The maximum running speed that a football player can attain during match play has become one of the most popular variables to assess a player’s physical talent. However, the influence of a player’s maximum running speed on football performance has not yet been properly investigated. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of a player’s peak/maximum running speed on the team’s ranking position at the end of a national league. A second aim was to investigate differences in maximum running speed among playing positions. To fulfil this aim, the peak/maximum running speeds of 475 male professional football players were recorded for 38 fixtures of the Spanish first-division league (LaLiga) from the 2017–2018 season (7838 data points). Players’ peak running speeds in each match were assessed with a validated multicamera tracking system and associated software (Mediacoach^®). Players’ maximum running speed was established as the fastest running speed they attained during the entire season. Most players (53.5% of the total) had a maximum running speed in the range of 32.0–33.9 km/h, with only three players (0.6%) with a maximum running speed of over 35.0 km/h. Overall, forwards were faster than defenders and both types of players were faster than midfielders (33.03 ± 1.35 > 32.72 ± 1.32 > 32.08 ± 1.63 km/h; p < 0.001). There was no association between teams’ maximum running speed and ranking position at the end of the league (r = −0.356, p = 0.135). The correlations between teams’ maximum speeds and ranking position were low for defenders (r = −0.334, p = 0.163), midfielders (r = 0.125, p = 0.610), and forwards (r = −0.065, p = 0.791). As a result, the variance in the ranking position at the end of the season explained by a team’s maximum speed was of only 7.5%. Finally, as an average for all teams, players’ peak running speeds remained stable at ~30.7 ± 0.6 km/h throughout the whole season. These results suggest that successful and less successful football teams have squads with players able to obtain similar maximum running speeds during match play throughout the season. Hence, players’ maximum running speeds have a poor association with the team’s ranking position at the end of the Spanish professional national league.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) forced a stoppage in the 2019/2020 season of LaLiga™, possibly influencing performance indicators in the return to competition. Therefore, here, we evaluated whether the stoppage due to the coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID-19) lockdown influenced physical performance compared to the start of LaLiga^TM in terms of high-intensity efforts. Using a semi-automatic, multiple-camera system, running activities during 22 matches were analyzed. We compared the first 11 matches of the season (pre-lockdown) with the 11 matches just after the restart of LaLiga™ (post-lockdown). The results showed higher (p < 0.05) performance in the pre-lockdown period compared with the post-lockdown period, including in medium-speed running (14.1–21 km/h), high-speed running (21.1–24 km/h), and sprinting speed running distances (>24 km/h). However, the number of accelerations/min and decelerations/min were significantly higher during the post-lockdown period. Therefore, we conclude that the stoppage due to the COVID-19 lockdown generated lower physical performance in the post-lockdown period compared with the pre-lockdown period, most likely due to the accumulation of matches (congested schedules).

Objectives: This study aimed to compare the worst-case scenario (WCS; i.e., 1-min) demands, in terms of distance covered and the number of times exceeding 85% of WCS demands, across soccer playing positions and match periods. Methods: A total of 67,518 records from 380 soccer matches during the 2023/24 season of the First Spanish Division were collected. Match events were tracked using the optical tracking system ChyronHego^® (TRACAB Gen5, NY, USA) and synchronized with Mediacoach software (LaLiga, Madrid, Spain). Total distance (TD), very high-speed running (VHSR), and sprint distance were considered, and all analyses were performed using linear mixed models (LMM). Results: Center-backs (CBs) exhibited significant differences (p < 0.001) in TD compared to all other positions. Regarding actions exceeding 85% of the 1-min WCS for TD, full-backs (FBs) showed significant differences compared to CBs (p < 0.001), midfielders (MDs; p < 0.001), and attacking midfielders (AMs; p < 0.001). In terms of VHSR, significant differences were observed between MDs and wingers (Ws; p < 0.05). In relation to match periods, during 15–30, CBs demonstrated significant differences compared to all other positions for actions exceeding 85% of the 1-min WCS in TD. Conclusions: These findings suggest that training protocols could be adjusted to account for specific positional demands, particularly focusing on high-speed running and sprint actions.

