Assessment of the Offensive Play in Elite Water Polo Using the Team Sport Assessment Procedure (TSAP) over an Entire Competitive Season

Abstract

In water polo, the team’s technical and tactical performance is determined by the sum of the players’ activities. This study aimed to investigate the playing offensive performance of an Italian First League team performed during all matches (n = 19) of the 2021/22 championship using the Team Sport Assessment Procedure (TSAP). For all subjects (n = 15), gaining possession of the ball (received balls (RB) and conquered balls (CB)) and disposing of the ball (neutral balls (NB); lost balls (LB); offensive ball (OB) and successful Shots (SS)) parameters, as well as volume of play (VP), efficiency index (EI) and performance score (PS) indexes, were analyzed in relation to the playing positions, season phase, match location and final score difference. Multiple linear regression showed a significant association between the playing position and VP and PS. Perimetral players showed the highest VP (65%) and PS (66%) values, and center defenders showed the highest values of CB (30%), while center forwards gained the highest amount of exclusion when handling the ball (48%). Although they were not significant, the other contextual factors showed that season phase and match location could affect the TSAP indexes. For water polo coaches, the TSAP represents an effective tool to assess how players interpret the match.