Introduction This study conducts a comparative analysis of packing rate key performance indicators across top football leagues in South Africa, England, Spain, Germany and the UEFA Champions League. Packing rate, a novel metric developed by Impect GmbH measures the effectiveness of player actions in bypassing opponent players, offering a deeper insight into the game into the match`s dynamics (Goes, 2019). The research aimed to evaluate its comparative applicability across different leagues using packing rate metrics. Methods A large dataset of secondary data containing packing variables for 6310 matches were analysed. This quantitative study employed principal component analysis to reduce the datasets dimensions followed by analysis of variance (ANOVA) and a Turkey post-hoc tests to identify significant differences in packing rates across the leagues in all principal components analyzed. Results Based on the output, four out of the initial ten components were retained accounting for 74.184% of the total variance. The dimensions were organised into categories in which PC1 can be labelled as attacking efficiency, PC2 can be labelled as ball retention, PC3 can be labelled as defensive efficiency, and PC4 can be thought of in terms of adding or reducing the number of defenders. South African leagues packing statistics were significantly different from those in European leagues. Especially with regards to the adding and reducing the number of defenders. Conclusion These statistically significant variations underline the need for league-specific approach when employing packing rate as a predictive tool for football match analysis. The study suggests that while packing rate analysis can differentiate between leagues, it necessitates adjustment specific to each league to be effective. This research opens avenues for further exploration into backing rate analysis, emphasising its potential as an innovative and factual tool for football analytics and match outcome predictions.
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