The limits of video-notational analysis in measuring intra-team communication during a soccer match – A case study on Dutch elite youth team

In team sport studies, video-notational analysis is commonly used to assess in-match communication, often under the assumption that nonverbal communication sufficiently captures the full scope of intra-team communication, including verbal communication. To examine this assumption, we obtained permission to conduct a case study with an elite U19 soccer team, recording their communication during a friendly match. We compared the quantity and types (i.e., giving indications, asking for ball, positive and negative communication, and others) of nonverbal communication derived from video alone versus verbal and nonverbal communication from video and audio combined. Results revealed that the quantity of communications for the two analysis methods did not correlate, as indicated by a non-significant Pearson's correlation coefficient of r(13) = .383, 95% CI [–.213, .771]. Differences with a weak effect size were found in the distributions of the types of communication between the two methods, χ² = 23.746, p < .001, Cramér’s V = 0.085. However, no single difference stood out in the distribution patterns. Finally, moderate to strong correlations between two analysis methods were found for giving indications and negative communication, while correlations for other types were absent. The case study underscores the need for integrating video with audio analysis for a representative understanding of communication in soccer.