From playing styles to game model: deconstructing the paradigm through analysts' perspective

Introduction Understanding how teams organise their tactical behaviour remains a central issue in football performance analysis. Although the concept of playing style has been widely discussed in the literature, its definition and practical interpretation remain inconsistent across both research and professional practice. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore how professional performance analysts conceptualise and interpret playing styles in elite football. Methods A qualitative and interpretative design was employed using semi-structured interviews with eighteen professional performance analysts from the two top competitive levels within Spanish football leagues, as well as national teams. The data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis, allowing the identification of recurring patterns and shared interpretations regarding the conceptualisation and practical use of playing styles. Results The results indicate that analysts perceive playing styles as part of a broader behavioural construct that defines general tendencies across teams, while the game model represents the contextual and team-specific application of these tendencies. Possession-based, direct and transitional play emerged as the predominant offensive styles, whereas defensive styles remain less conceptually defined. The findings also highlight the influence of contextual, competitive and individual factors, including the coach's philosophy, players' characteristics, level of competition and the tactical approach of opponents. These elements determine the degree of rigidity or fluidity expressed within each game model. Discussion The study proposes a theoretical framework that integrates offensive and defensive dimensions of play and situates rigid and fluid styles within the team game model. This framework enhances conceptual clarity and provides analytical value for future research and applied performance analysis in modern football.