scholarly journals Work-rate Analysis of Substitute Players in Professional Soccer: Analysis of Seasonal Variations

2018 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 165-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexis Padrón-Cabo ◽  
Ezequiel Rey ◽  
Benjamín Vidal ◽  
Javier García-Nuñez

Abstract The aims of this study were to evaluate physical performance of substitute players versus those replaced or completing the entire match, determine physical performance of substitute players across different playing positions and examine variations in match-related running performance in substitute players throughout the entire competitive season. The sample was composed of 943 observations of professional players who participated in the first division of the Spanish League (La Liga) during the 2014-2015 season. The players were divided into three different groups: players who completed the entire match (n = 519), players who were replaced (n = 212) and substitute players (n = 212). Substitute players covered greater distances at medium and high intensity compared to the players who played the entire match and those who were replaced. Position-specific trends indicated that attackers and central midfielder increased the distance covered at high-intensity running compared to their peers who played the whole match. During the competitive season, it was observed that substitute players attained greater match running performance during the mid-season period, allowing them to cover more distance for different variables of running performance compared to the start and end of the season.

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 79-85
Author(s):  
LUKASZ RADZIMINSKI ◽  
ZBIGNIEW JASTRZEBSKI

Background: Main purpose of this research was to investigate the changes of physical match performance in Polish Ekstraklasa across four consecutive seasons. Material and methods: A total of 949 official matches from season 2017/2018 to 2020/2021 were analyzed. Such match running performance variables as total distance, high-speed running, sprinting, and number of high-intensity runs were involved. Each season data were divided into two rounds (spring round and autumn round). Due to the pandemic of COVID-19 additional post-lockdown round (Spring I 2019/2020) occurred. Results: Comparison in the results between Spring 2017/2018 and Spring 2020/2021 indicated significant increases in total distance (2.1%, p<0.001), high-speed running (11.9%, p<0.001), sprinting distance (7.7%, p<0.01) and number of high-intensity runs (9.7%, p<0.001). Moreover, within season analysis exhibited that during spring rounds Ekstraklasa teams covered significantly longer (p<0.01) distances in high-speed running than during autumn rounds. Reduction in physical match performance was reported after the 12-week pandemic lockdown. Conclusions: The results of this study confirmed the growing importance of such match activities as high-speed running, sprinting and number of high intensity runs which increased in Polish Ekstraklasa by 8-12% within last 4 years. This growing tendency was disrupted by unexpected off-season period caused by COVID-19 lockdown.


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (8) ◽  
pp. 1050-1057 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alireza Rabbani ◽  
Mehdi Kargarfard ◽  
Carlo Castagna ◽  
Filipe Manuel Clemente ◽  
Craig Twist

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between accumulated global positioning system–accelerometer-based and heart rate–based training metrics and changes in high-intensity intermittent-running capacity during an in-season phase in professional soccer players. Methods: Eleven male professional players (mean [SD] age 27.2 [4.5] y) performed the 30-15 Intermittent Fitness Test (30-15IFT) before and after a 5-wk in-season training phase, and the final velocity (VIFT) was considered their high-intensity intermittent-running capacity. During all sessions, Edwards training impulse (Edwards TRIMP), Banister TRIMP, Z5 TRIMP, training duration, total distance covered, new body load (NBL), high-intensity running performance (distance covered above 14.4 km·h−1), and very-high-intensity running performance (distance covered above 19.8 km·h−1) were recorded. Results: The players’ VIFT showed a most likely moderate improvement (+4.3%, 90% confidence limits 3.1–5.5%, effect size 0.70, [0.51–0.89]). Accumulated NBL, Banister TRIMP, and Edwards TRIMP showed large associations (r = .51–.54) with changes in VIFT. A very large relationship was also observed between accumulated Z5 TRIMP (r = .72) with changes in VIFT. Large to nearly perfect within-individual relationships were observed between NBL and some of the other training metrics (ie, Edwards TRIMP, Banister TRIMP, training duration, and total distance) in 10 out of 11 players. Conclusions: Heart rate–based training metrics can be used to monitor high-intensity intermittent-running-capacity changes in professional soccer players. The dose–response relationship is also largely detected using accelerometer-based metrics (ie, NBL) to track changes in high-intensity intermittent-running capacity of professional soccer players.


