Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 Oct 15:2:570937.
doi: 10.3389/fspor.2020.570937. eCollection 2020.

Large Reductions in Match Play Physical Performance Variables Across a Professional Football Season With Control for Situational and Contextual Variables

Matthew Springham  1   2 , Sean Williams  3 , Mark Waldron  4   5 , Darren Burgess  6 , Robert Usher Newton  2
Affiliations

Large Reductions in Match Play Physical Performance Variables Across a Professional Football Season With Control for Situational and Contextual Variables

Matthew Springham et al. Front Sports Act Living. .

Abstract

This investigation examined match play physical performance across a professional football season using a multicamera computerized tracking system. A linear mixed-effects model, controlling for situational and contextual variables, identified decreases in team average total distance (TD): season quarter 1 (Q1) (11,047 m) > season quarter 2 (Q2) (10,473 m) (P = 0.002; ES = Small), season quarter 3 (Q3) (10,449 m) (P < 0.001; ES = Moderate), and season quarter 4 (Q4) (10,385 m) (P < 0.001; ES = Moderate); work rate (WR): Q1 (115 m/min) > Q3 (108 m/min) (P < 0.001; ES = Moderate), Q4 (107 m/min) (P < 0.001; ES = Moderate); Q2 (109 m/min) > Q4 (107 m/min) (P = 0.003; ES = Small); high-speed running distance (HSR): Q1 (1,051 m) > Q2 (813 m) (P = 0.006; ES = Small); number of high-speed runs (NHSR): Q1 (87) > Q2 (65) (P < 0.001; ES = Small), Q3 (64) (P = 0.002; ES = Small); sprint distance (SD): Q1 (202 m) > Q4 (130 m) (P < 0.001; ES = Moderate), Q2 (179 m) > Q3 (165 m) (P = 0.035; ES = Small), Q4 (130 m) (P < 0.001; ES = Moderate) and number of sprints (NS): Q1 (20.4) > Q3 (10.2) (P < 0.001; ES = Moderate), Q4 (8.3) (P < 0.001; ES = Large); Q2 (14.9) > Q3 (10.2) (P < 0.001; ES = Moderate), Q4 (8.3) (P < 0.001; ES = Large). Within-position changes were observed for WR: Q1 (122 m/min) > Q4 (113 m/min) (P = 0.002; ES = Large) in central midfielders and for NS: Q1 > Q3 in wide defenders (21.7 vs. 10.8) (P = 0.044; ES = Large) and central midfielders (18.1 vs. 8.3) (P = 0.002; ES = Large); Q1 > Q4 in central defenders (13.1 vs. 5.3) (P = 0.014; ES = Large), wide defenders (21.6 vs. 7.1) (P < 0.001; ES = Very Large), central midfielders (18.1 vs. 8.5) (P = 0.005; ES = Large), and wide midfielders (20.8 vs. 12.2) (P = 0.012; ES = Large); Q2 > Q3 in central midfielders (16.9 vs. 8.3) (P = 0.002; ES = Large) and Q2 > Q4 in wide defenders (16.3 vs. 7.1) (P = 0.005; ES = Very Large), central midfielders (16.9 vs. 8.5) (P = 0.004; ES = Large), and wide midfielders (20.8 vs. 12.2) (P = 0.007; ES = Large). The match-play physical performance was reduced across the competitive season. The most notable reductions were observed in wide defenders, central midfielders, and wide midfielders in sprint performance indices.

Keywords: demands; fatigue; football; load; match play; monitoring; performance.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
(A–F) Standardized differences in season average match play physical performance measures between playing positions: CD, central defenders; WD, wide defenders; CM, central midfielders; WM, wide midfielders; F, forwards. Data are presented as the standardized Cohens d effect size ± 95% CI.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Team average and positional physical performance by season quarter: CD, central defenders; WD, wide defenders; CM, central midfielders; WM, wide midfielders; F, forwards; TA, team average. Data are presented as mean ± SD. Horizontal lines and symbols denote differences within groups: *P = 0.001; †P = 0.002; ‡P = 0.003; §P = 0.004; |P = 0.005; P = 0.006; **P = 0.007; P = 0.012; ‡‡P = 0.014; §§P = 0.035; ||P = 0.044.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Akenhead R., Hayes P. R., Thompson K. G., French D. (2013). Diminutions of acceleration and deceleration output during professional football match play. J. Sci. Med. Sport 16, 556–561. 10.1016/j.jsams.2012.12.005 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Alexeev D., Nosov M., Vaguine I., Ryabchikov I., Bobyrev A., Belov M. (2014). Validation and precision analysis of InStat Fitness system. Moscow: Moscow State University; Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics.
    1. Andrzejewski M., Chmura P., Konefal M., Kowalczuk E., Chmura J. (2018). Match outcome and sprinting activities in match play by elite German soccer players. J. Sports Med. Phys. Fitness 58, 785–792. 10.23736/S0022-4707.17.07352-2 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Ascensao A., Rebelo A., Oliveira E., Marques F., Pereira L., Magalhaes J. (2008). Biochemical impact of a soccer match - analysis of oxidative stress and muscle damage markers throughout recovery. Clin. Biochem. 41, 841–851. 10.1016/j.clinbiochem.2008.04.008 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Bates D., Maechler M., Bolker B., Walker S., Christensen R. H. B., Singmann H., et al. (2018). Linear Mixed-Effects Modesl Using ‘Eigen’ and S4. Available online at: https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/lme4/lme4.pdf (accessed August 6, 2020).