This study sought to create a formula called the Defensive Golden Index (DGI) that assigns an index to each player according to his individual and collective defensive performance. This method helps identify the best-ranked players in defending play, designated as Defensive Golden Players. The study was organized in two main phases: (1) selection, definition, and validation, including weighting assignment, of a set of variables associated with players’ defensive performance by applying statistical techniques to standardize variable values that compose the DGI formula; and (2) applicability of the DGI formula to rank players’ performance of Fútbol Club Barcelona (FCB) according to the opponents’ level in 38 games of La Liga 2018–2019. A set of variables (e.g. tackles, anticipation, successful interception, successful 1 × 1 defensive) were included in a questionnaire and (re)conceptualized based on previous literature and author’s experience as coaches and match analysts. The survey was reviewed by 11 football experts to ascertain the importance of variables, as well as validate and determine the weight of each variable. Each defensive variable was divided by the time played. Then the individual values were subtracted from the mean and divided by the standard deviation of the variable. The results of the DGI formula were obtained by multiplying the weights from the experts for each of the 12 standardized defensive variables by the sum of each variable. In general, the best-ranked FCB players (Defensive Golden Players) were Gerard Piqué, Clement Lenglet, and Sergio Busquets. Moreover, considering the opponents’ levels, the same players were best-ranked, however, with different order in the top three positions. The DGI formula is a valuable method for capturing individual and collective performance of football players in defending play.

这项研究试图创建一个称为防御性黄金指数（DGI）的公式，该公式根据每个球员的个人和集体防守表现为其分配一个指数。这种方法有助于确定防守队员中排名最高的球员，被称为防守金牌手。该研究分为两个主要阶段：（1）通过应用统计技术标准化组成DGI公式的变量值，选择，定义和验证一组与球员的防守表现相关的变量，包括权重分配；（2）DGI公式适用于根据2018-2019年西甲联赛38场比赛的对手水平，对巴塞罗那足球俱乐部（FCB）的球员表现进行排名。一组变量（例如，铲球，预期，成功拦截，成功的1×1防御能力）包含在问卷中，并根据先前的文献和作者作为教练和比赛分析员的经验进行（重新）概念化。11位足球专家对调查进行了审查，以确定变量的重要性，以及验证和确定每个变量的权重。每个防御性变量均除以比赛时间。然后，从平均值中减去各个值，然后除以变量的标准偏差。DGI公式的结果是通过将专家对12个标准化防御变量中每个变量的权重乘以每个变量的总和而获得的。总的来说，排名最高的FCB球员（防守金牌手）是杰拉德·皮奎（GerardPiqué），克莱门特·伦格莱特（Clement Lenglet）和塞尔吉奥·布斯克茨（Sergio Busquets）。而且，考虑到对手的水平，相同的玩家排名最高，但是前三名的顺序不同。DGI公式是捕捉足球运动员在防守中的个人和集体表现的一种有价值的方法。