scholarly journals Distance and Intensity Profiles in Division I Women’s Soccer Matches across a Competitive Season

Sports ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 63
Author(s):  
Mario Norberto Sevilio de Oliveira Junior ◽  
Christiano Eduardo Veneroso ◽  
Guilherme Passos Ramos ◽  
Kelly E. Johnson ◽  
Justin P. Guilkey ◽  
...  

Women’s participation in soccer has increased rapidly. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the physiological demands imposed on women’s NCAA Division I soccer players across a season according to speed, total distance traveled, and numbers of sprints measured via GPS (Polar Team Pro®). Eighteen athletes (19.2 ± 1.1 years, 50.5 ± 6.5 mL/kg/min and 23.4 ± 3.6% fat) participated in this study. The analysis was obtained through 13 official matches. Speed zones were defined as Zone 1 (1.0 to 5.99 km·h−1), Zone 2 (6.0 to 10.99 km·h−1), Zone 3 (11.0 to 15.49 km·h−1), Zone 4 (15.5 to 19.9 km·h−1) and Zone 5 (sprint > 20 km·h−1), with Zones 4–5 considered as high intensity running. Individual differences in playing time and total distance were highly variable due to substitutions. Average distance traveled per game in quartiles was 3.9 km, 5.6 km and 7.4 km in the 25th, 50th, and 75th quartiles, respectively. Relative to playing time, players travelled an average of 113.64 ± 17.12 m/min (range: 93.7 to 143.5 m/min) and ran one sprint every 4.12 ± 2.06 min. When distance was summated and analyzed for the entire team, significant difference between halves was found for speed Zones 2, 3 and 4, with greater values found in the first half. Total distance, high intensity running and sprint distance were significantly less than previously recorded in professional players. These findings suggest that coaches should consider the unique physiological demands and recovery opportunities present in NCAA play when constructing practices and conditioning programs.

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 436-439 ◽  
Author(s):  
William P. McCormack ◽  
Jay R. Hoffman ◽  
Gabriel J. Pruna ◽  
Tyler C. Scanlon ◽  
Jonathan D. Bohner ◽  
...  

Purpose:During the competitive soccer season, women’s intercollegiate matches are typically played on Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons. The efficacy of a 42-h recovery period is not well understood. This investigation was conducted to determine performance differences between Friday and Sunday matches during a competitive season.Methods:Ten NCAA Division I female soccer players (20.5 ± 1.0 y, 166.6 ± 5.1 cm, 61.1 ± 5.8 kg) were monitored with 10-Hz GPS devices across 8 weekends with matches played on Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons. The players were outside backs, midfielders, and forwards. All players had to participate in a minimum of 45 min/match to be included in the study. Average minutes played, total distance covered, total distance of high-intensity running (HIR) (defined as running at a velocity equal to or exceeding 3.61 m/s for longer than 1 s), the number of HIR efforts, and the number of sprints were calculated for each match. Data for Friday vs Sunday matches were averaged and then compared using dependent t tests.Results:No differences were seen in minutes played, distance rate, or number of sprints between Friday and Sunday matches. A significant (P = .017) decrease in rate of HIR between Friday (25.37 ± 7.22 m/min) and Sunday matches (22.90 ± 5.70 m/min) was seen. In addition, there was a trend toward a difference (P = .073) in the number of efforts of HIR between Friday (138.41 ± 36.43) and Sunday (126.92 ± 31.31).Conclusions:NCAA Division I female soccer players cover less distance of HIR in games played less than 48 h after another game. This could be due to various factors such as dehydration, glycogen depletion, or muscle damage.


2015 ◽  
Vol 40 (9) ◽  
pp. 907-917 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam J. Wells ◽  
Jay R. Hoffman ◽  
Kyle S. Beyer ◽  
Mattan W. Hoffman ◽  
Adam R. Jajtner ◽  
...  

The management of playing time in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) soccer athletes may be a key factor affecting running performance during competition. This study compared playing time and running performance between regular-season and postseason competitions during a competitive women’s soccer season. Nine NCAA Division I women soccer players (age, 21.3 ± 0.9 years; height, 170.3 ± 5.7 cm; body mass, 64.0 ± 5.8 kg) were tracked using portable GPS devices across 21 games during a competitive season (regular season (n = 17); postseason (n = 4)). Movements on the field were divided into operationally distinct thresholds defined as standing/transient motion, walking, jogging, low-speed running, moderate-speed running, high-speed running, sprinting, low-intensity running, and high-intensity running. A significant increase in minutes played (+17%, p = 0.010) was observed at postseason compared with the regular season. Concomitant increases in time spent engaged in low-intensity running (LIR: +18%, p = 0.011), standing/transient motion (+35%, p = 0.004), walking (+17%, p = 0.022), distance covered while walking (+14%, p = 0.036), and at low intensity (+11%, p = 0.048) were observed. Performance comparisons between the first and second half within games revealed a significant decrease (p ≤ 0.05) in high-speed and high-intensity runs during the second half of the postseason compared with the regular season. Changes in minutes played correlated significantly with changes in absolute time spent engaged in LIR (r = 0.999, p < 0.001), standing/transient motion (r = 0.791, p = 0.011), walking (r = 0.975, p = 0.001), jogging (r = 0.733, p = 0.025), distance covered while walking (r = 0.898, p < 0.001) and low-intensity activity (r = 0.945, p < 0.001). Negative correlations were observed between minutes played and absolute time sprinting (r = −0.698, p = 0.037) and distance covered sprinting (r = −0.689, p = 0.040). Results indicate that additional minutes played during the postseason were primarily performed at lower intensity thresholds, suggesting running performance during postseason competitions may be compromised with greater playing time in intercollegiate women’s soccer.


