Abstract:

The objective of this study was to verify the effects of the away goal rule on the possession of the ball and goals scored in the final stages of the Brazilian Football Cup. We analyzed 48 official matches of the Brazilian Cup in 2016 and 2017, when the away goal rule was used, and 2018 and 2019, when the respective rule was no longer used. The data collected from each match were the score of the game and the time of ball possession, separated in the first and second half referring to the quarterfinals and semifinals stages. In order to verify differences in ball possession in the outgoing games of the analyzed stages with and without qualified goal of the home and away teams, one-way analysis of variance was performed separately for each team. Similar analyzes were carried out for the goals scored in the first leg games, as well as in the possession of the ball and goals scored in the second leg games. The results showed superiority in the average ball possession in the first half of the quarter-final and semifinal matches of the home teams in the years without the away goal rule (2018-2019). In addition, it was verified superiority of goals scored by the home teams in the quarterfinals and semifinals with the away goal rule (2016-2017), in the 2nd half of the second leg games. It is concluded that the qualified goal rule affected the behavior of the home and away teams, at the 2016-2019 Brazilian Football Cup.

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