The monitoring of players’ work-rate profiles during competition is now feasible through computer-aided motion analysis. The aim of the present study was to examine how various playing positions and match outcomes (i.e. won, drawn, lost) affect the total distance, and the distances covered at...

Ed 147 players who played in 10 matches of the 2008–09 and 2010–11 UEFA Europa League seasons. The number of performed sprints and total sprint distances covered by the players were examined using collected statistical material. Two types of sprints were distinguished based on their duration: S, short-duration sprint (below 5 seconds) and L, long-duration sprint (above 5 seconds). Additionally, sprints were classified according to their distance: 0–10, 10.1–20.0, and >20 m, respectively. The analysis of the sprinting activity of soccer players also involved their respective positions of play. The study was carried out using Amisco Pro (version. 1.0.2), one of the most comprehensive up-to-date computer systems for match analysis. The statistical analysis revealed that the mean total sprint distance covered by players (≥24 km·h−1) amounted to 237 ± 123 m. With regard to the position of play, the forwards covered the longest sprint distance (345 ± 129 m), that is, 9% longer than midfielders (313 ± 119 m) and over 100% longer than central midfielders (167 ± 87 m). The average number of sprints performed by the soccer players was 11.2 ± 5.3. It should also be emphasized that about 90% of sprints performed by professional soccer players were shorter than 5 seconds, whereas only 10% were longer than 5 seconds. Analysis of physical loads of soccer players during matches can be useful for individualization of training of soccer players’ speed capabilities. It is an essential instrument of modern planning and application of training loads....

This study presents a detailed analysis of sprinting activities and distance covered by professional soccer players in two seasons of the Europa League competition. The investigation considered such variables as the mean sprinting distance covered, duration of the rest pause between sprinting activities and maximal running speed recorded during the match. The study involved 147 soccer players participating in 10 matches played at one ground in the 2008–2009 and 2010–2011 Europa League seasons. Players' performance data were divided into two halves of matches and five playing positions. The study was carried out using data from Amisco Pro (version 1.0.2.). Results indicate wide variations in the analyzed variables, depending on the playing position on the pitch and tactical tasks. Individualization of training speed and endurance loads will help to optimize the training process of soccer players at different levels of their athletic skills.

The aim of the study was to examine the ways playing positions and match outcome (i.e. win, draw, loss) affect the sprint distance covered and the number of sprints performed by German Bundesliga soccer players. Match performance data were collected from 350 soccer players competing in the German Bundesliga during the 2014/2015 domestic season. A total of 4393 individual match observations were undertaken on outfield players. The analysis was carried using the Impire AG motion analysis system with records of all movements of players in all the 306 matches. The recorded variables included total sprint distance covered and the total number of sprints in offensive and defensive play. The conformity assessment was carried out with the Shapiro-Wilk test (P≤0.01). To compare mean values of the examined variables a two-way ANOVA was used. The differences between pairs of means were verified with Fisher's LSD. The analysis of the covered sprint distance and the number of performed sprints showed that central defenders and full-backs covered shorter distances in won matches than in lost matches (P≤0.05). Furthermore, forwards and wide midfielders covered significantly longer sprint distances in won matches than in lost matches (P≤0.05). The match outcome may be viewed as a measure of performance accomplishment and, hence, it may influence the sprinting efforts made by players.

Marynowicz, J, Kikut, K, Lango, M, Horna, D, and Andrzejewski, M. Relationship between the session-RPE and external measures of training load in youth soccer training. J Strength Cond Res 34(10): 2800–2804, 2020—The aim of this study was to identify the external training load (TL) markers (10 Hz Global Positioning System) that are most influential on the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and session-RPE (sRPE) during youth soccer training. Data were collected from 18 youth soccer players during an 18-week in-season period. A total of 804 training observations were undertaken. We observed moderate to very large within-individual correlations between sRPE and measures of external load (r ranging from 0.36 to 0.76). Large, positive within-individual correlations were found between total covered distance, PlayerLoad, number of accelerations, and sRPE (r = 0.70, 0.64, and 0.62, respectively, p < 0.001). By contrast, small to moderate within-individual correlations were noted between RPE and measures of intensity (r ranging from 0.16 to 0.39). A moderate within-individual correlation was observed between high-speed running distance (HSR) per minute and RPE (r = 0.39, p < 0.001). The level of statistical significance was set at alpha = 0.05 for all tests. Two generalized estimating equation models were constructed, with RPE and sRPE as the response variables. The model identified by QIC for RPE contained 2 variables as follows: HSR per minute and distance in deceleration per minute, whereas sRPE was modeled with 3 predictors as follows: PlayerLoad, HSR, and distance in acceleration. The findings demonstrate that RPE does not reflect the intensity of a training session and that sRPE can be a useful, simple, and cost-effective tool for monitoring TL.