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.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 232596712110482
Author(s):  
Michelle Xiao ◽  
Jessica N. Nguyen ◽  
Calvin E. Hwang ◽  
Geoffrey D. Abrams

Background: There is limited research regarding the impact of workload on injury risk specific to women’s soccer. Wearable global positioning system (GPS) units can track workload metrics such as total distance traveled and player load during games and training sessions. These metrics can be useful in predicting injury risk. Purpose: To examine the relationship between injury risk and player workload as collected from wearable GPS units in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I women’s soccer players. Study Design: Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Lower extremity injury incidence and GPS workload data (player load, total distance, and high-speed distance) for 65 NCAA Division I women’s soccer players were collected over 3 seasons. Accumulated 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-week loads and acute-to-chronic workload ratios (ACWR) were classified into discrete ranges by z-scores. ACWR was calculated using rolling averages and exponentially weighted moving averages (EWMA) models. Binary logistic regression models were used to compare the 7:28 rolling average and EWMA ACWRs between injured and noninjured players for all GPS/accelerometer variables. The prior 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-week accumulated loads for all GPS/accelerometer variables were compared between the injured and uninjured cohorts using 2-sample t tests. Results: There were a total of 53 lower extremity injuries that resulted in lost time recorded (5.76/1000 hours “on-legs” exposure time; 34 noncontact and 19 contact injuries). The prior 2-week (7242 vs 6613 m/s2; P = .02), 3-week (10,533 vs 9718 m/s2; P = .02), and 4-week (13,819 vs 12,892 m/s2; P = .04) accumulated player loads and 2-week (62.40 vs 57.25 km; P = .04), 3-week (90.97 vs 84.10 km; P = .03), and 4-week (119.31 vs 111.38 km; P = .05) accumulated total distances were significantly higher for injured players compared with noninjured players during the same time frames. There were no significant differences in player load, total distance, or high-speed distance ACWR between injured and noninjured players for both the rolling averages and EWMA calculations. Conclusion: Higher accumulated player load and total distance, but not ACWR, were associated with injury in women’s soccer players.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalie Kupperman ◽  
Alexandra F. DeJong ◽  
Peter Alston ◽  
Jay Hertel ◽  
Susan A. Saliba

Abstract Context: Athlete monitoring using wearable technology is often incorporated with soccer athletes. While evaluations have tracked global outcomes across soccer seasons, there is little information on athlete loads during individual practice drills. Understanding these demands is important for athletic trainers for return-to-play decision-making. Objective: To provide descriptive information on total distance, total playerload (PL), distance per minute, and PL per minute for practice drill structures and game-play by player position among female soccer athletes across a competitive season. Design: Retrospective, observational field study. Setting: NCAA Division I university. Patients or other Participants: Thirty-two female college soccer players (20±1 years). Interventions: Athletes wore a single GPS and triaxial accelerometer unit during all practices and games in a single soccer season. Individual practice drills were labeled by the team's strength and conditioning coach, and binned into physical, technical and tactical skills, and small- and large-sided competition drill structures. Main Outcome Measures: Descriptive analyses were used to assess the median total distance, total PL, distance per minute, and PL per minute by drill structure and player position (defenders, midfielders, forwards/strikers) during practices and games. Results: Small- and large-sided competitive drills imposed the greatest percentage of workload across all measures for each position (~20% of total practice), followed by physical drills. When comparing technical and tactical, technical skills required athletes to cover the greatest distance (technical: ~17%; tactical: ~15%), tactical skills required higher play intensity during practices across all positions (technical: ~18%; tactical: ~13%). Defenders had the highest median PL outcomes of all positions during practices. Conclusions: Different practice drill types imposed varying levels of demands on female soccer athletes, which simulated game play. Athletic trainers and other clinicians may use this information for formulating objective return-to-play guidelines for injured collegiate women's soccer players.


2015 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 147-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan D. Bohner ◽  
Jay R. Hoffman ◽  
William. P. McCormack ◽  
Tyler C. Scanlon ◽  
Jeremy R. Townsend ◽  
...  

