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ABSTRACTRacket sports such as padel are characterised by a variety of specific displacements and behaviours on the court with the aim to cover spaces and take an offensive advantage during the point. The aim of this study was to analyse players’ location in offensive position when opponent hits the ball in different defensive zones. The sample included nine matches from a total of three top national indoor padel tournaments. Twenty-four male padel players performed the matches. Players and ball position was registered using a computerised motion tracking video system. Results showed a significant relation between offensive players’ movements (forward, backward or sideways) according to the position of the ball in defensive zones. Heat map and statistics analysis showed that regarding players’ width positioning, when the ball is in one corner of the defensive zone, both offensive players move to that side of the court. However, regarding players’ depth positioning, if one offensive player moves close to the net, his partner moves some metres back. Such knowledge may constitute a very important factor affecting tactic and task design for padel players and coaches and could be used as an important reference for others ball-over-net sports such as doubles tennis, doubles badminton, beach tennis or volleyball.

The purpose of this study was to determine the differences between winning and losing a wheelchair tennis match in the 2012 Paralympic Games. Data from 67 sets of 32 matches played by 32 female players in the 2012 Paralympic Games were analysed. The variables were grouped into four groups: variables related to the serve, to the return, to winners and errors, and variables related to net points. Univariate (Wilcoxon test) and multivariate (discriminant) analyses of data were carried out to discriminate the result of the set (win or loss). The variables that best predict the result of the set are break points won and points won on the first serve. The results showed that the winning player is a more aggressive server and serve returner, achieves more winning shots than her opponent, and commits fewer errors during the match. The paper discusses the differences between conventional tennis and wheelchair tennis and the application of the results.