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. 2024 Jul;41(3):29-37.
doi: 10.5114/biolsport.2024.133669. Epub 2023 Dec 20.

Playing position and match location affect the number of high-intensity efforts more than the quality of the opposition in elite football players

Ryland Morgans  1 , Daeeun Kweon  1   2 , Ben Ryan  2 , Wonwoo Ju  3 , Piotr Zmijewski  4   5 , Rafael Oliveira  6   7   8 , Sigrid Olthof  9
Affiliations

Playing position and match location affect the number of high-intensity efforts more than the quality of the opposition in elite football players

Ryland Morgans et al. Biol Sport. 2024 Jul.

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the impact of playing position (PP), match location (ML), and opposition standard (OS) on team and individual acceleration (ACC) and deceleration (DEC) efforts. Fifty professional football players were monitored across 24 English Premier Development League matches during the 2020/21 season. High-intensity ACC and DEC thresholds were set at > +3 m · s-2 and < -3 m · s-2, respectively. Players were divided into five PPs: centre backs (CB; n = 68), full-backs (FB; n = 24), centre midfielders (CM; n = 54), wide midfielders (WM; n = 15), centre forwards (CF; n = 27). Opposition standard was categorised as Top (1st-4th), Middle (5th-9th), and Bottom (9th-13th) based on final league ranking of the study season. Each match location was classified as Home or Away. One way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and a multivariate ANOVA analysed the independent effect of PP, ML and OS on ACC and DEC efforts, and the interaction of all contextual factors, respectively. Acceleration efforts were affected by PP and ML. FB performed 22% more ACC than WM. All players performed 6% more ACC actions during home matches compared to away fixtures. DEC efforts were only affected by PP, with FB and CM executing 26% and 32% greater DEC efforts than CB, respectively. When playing against top or middle teams at home, CB, CM, and CF tended to perform more high-intensity actions than when playing away. In contrast, when playing against top teams at home, FB and WM performed fewer high-intensity actions than when playing away. Playing position and ML affected ACC and DEC actions but not OS.

Keywords: Accelerometry-based variables; Developing players; High-intensity actions; Position-specific demands; Soccer.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

FIG. 1
FIG. 1
The mean number of acceleration (ACC) actions performed by different playing positions. CB: centre backs; CF: centre forwards; CM: central midfielders; WM: wide midfielders; FB: full-backs. *Greater number of actions performed than WM (P < 0.05).
FIG. 2
FIG. 2
The mean number of deceleration (DEC) actions performed by different playing positions. CB: centre backs; CF: centre forwards; CM: central midfielders; WM: wide midfielders; FB: full-backs. ‡ Greater number of actions than CB (P < 0.001); § Greater number of actions than CF (P < 0.001); # Greater number of actions than CB (P < 0.05); * Greater number of actions performed than CF (P < 0.05).
FIG. 3
FIG. 3
The mean number of acceleration (ACC) and deceleration (DEC) actions performed by all playing positions when considering match location. *Greater number of actions performed in home than away matches (P < 0.05).
FIG. 4
FIG. 4
The mean number of acceleration (ACC) and deceleration (DEC) actions from all playing positions whilst considering opponent standards.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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