In sports photography there is an old adage, “shoot tight, crop tighter”.
My thoughts are you should draw the viewer deep into the action. The two photos on the left are what the casual observer would see but the ones on the right bring the viewer into the action.
Obviously these rules can be broken. This photo is one that you need the entire scene to give the context of the story. However, it appears the rider isn’t very sharp. Now, that may be a result of the smaller file size.
Most of the soccer photos would not be accepted because they do not show eyes and the ball. Or, there are eyes and ball but there is no good action. And again, crop or shoot tighter. The players in the background are a distraction. And, the action rule can be broken, if the image is showing emotion.
It would be good to also pay attention to skin tones. The soccer photos look like they may have been taken near sunset, which gives a cool look. But, if they weren’t, make sure skin tones look natural. There appears to be some red from the shorts bleeding to the skin of the players.
I would also suggest to not add any vignetting to the images.
For some events, you will need some bigger glass. At least 300mm. If I remember correctly, you are shooting with a Nikon D750. So, it’s full frame and you don’t get the benefits of a crop sensor.
These are some starter tips. Now, if you will send me a head shot and your mailing address, I will make you an STSN press pass and get it sent to you.
Thanks and have a super fun day! Craig