External Match Load in Amateur Soccer: The Influence of Match Location and Championship Phase

Abstract

Assessment of the physical dimension implicit in the soccer match is crucial for the improvement and individualization of training load management. This study aims to: (a) describe the external match load at the amateur level, (b) analyze the differences between playing positions, (c) verify whether the home/away matches and if (d) the phase (first or second) of the championship influence the external load. Twenty amateur soccer players (21.5 ± 1.9 years) were monitored using the global positioning system. The external load was assessed in 23 matches, where 13 were part of the first phase of the competition (seven home and six away matches) and the other 10 matches belonged to the second (and final) phase of the championship (five home and five away matches). A total of 173 individual match observations were analyzed. The results showed significant differences between playing positions for all the external load measures (p < 0.001). There were higher values observed in the total distance covered for central defenders (p = 0.037; ES = 0.70) and in high-intensity decelerations for forwards (p = 0.022; ES = 1.77) in home matches than in away matches. There were higher values observed in the total distance (p = 0.026; ES = 0.76), relative distance (p = 0.016; ES = 0.85), and moderate-intensity accelerations (p = 0.008; ES = 0.93) for central defenders, in very high-speed running distance for forwards (p = 0.011; ES = 1.97), and in high-intensity accelerations (p = 0.036; ES = 0.89) and moderate-intensity decelerations (p = 0.006; ES = 1.11) for wide midfielders in the first phase than in the second phase of the championship. Match location and championship phase do not appear to be major contributing factors to influence the external load while the playing position should be used as the major reference for planning the external training load.

Match Load Physical Demands in U-19 Professional Soccer Players Assessed by a Wearable Inertial Sensor

“…Moreover, wide defenders and wide midfielders perform the highest sprinting distance, whereas central midfielders and central backs cover the lowest in elite soccer players [21][22][23][24][25]. Moreover, significant differences were found between the various playing positions for all measures of EL in amateur soccer players [26]. Authors reported that central midfielders covered the longest distance during a match, which is in line with recent literature followed by the forwards, the full-backs, and the wide midfielders.…”

“…In our study, significant differences in cinematic EL indicators between playing positions during the first half time of an OM were detected. Several previous studies have found differences in EL as distance, speed, and accelerations [38][39][40] between playing positions during both training and competition including both elite and amateur soccer players [26]. Moreover, considering physiological characteristics (i.e., HR and derived indices) [41,42] similar results have been found.…”

Modeling the Major Influencing Factor on Match Running Performance during the In-Season Phase in a Portuguese Professional Football Team

“…However, match running can be influenced by seasonal variations that need to be quantified in order to model individual and collective performance [5,6]. Several studies were published demonstrating the measurement of the match load in regional [7,8], national [4,9,10], and international competitions [11,12], reporting specific seasonal variation in match running for each competition. However, only three studies were carried out in Portuguese professional, semi-professional, and amateur football leagues [7,9,10].…”

“…Several studies were published demonstrating the measurement of the match load in regional [7,8], national [4,9,10], and international competitions [11,12], reporting specific seasonal variation in match running for each competition. However, only three studies were carried out in Portuguese professional, semi-professional, and amateur football leagues [7,9,10]. It is therefore important to study the Portuguese league, which is in the top 10 best European leagues and recurrently in the UEFA top-five ranking [13].…”

Load Monitoring and Its Relationship with Healthcare in Sports

“…For instance, one study was a systematic review that summarized studies about external and internal training load monitoring to provide range values for the main measures in young male soccer players [ 13 ]. Another study compared the external load between official and friendly matches and between the first and second halves of professional soccer players [ 14 ], while another analyzed differences among playing positions: whether playing home/away matches and if playing in the first or second part of the championship influence the external load of amateur soccer [ 15 ]. Moreover, external load was compared between starters and non-starters [ 16 ] and among the playing positions [ 17 ] of professional soccer players based on different parts of a full season.…”