables usually produced are unidimensional, such as distance covered in different intensities, the number of dribbles or tactical behaviours, as teams’ length. This outcome results in a lack of information integration, which has hindered a more profound understanding of team sports performance. The multidimensional variables aggregate data from physical, technical and/or tactical indicators to create integrated ones for performance analysis. These indicators consider spatiotemporal information for both positioning (derived from tracking systems such as GPS) and technical actions (video notational analysis), providing context to players and teams performance. This chapter will afford a rationale on how to produce multidimensional variables by integrating notational data with computed data from players tracking systems. Bringing this information to training practice, rather than keeping it exclusive to high-level matches, will provide novel and relevant information regarding how different training scenarios promote specific players behaviours.