AbstractThe effect of altitude on soccer game activity profiles was retrospectively examined in six NCAA Division I female soccer players. Comparisons were made between two matches played at sea level (SL) and one match played at a moderate altitude (1839 m). A 10-Hz global positioning system device was used to measure distance and velocity. The rate of total distance capacity (TDC) and high intensity running (HIR) as well as percent of time at HIR were evaluated. Significant differences were seen in the distance rate (120.55 ± 8.26 m·min-1 versus 105.77 ± 10.19 m·min-1) and the HIR rate (27.65 ± 9.25 m·min-1 versus 25.07 ± 7.66 m·min-1) between SL and altitude, respectively. The percent of time at HIR was not significantly different (p = 0.064), yet tended to be greater at SL (10.4 ± 3.3%) than at altitude (9.1 ± 2.2%). Results indicate that teams residing at SL and competing at a moderate altitude may have a reduced ability in distance covered and a high intensity run rate.


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.


Author(s):  
Filipe Manuel Clemente ◽  
Rodrigo Ramirez-Campillo ◽  
José Afonso ◽  
Hugo Sarmento ◽  
Thomas Rosemann ◽  
...  

This systematic review with a meta-analysis was conducted to compare the effects of small-sided games (SSGs)-based interventions with the effects of running-based high-intensity interval training (HIIT) interventions on soccer players’ repeated sprint ability (RSA). The data sources utilized were Web of Science, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, and PubMed. The study eligibility criteria were: (i) parallel studies (SSG-based programs vs. running-based HIIT) conducted in soccer players with no restrictions on age, sex, or competitive level; (ii) isolated intervention programs (i.e., only SSG vs. only running-based HIIT as individual forms) with no restrictions on duration; (iii) a pre–post outcome for RSA; (iv) original, full-text, peer-reviewed articles written in English. An electronic search yielded 513 articles, four of which were included in the present study. There was no significant difference between the effects of SSG-based and HIIT-based training interventions on RSA (effect size (ES) = 0.30; p = 0.181). The within-group analysis revealed no significant effect of SSG-based training interventions (ES = −0.23; p = 0.697) or HIIT-based training interventions (ES = 0.08; p = 0.899) on RSA. The meta-comparison revealed that neither SSGs nor HIIT-based interventions were effective in improving RSA in soccer players, and no differences were found between the two types of training. This suggests that complementary training may be performed to improve the effects of SSGs and HIIT. It also suggests that different forms of HIIT can be used because of the range of opportunities that such training affords.


2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-90
Author(s):  
Heita Goto ◽  
James A. King

Purpose: The purposes of the present study were to examine high-intensity running distance during 6-a-side small-sided games (SSGs) and 11-a-side matches (11M) in youth soccer players using speed and metabolic power approaches and the magnitude of difference between the high-intensity running distance calculated with the 2 approaches. Method: A total of 11 outfield players (age = 16.3 [0.6] y) performed SSGs with 3 pitch sizes (small SSG [SSGS], medium SSG, and large SSG [SSGL]) and 11M. A Global Positioning System (15 Hz) was employed to calculate total distance covered, distance covered at a speed ≥4.3 m·s−1 (TS), and metabolic power of ≥20 W·kg−1 (TP). Results: The total distance covered increased from SSGS through to SSGL (P < .001) and was greater during 11M and SSGL compared with other SSGs (P < .01). TS and TP increased from SSGS (TS vs TP = 98 [55] vs 547 [181] m) through to SSGL (538 [167] vs 1050 [234] m; P < .001). TS and TP during 11M (370 [122] vs 869 [233] m) was greater than SSGS (P < .001 for both) and less than SSGL (P < .05 for both). The magnitude of difference between TS and TP (as a percentage) was lower with an increase in pitch size during SSGs and was greater in SSGS (615% [404%]; P < .001), medium SSG (195% [76%]; P < .05), and smaller in SSGL (102% [33%]; P < .01) compared with 11M (145% [53%]). Conclusion: SSGs can replicate the high-intensity demands of 11M and the speed approach underestimates the high-intensity demands of SSGs and 11M compared with the metabolic power approach.


Sports ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel Sanders ◽  
Brian Boos ◽  
Frank Shipley ◽  
Corey Peacock

The purpose of the study was to assess glycogen content of the rectus femoris (RF) muscles utilizing high-frequency ultrasound throughout an intensive, nine-day preseason training period in NCAA division I volleyball athletes. In the morning prior to the beginning of practice, athletes (n = 13) left and right RF muscles were assessed via ultrasound to quantify muscle fuel ratings (0–100 score range). The recommended location of the RF ultrasound scans were based on manufacturer guidelines, and the same technician recorded the daily measurements. To assess daily training load, session ratings of perceived exertion (s-RPE) were utilized. A paired t-test revealed a large significant difference between left (51.7 ± 17.9) and right (32.8 ± 17.4) RF muscle fuel ratings (p < 0.001). There was also a major effect of time on s-RPE (p < 0.001) and left (dominant) RF fuel rating (p = 0.001). s-RPE decreased from the beginning to the end of the training camp. However, left RF fuel ratings increased from the first to the second day, then remained elevated all throughout the preseason. In conclusion, all athletes were left-leg dominant and had a 57.6% bilateral asymmetry between their left and right RF muscle fuel ratings despite changes in training load. High-frequency ultrasounds are a noninvasive assessment tool that can determine glycogen replenishment asymmetries in the RF.


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