scholarly journals Match-related physical performance in professional soccer: Position or player specific?

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (9) ◽  
pp. e0256695
Author(s):  
Stefan Altmann ◽  
Leon Forcher ◽  
Ludwig Ruf ◽  
Adam Beavan ◽  
Timo Groß ◽  
...  

The purpose of this study was to examine to what extent the physical match performance of professional soccer players is both position and player specific. First, official match data from the 2019/20 German Bundesliga season was used to search for players that met the inclusion criteria of playing a minimum of four entire matches in at least two different playing positions. Overall, 25 players met the criteria prior to the COVID-19 induced break, playing a minimum of eight matches. Second, the physical match performance of these players was analyzed separately for each position they played. The following four parameters were captured: total distance, high-intensity distance, sprinting distance, and accelerations. Third, the 25 players’ physical match performance data was then compared to normative data for each position they played to understand whether players adapted their physical performance (position dependent), or maintained their performance regardless of which position they were assigned to (position independent). When switching the position, the change in physical match performance of the respective players could be explained by 44–58% through the normative positional data. Moreover, there existed large individual differences in the way players adapted or maintained their performance when acting in different positions. Coaches and practitioners should be aware that some professional soccer players will likely incur differences in the composition of physical match performance when switching positions and therefore should pay special consideration for such differences in the training and recovery process of these players.

Symmetry ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 1551
Author(s):  
Marek Konefał ◽  
Marcin Andrzejewski ◽  
Paweł Chmura ◽  
Michał Zacharko ◽  
Łukasz Radzimiński

The main purpose of this study was to compare the physical match performance of right- and left-footed external defenders during official matches of Polish Ekstraklasa. The sample comprised 991 individual observations from 296 matches during the 2019/2020 season. Variables such as total distance, distance covered in high-speed running and sprinting, and number of high-intensity runs were analysed. Additionally, the data were presented in relation to match duration and effective playing time. Right external defenders (right ED) covered significantly longer total distance (p < 0.001, 1.5%), high-speed running distance (p < 0.001, 5.6%) and sprinting distance (p < 0.001, 11.4%) compared to left external defenders (left ED). The number of high-intensity runs was greater for right RD as well (p < 0.001, 6.4%). Physical match activity for left ED who are left-footed was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in comparison with right-footed left ED. The number of offensive actions played on the right side of the pitch was significantly (p < 0.001) higher than those performed on the left side. Players whose dominant foot is in accordance with the side of the pitch cover longer distances during the match. Moreover, the number of offensive actions played through the wings could affect the physical performance of external defenders.


Author(s):  
Łukasz Radzimiński ◽  
Alexis Padrón-Cabo ◽  
Marek Konefał ◽  
Paweł Chmura ◽  
Andrzej Szwarc ◽  
...  

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the in-season pandemic lockdown influenced physical match performance in professional soccer players who participated in the competition of German Bundesliga and Polish Ekstraklasa. The data from 306 games for German Bundesliga and 296 games for Polish Ekstraklasa were divided into before- and after-lockdown periods. The physical performance of German Bundesliga teams after the 63-day COVID-19 lockdown did not differ significantly from that in the first part of the season. In contrast, Polish Ekstraklasa teams, after the 81-day lockdown, displayed significantly shorter total distances (p < 0.001), shorter high-intensity running distances (p = 0.03), and fewer high-intensity actions (p = 0.02). Moreover, when the effective playing time was considered, teams covered significantly less relative total distance (p < 0.001) and relative high-intensity running distance (p = 0.02). The results of the current study suggest that physical performance during the matches of the German Bundesliga was not influenced by the COVID-19 lockdown, contrary to those of the Polish Ekstraklasa. This difference could have been caused by different break lengths and different restrictions implemented in these countries during the pandemic lockdown.


2019 ◽  
Vol Publish Ahead of Print ◽  
Author(s):  
Ezequiel Rey ◽  
Pablo B. Costa ◽  
Francisco J. Corredoira ◽  
Alex Sal de Rellán Guerra

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 846-852 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Scott ◽  
JJ Malone ◽  
R Morgans ◽  
D Burgess ◽  
W Gregson ◽  
...  

