# Influence of Game Indicators on the Ranking of Teams in the Spanish Soccer League
## 4 Discussion
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c} \hline
**Game Indicator** & **Period** & **Ranking** & **Period** & **Ranking** & \(t\) & \(p\)**-Bonferroni** \\ \hline Attacks & Pre-COVID-19 & Middle & COVID-19 & Europe & \(-\)5.73 & \(<\)0.001 * \\  & Pre-COVID-19 & Middle & Post-COVID-19 & Europe & \(-\)3.21 & 0.05 * \\  & Pre-COVID-19 & Europe & COVID-19 & Europe & \(-\)5.82 & \(<\)0.001 * \\  & COVID-19 & Relegation & Post-COVID-19 & Relegation & 3.42 & 0.02 * \\  & COVID-19 & Europe & Post-COVID-19 & Relegation & 5.00 & \(<\)0.001 * \\  & COVID-19 & Europe & Post-COVID-19 & Middle & 6.09 & \(<\)0.001 * \\  & COVID-19 & Relegation & Post-COVID-19 & Middle & 3.32 & 0.03 * \\ \hline Dangerous attacks & Pre-COVID-19 & Middle & COVID-19 & Europe & 4.73 & \(<\)0.001 * \\  & Pre-COVID-19 & Middle & Post-COVID-19 & Europe & 3.62 & 0.01 * \\  & Pre-COVID-19 & Europe & COVID-19 & Europe & 4.58 & \(<\)0.001 * \\  & Pre-COVID-19 & Europe & COVID-19 & Middle & 6.57 & \(<\)0.001 * \\  & Pre-COVID-19 & Europe & Post-COVID-19 & Relegation & 3.28 & 0.04 * \\  & Pre-COVID-19 & Europe & Post-COVID-19 & Europe & 3.13 & 0.03 * \\  & Pre-COVID-19 & Europe & Post-COVID-19 & Middle & 5.95 & \(<\)0.001 * \\  & Pre-COVID-19 & Middle & COVID-19 & Middle & 9.38 & \(<\)0.001 * \\  & Pre-COVID-19 & Middle & Post-COVID-19 & Relegation & 4.25 & \(<\)0.001 * \\  & Pre-COVID-19 & Middle & Post-COVID-19 & Middle & 8.02 & \(<\)0.001 * \\ \hline Total passes & Pre-COVID-19 & Relegation & COVID-19 & Europe & \(-\)3.84 & 0.01 * \\  & Pre-COVID-19 & Relegation & Post-COVID-19 & Europe & \(-\)4.45 & \(<\)0.001 * \\  & Pre-COVID-19 & Middle & Post-COVID-19 & Europe & \(-\)3.50 & 0.02 * \\  & Pre-COVID-19 & Relegation & Post-COVID-19 & Middle & \(-\)3.26 & 0.04 * \\  & Pre-COVID-19 & Europe & Post-COVID-19 & Europe & \(-\)4.46 & \(<\)0.001 * \\  & COVID-19 & Relegation & Post-COVID-19 & Europe & \(-\)4.06 & 0.00 * \\  & COVID-19 & Middle & Post-COVID-19 & Europe & \(-\)4.55 & \(<\)0.001 * \\ \hline \end{tabular} Note: Only statistically significant game indicators in the linear mixed model are shown in this table. * \(p\leq 0.05\).  
\end{table} 
Table 8: _Cont._UEFA Champions League [26]. It is possible that teams ranked in Europe spend more time ahead on the scoreboard than their opponents [26]. This could mean that, when they are winning, they are not in a hurry to score a goal or reach the opponent's area, assuming a strategy of keeping the ball and slowing down the game [27]. Moreover, this strategy involves making a greater number of passes [25]. The indicators of ball possession and total passes are positively associated with the shots on goal [28]. Ball possession leads to better collective play and optimal shooting positions, and also limit the opportunities of the opposing team [29]. During the COVID-19 pandemic period, the most prominent game indicators, also in favor of the Europe-ranked teams, were possession of the ball and dangerous attacks, with an intermediate effect; and the number of total passes, with a large effect. As can be seen, the first two pandemic periods followed a similar trend. This could be because the teams did not have time to adapt to the new changes in the way of playing. In general, Europe-ranked teams would have a higher technical level/quality [30]. This led to a higher ball possession, linked to the total number of key passes [25]. In the major European competitions (i.e., Ligue I, Serie A, LaLiga, the Premier League, and Bundesliga) during the 2019/2020 season, with fans in the stadia (before the restrictions), home teams scored more goals than visitors [7], because the number of dangerous attacks was higher. In contrast, another study [14] comparing the pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 period in European soccer matches showed a decrease in the goals scored by home teams in ghost matches, which also affected the points and ranking. Another indicator that was affected during the COVID-19 period, in similar studies [9; 12; 13], was the higher number of fouls committed by home teams which, in turn, resulted in more yellow cards.