Author(s):  
Modric ◽  
Versic ◽  
Sekulic ◽  
Liposek

Running performance (RP) and game performance indicators (GPI) are important determinants of success in soccer (football), but there is an evident lack of knowledge about the possible associations between RP and GPI. This study aimed to identify associations between RP and GPI in professional soccer players and to compare RP and GPI among soccer playing positions. One hundred one match performances were observed over the course of half of a season at the highest level of national competition in Croatia. Players (mean ± SD, age: 23.85 ± 2.88 years; body height: 183.05 ± 8.88 cm; body mass: 78.69 ± 7.17 kg) were classified into five playing positions (central defenders (n = 26), full-backs (n = 24), central midfielders (n = 33), wide midfielders (n = 10), and forwards (n = 8). RP, as measured by global positioning system, included the total distance covered, distance covered in five speed categories (walking, jogging, running, high-speed running, and maximal sprinting), total number of accelerations, number of high-intensity accelerations, total number of decelerations, and number of high-intensity decelerations. The GPI were collected by the position-specific performance statistics index (InStat index). The average total distance was 10,298.4 ± 928.7 m, with central defenders having the shortest and central midfielders having the greatest covered distances. The running (r = 0.419, p = 0.03) and high-intensity accelerations (r = 0.493, p = 0.01) were correlated with the InStat index for central defenders. The number of decelerations of full-backs (r = −0.43, p = 0.04) and the distance covered during sprinting of forwards (r = 0.80, p = 0.02) were associated with their GPI obtained by InStat index. The specific correlations between RP and GPI should be considered during the conditioning process in soccer. The soccer training should follow the specific requirements of the playing positions established herein, which will allow players to meet the game demands and to perform successfully.


2012 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 325-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Carling ◽  
Franck Le Gall ◽  
Gregory Dupont

Author(s):  
Wassim Moalla ◽  
Mohamed Saifeddin Fessi ◽  
Sabeur Nouira ◽  
Alberto Mendez-Villanueva ◽  
Valter Di Salvo ◽  
...  

Purpose: To investigate the optimal pretaper duration on match running performance in a professional soccer team. Methods: The training load was monitored during daily training sessions and matches during 2 seasons according to different periodization strategies. Matches’ running distances were collected using match analysis system. The data were analyzed in 3 types of mesocycle blocks of 5 (M5), 4 (M4), and 3 weeks (M3), concludes all of them by 1 taper week. Results: Significant decreases in the training load during the taper weeks compared to standard weeks were observed in 3 types of mesocycle blocks (d ≥ 5; P < .01). An increase in overall match running performance was observed in matches played after the taper weeks compared to matches played after the standard weeks during M4 for all speed ranges (d ≥ 1.3; P < .05). The increase was only observed in low-intensity running (d = 1.3; P < .04) and total distance, low-intensity running, and intense running (d ≥ 1.3; P < .05) in M5 and M3, respectively. Match running performance following the taper weeks between the 3 different mesocycle durations was significantly higher in M4 for the number of high-speed running, sprinting, and high-intensity running (P < .05). The greatest enhancement of match running performance was observed at M4 when the training load was decreased by approximately 18% during the tapering period. Conclusion: This study suggests that a period of 3 standard weeks of training followed by 1 taper week is the optimal taper strategy when compared to different pretaper durations.


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.


Kinesiology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-77
Author(s):  
Alireza Rabbani ◽  
Del P. Wong ◽  
Filipe Manuel Clemente ◽  
Mehdi Kargarfard

The aim of the present study was to compare the fitness profiles and internal training loads between senior team and academy team soccer players during an in-season phase. Twenty-two professional soccer players from the senior team (n=12; 28.3<img width="12" alt="" height="20"> 2.0 years) and under 19 (U19) team (n=10; 18.0<img width="12" alt="" height="20"> 0.4 years) of the same club participated in the present study. High-intensity running performance, acceleration, maximal sprint, and change of direction (COD) ability were all tested during the mid-season break of a competitive season. Session rating of perceived exertion (sRPE) reflecting the internal training load during the entire first half of the season was being documented daily. Senior players showed small to moderate superiority in COD (1.8%, 90% confidence intervals [CI, -3.2; 7.1], ES: 0.24 [-0.44; 0.92]), maximal sprint (2.3%, [0.0; 4.7], ES: 0.81 [0.00; 1.63]) and acceleration (3%, [0.2; 5.8], ES: 0.96 [0.06; 1.85]). The U19 showed small better high-intensity intermittent running fitness (2.5%, [-1.2; 6.3], ES: 0.39 [-0.20; 0.97]). When analyzing internal training loads (from M-3 to M+3), the U19 showed small to very large higher sRPE values for all days (range; 8.2%; 229.3%, [-8.1; 328.3], ES range; 0.25; 2.70, [-0.26; 3.3]), except for match days (M), on which unclear trivial difference was observed (-1.5%, [-9.6; 7.5], ES -0.09 [-0.65; 0.46]). Our results showed that senior players and youth players had different fitness profiles and internal training loads during the first half of a competitive season; this should be taken into consideration when designing specific and individualized recovery and training sessions.