The aim of the investigation was to determine the relationship between blood creatine kinase and physical match performance in 15 elite male soccer players competing in the English Premier League. Blood samples were collected 48 h following a competitive match and analysed for creatine kinase concentration immediately after collection. Physical match performance data were collected using a computerised tracking system (Prozone®) from >6 matches for each player. Mean ± S.D creatine kinase concentration 48 h post-match was 520 ± 224 µ.mol.l−1. Large individual variation in creatine kinase response at this time point was observed (184 µ.mol.l−1 to 1573 µ.mol.l−1). No significant correlation coefficients were observed between the chosen indicators of physical match performance and creatine kinase concentration 48 h post-match. These data suggest that creatine kinase concentrations are elevated as a consequence of playing a soccer match. Creatine kinase may also be of limited value in supporting important decisions in the coaching process.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-14
Author(s):  
Filipe Clemente ◽  
Alireza Rabbani ◽  
Ruben Ferreira ◽  
João Araújo

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
James Parr ◽  
Keith Winwood ◽  
Emma Hodson-Tole ◽  
Frederik J. A. Deconinck ◽  
James P. Hill ◽  
...  

The main and interactive effect of biological maturity and relative age upon physical performance in adolescent male soccer players was considered. Consistent with previous research, it was hypothesised that participants of greater maturity or born earlier in the selection year would perform better in terms of physical performance tests. This cross-sectional study consisted of 84 male participants aged between 11.3 and 16.2 years from a professional soccer academy in the English Premier League. Date of birth, height, weight, and parental height were collected. Sprint, change of direction, countermovement jump, and reactive strength index were considered for physical performance. Relative age was based on the birth quarter for the selection year. Maturity status was based upon the percentage of predicted adult height attained. Linear regression models highlighted that maturation was associated with performance on all but one of the physical performance tests, the reactive strength index. In contrast, relative age only served as a significant predictor of performance on the countermovement jump. This study indicated that physical performance (in the tests studied) seems to be related to the biological maturity status of a player but not their relative age. This finding is important because it suggests that early-maturing players perform better in the majority of physical performance tests, and the commonly held belief that relative age effect influences performance may be overstated.


Author(s):  
Miguel Lorenzo-Martínez ◽  
Francisco J. Corredoira ◽  
Carlos Lago-Peñas ◽  
Roberto López-Del Campo ◽  
Fabio Nevado-Garrosa ◽  
...  

AbstractThe aim of this study was to examine the effects of chronological age on acceleration and deceleration match performance in professional soccer players. A total of 5317 individual match observations were collected on 420 professional players competing in the Spanish LaLiga during the 2018–2019 season, using a multiple-camera computerised tracking system (TRACAB; ChyronHego, Melville, NY, USA). Players were classified using a k-means cluster analysis into four different age groups: 17–23 years, 24–27 years, 28–30 years, and 31–38 years. Linear mixed models were adjusted to compare the players’ match performance according to their age group and playing position (central defenders, external defenders, central midfielders, external midfielders, and forwards). The results showed that players aged between 31–38 years performed a significantly less total number of accelerations (ES=0.30–0.48) and decelerations (ES=0.29–0.49) in comparison with younger players. These age-related physical performance declines were more pronounced among central defenders, central midfielders, and forwards. However, no significant effects were obtained for players’ maximum acceleration and deceleration capacities. The current findings provide useful information for coaches and strength and conditioning specialists to better understand the effects of age on players’ physical performance and to develop age-tailored training programs.


2007 ◽  
Vol 41 (6) ◽  
pp. 398-400 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Zerguini ◽  
D. Kirkendall ◽  
A. Junge ◽  
J. Dvorak

2007 ◽  
Vol 101 (3) ◽  
pp. 899-906 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Voutselas ◽  
Z. Papanikolaou ◽  
D. Soulas ◽  
K. Famisis

To investigate the effect of the years of training on the hamstring-quadriceps isokinetic strength and establish normative data for the cardiorespiratory fitness of first and second division Greek male professional soccer players ( M = 25.1, SD = 5.1 yr.) a representative sample of 72 soccer players was chosen randomly from six teams of these divisions. Hamstring-quadriceps ratios of the preferred and nonpreferred leg correlated with years of training weekly ( r = .51) in the preferred leg. In conclusion, data indicated that the training background of the players (years of training) might have a small effect on the strength balance of quadriceps and hamstrings of the preferred leg.


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