The main objective of the present study was to compare high-intensity actions in a week of three matches before and after the COVID-19 lockdown. The observational methodology was used. This study analysed 551 professional soccer players from 22 different Spanish teams (LaLiga Smartbank 2019–2020) by a multi-camera tracking system and associated software (Mediacoach^®, Spain). Variables of distances per minute and totals, travelled at High Intensity (HIR), Very High Intensity (VHIR), Sprint (HSR), player’s maximum speed, average speed, and the number of efforts in VHIR and HSR were analysed in the first and second half of the games, the full match, as well as in relation to the playing position. Players who participated in the same number of matches pre- and post-COVID-19 showed an increase in the total minutes played, p < 0.05, and small decreases in game actions, p < 0.05, with an effect size between 0.21 and 0.45, while players who participated in different number of matches pre- and post-COVID-19 showed a performance decrease, p < 0.05, with a size effect between 0.13 and 0.51; this was evident, particularly, for midfielders, p < 0.05, with a size effect between 0.39 and 0.75. The results seem to show that the playing intensity after COVID-19 confinement did not lead to large performance losses, except for midfielders who were the most involved players and showed a higher decrease in performance. The main findings of this study could provide insight to football coaches for rotations in starting line-ups and game substitutions, so as not to affect the intensity levels of the competitions.

This study assessed the agreement between an optical video tracking system (TRACAB Gen5, Chyronhego, NY, USA) coupled with Mediacoach software (LaLiga, Spain) and accelerometry data derived from a GPS-Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) device (GPS-IMU; Hudl, Lincoln, NE, USA) in measuring the number and intensity of accelerations (ACCs) and decelerations (DECs) during professional football matches. Data were collected from 46 LaLiga players across three seasons (2021–2024), resulting in 662 comparative match datasets, including 95,371 ACCs and 100,952 DECs recorded by the inertial unit of the GPS-IMU devices (considered as the reference criterion). The video tracking system consistently reported lower values for both ACCs (p < 0.001, d = 0.47) and DECs (p < 0.001, d = 1.17) than GPS-IMU. Despite this discrepancy, agreement between methods was very high for total ACCs (R² = 0.954) and DECs (R² = 0.950), as well as for moderate-level ACCs (2–4 m/s², R² = 0.956) and DECs (−2 to −4 m/s², R² = 0.944). The agreement was lower for high-intensity ACCs (>4 m/s², R² = 0.338) and DEC (<−4 m/s², R² = 0.838). In conclusion, integrating the TRACAB Gen5 optical video tracking system with Mediacoach software provides an effective method for assessing the physical load of professional football players. However, acceleration data obtained from this video tracking system should not be used interchangeably with GPS-IMU devices, as it systematically underestimates both accelerations and decelerations.

Acceleration and Acceleration-Initial Speed Running are important factors in soccer performance. The aims of the study were (a) analyze by playing position the acceleration-initial speed (AS₀) profile and (b) analyze the relevance of the number of accelerations > 3 m·s⁻² according to final league position. The subjects (n = 309) from the Spanish First Division during the 2021–2022 and 2022–2023 seasons were classified in six positions: Central Defenders (CD), Full Backs (FB), Central Midfielders (CM), Offensive Midfielders (OF), Wingers (W), and Forwards (F). A total of 6180 match observations were recorded using the Mediacoach System. The parameters analyzed were accelerations > 3 m·s⁻² and AS₀ profile variables, maximal theoretical acceleration (A_0Int), and maximal theoretical initial running speed (S_0Int). The AS₀ profile was calculated using a linear regression model. Welch’s analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed a consistent relationship between the A_0Int variable of the AS₀ profile and team success in CM, FB, and W positions. Moreover, the successful teams for CD, CM, FB, OM, and W positions showed a statistically higher number of accelerations > 3 m·s⁻² than unsuccessful teams. In conclusion, these findings suggest the importance of enhancing acceleration abilities, particularly for lower-performing teams, to achieve the physical standards of successful teams.