title: Effects of competition level on the centre forward role of men's water polo.
abstract: This study aimed to compare specific technical and tactical indicators of the team and centre forward role of Euro League, and Italian Serie A1, Serie A2, and Serie B men's water polo club competitions. A notational analysis was performed on 21 water polo matches to evaluate the occurrence of technical and tactical team and centre forward indicators, highlighting differences among championships according to chi-square analyses. Differences emerged for Counterattack (P < 0.001) and Power-Play (P < 0.001) possessions, Even (P < 0.001; Euro League: 3 ± 1, Serie A1: 3 ± 2, Serie A2: 3 ± 2, Serie B: 6 ± 4) and Power-Play (P = 0.001) goals, and exclusions and penalties (P = 0.008) of the team during Even possessions. Relatively to the role analyses, effects emerged for perimeter players playing events (P = 0.049), as well as for centre forwards' goals (P = 0.007) and exclusions and penalties (P < 0.001; Euro League: 8 ± 1, Serie A1: 6 ± 2, Serie A2: 6 ± 2, Serie B: 3 ± 2) occurring at the end of Even possessions. Therefore, in Euro League, and Italian Serie A1 and Serie A2, teams perform a high occurrence of Power-Play possessions following up an exclusion, especially achieved by the centre forward during Even possessions, while, in Italian Serie B, goals were mostly scored during Even possessions, with a relevant contribution from the centre forward role.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Movement and Sport Sciences, University of Rome Foro Italico, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Corrado
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lupo
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Minganti
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cortis
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Perroni
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Capranica
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tessitore
mesh_terms: D056352:Athletes; D054874:Athletic Performance; D003163:Competitive Behavior; D005060:Europe; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024382:Professional Role; D013177:Sports; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D014867:Water