Evolution of spatial structure, passing network patterns, and gameplay intensity in elite women’s and men’s football (2020–2025) (opens in new tab)

Elite football is believed to have evolved in recent years, yet systematic evidence for the pace and form of that change remains sparse. Drawing on event-level records for 13,018 matches across ten top-tier men’s and women’s leagues in England, Spain, Germany, Italy, and the United States (2020–2025), we quantify match dynamics through two complementary lenses: conventional performance statistics and pitch-passing networks that track ball movement across spatial regions of the field. Between ...