Passing got faster and more accurate in top soccer leagues, study finds

The amount and accuracy of passing in the game of soccer—called football across much of the world—has climbed in recent years, according to new research. The average passing volume, pass accuracy, and the percentage of passes made rose in gameplay over the last five years, with the biggest changes occurring in women's competitions, according to an article posted to the arXiv preprint server from the Network Science Sports Institute, or NetSi Sport, a new research group out of Northeastern University's Network Science Institute. Gameplay has become faster and more intense, suggesting there is greater defensive pressure.