Author(s):  
Damir Sekulic ◽  
Sime Versic ◽  
Andrew Decelis ◽  
Jose Castro-Piñero ◽  
Dejan Javorac ◽  
...  

The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted professional football in the 2019/2020 season, and football experts anticipate that the consequences of lockdown measures will negatively affect the physical performance of players once competition restarts. This study aimed to evaluate position-specific match running performance (MRP) to determine the effect of COVID-19 lockdowns on the physical performance of professional football players. Players’ MRPs (n = 124) were observed in matches before and after the COVID-19 lockdown in the 2019/2020 season of the highest level of national competition in Croatia and were classified according to player position: central defenders (CD; n = 42), fullbacks (FB; n = 20), midfielders (MF; n = 46), and forwards (FW; n = 16). The MRPs were measured using Global Positioning System, and included the total distance covered, low-intensity running (≤14.3 km/h), running (14.4–19.7 km/h), high-intensity running (≥19.8 km/h), total accelerations (>0.5 m/s2), high-intensity accelerations (>3 m/s2), total decelerations (less than –0.5 m/s2), and high-intensity decelerations (less than –3 m/s2). The results indicated that, in matches after the COVID-19 lockdown, (i) CDs and FBs featured lower running and high-intensity running (t-value: from 2.05 to 3.51; all p < 0.05; moderate to large effect sizes), (ii) MFs covered a greater distance in low-intensity running and achieved a lower number of total accelerations, and total and high-intensity decelerations (t-value: from –3.54 to 2.46; all p < 0.05, moderate to large effect sizes), and (iii) FWs featured lower high-intensity running (t-value = 2.66, p = 0.02, large effect size). These findings demonstrate that the physical performances of football players from the Croatian first division significantly decreased in matches after the COVID-19 lockdown. A combination of inadequate adaptation to football-specific match demands and a crowded schedule after the competition was restarted most likely resulted in such an effect.


Author(s):  
Kevin J. Beasley

Gaelic football is the second most popular team sport in Ireland in terms of participation. However, very little research exists on the nutritional considerations for elite male Gaelic footballers. Gaelic football is an intermittent type field game played by two teams of fifteen players. Although amateurs, elite players may train and compete 4–5 times per week and may play for several teams. Research suggests that elite footballers are similar anthropometrically and in fitness to professional soccer players. Work-rate analysis shows that footballers experience longer durations of high-intensity (HI) activity (5–7s) and shorter rest durations than soccer players. Recent data suggests that half-forward/backs perform a greater amount of HI work during games than players in other positions. Fatigue is apparent between the first and second halves and the first and fourth quarters. The limited amount of nutritional studies conducted implies that footballers may be deficient in energy intake and may be at the lower end of recommended carbohydrate intakes to support training. A wide variety of sweat rates have been measured during training, demonstrating the importance of individual hydration strategies. Ergogenic aids such as creatine and caffeine may prove beneficial to performance, although data are extrapolated from other sports. Due to the lack of research in Gaelic football, further population specific studies are required. Future areas of research on the impact of nutrition on Gaelic football performance are examined. In particular, the creation of a test protocol mimicking the activity patterns and intensity of a Gaelic football game is warranted.


2019 ◽  
Vol 03 (03) ◽  
pp. E82-E88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Atle Sæterbakken ◽  
Vebjorn Haug ◽  
Dan Fransson ◽  
Halvard Nikolai Grendstad ◽  
Hilde Stokvold Gundersen ◽  
...  

AbstractThe aim of the study was to compare running performance of three competitive standards and to examine the effects of being promoted to a higher league in Norwegian football. One clubʼs first and second team were included. The first team consisted of professional soccer players playing at Level 2 (2015 season) and Level 1 (2016 season). The second team consisted of amateurs playing at Level 4. A fully automatic tracking system was used to examine running performance, divided into different running-speed categories and playing position. Forty-one matches were included containing 278 observations. Level 1 performed 61 and 51% sprinting compared to Level 2 and Level 4 but similar high-speed running. Similar high-speed running distances were observed only for the different playing positions at Level 1 compared to Level 2 and 4. The sprinting distance was greater for the central defender and attacker, and the number of accelerations was greater for central midfielders and wide midfielders’ playing at Level 1 compared to lower competitive standards. In conclusion, better competitive standards resulted in greater high-intensity actions than lower leagues in Norwegian soccer. Furthermore, only central defenders and attackers increased their high-intensity locomotions when the team was promoted.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document