Ball Possession as a Determinant of Victory in Soccer

This study determined the relationship between ball possession and victory in soccer. The study was limited to analysis of three (3) matches out of the six (6) matches played by Nigeria Female National team in 2010 FIFA Under-20 Female World Cup played in Germany. The method used is the content analysis of the videotapes of matches played to determine the frequency of ball possession and other variables of the matches involved. The medium scores of frequency of ball possession in three videotapes of matches from three Research Assistants that monitored the videotapes separately were interpreted in percentage. The study revealed that ball possession is not a determinant of victory in soccer. Keywords: Styles of play, principles of play, Team philosophy, fitness, grades of difficulty, strategic team behaviour