Network structure and team performance: The case of English Premier League soccer teams

A defining feature of a work group is how its individual members interact. Building on a dataset of 283,259 passes between professional soccer players, this study applies mixed-effects modeling to 76 repeated observations of the interaction networks and performance of 23 soccer teams. Controlling for unobserved characteristics, such as the quality of the teams, the study confirms previous findings with panel data: networks characterized by high intensity (controlling for interaction opportunities) and low centralization are indeed associated with better team performance.

► We study team performance and network structure in teams.
► We draw on unique data of passes between soccer players. We extend previous research by applying a panel design.
► Increases in network intensity lead to increased team performance.
► Increases in network centralization lead to decreased team performance.