Assessment of Peak Physical Demands in Elite Women Soccer Players: Can Contextual Variables Play a Role?

Jaime González-García; Verónica Giráldez-Costas; Rodrigo Ramirez-Campillo; Barry Drust; Blanca Romero-Moraleda

doi:10.1080/02701367.2021.2004297

Assessment of Peak Physical Demands in Elite Women Soccer Players: Can Contextual Variables Play a Role?

Jaime González-García^*, Verónica Giráldez-Costas, Rodrigo Ramirez-Campillo, Barry Drust, Blanca Romero-Moraleda

^*Corresponding author for this work

Life and Environmental Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Aim: To describe and compare the peak physical demands through the worst-case scenario method (WCS), according to different rolling average (RA) time epochs (i.e. 1 min, 3 min, and 5 min) and contextual variables in women soccer players.

Methods: Using an observational-comparative study design, an elite women soccer team from the Spanish 1^st league division was monitored during 27 matches. Nine WCS-dependent variables were assessed, including total distance (TD), high-speed running distance (HSR), sprint distance (SP), acceleration, and deceleration distance at different intensities by players position (i.e., central defenders [CD], wide defenders [WD], central midfielders [CM], wide midfielders [WM], forwards [F]), match half, location, and match outcome.

Results: The 1-min RA showed the lowest variability (CV = 9.8–65.8%) for all nine dependent variables. The WD presented the highest TD (168 ± 15.71 m/min). Differences between positions were observed for: CM<F (−10.19 m/min), CM<WM (−11.20 m/min), and CM<WD (−12.70 m/min). For SP: CM<F (−10.03 m/min), CM<WM (−11.91 m/min), CM<WD (−10.03 m/min), and CM<CD (−5.31 m/min). The WCS-dependent variables were also affected by match half and match outcome.

Conclusions: 1-min RA time epochs allow greater accuracy and reliability to identify nine key WCS outcomes in elite women soccer players. Different contextual variables, particularly player’s position, influenced the peak periods.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	435-443
Number of pages	9
Journal	Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport
Volume	94
Issue number	2
Early online date	13 Jan 2022
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/02701367.2021.2004297
Publication status	Published - 3 Apr 2023

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
No funding

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 SHAPE America.

Keywords

Female soccer
match analysis
worst-case scenario

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation
Nephrology

Access to Document

10.1080/02701367.2021.2004297

Cite this

@article{ea687ebefece4eb49d9a539167157170,

title = "Assessment of Peak Physical Demands in Elite Women Soccer Players: Can Contextual Variables Play a Role?",

abstract = "Aim: To describe and compare the peak physical demands through the worst-case scenario method (WCS), according to different rolling average (RA) time epochs (i.e. 1 min, 3 min, and 5 min) and contextual variables in women soccer players. Methods: Using an observational-comparative study design, an elite women soccer team from the Spanish 1st league division was monitored during 27 matches. Nine WCS-dependent variables were assessed, including total distance (TD), high-speed running distance (HSR), sprint distance (SP), acceleration, and deceleration distance at different intensities by players position (i.e., central defenders [CD], wide defenders [WD], central midfielders [CM], wide midfielders [WM], forwards [F]), match half, location, and match outcome. Results: The 1-min RA showed the lowest variability (CV = 9.8–65.8%) for all nine dependent variables. The WD presented the highest TD (168 ± 15.71 m/min). Differences between positions were observed for: CM<F (−10.19 m/min), CM<WM (−11.20 m/min), and CM<WD (−12.70 m/min). For SP: CM<F (−10.03 m/min), CM<WM (−11.91 m/min), CM<WD (−10.03 m/min), and CM<CD (−5.31 m/min). The WCS-dependent variables were also affected by match half and match outcome. Conclusions: 1-min RA time epochs allow greater accuracy and reliability to identify nine key WCS outcomes in elite women soccer players. Different contextual variables, particularly player{\textquoteright}s position, influenced the peak periods.",

keywords = "Female soccer, match analysis, worst-case scenario",

author = "Jaime Gonz{\'a}lez-Garc{\'i}a and Ver{\'o}nica Gir{\'a}ldez-Costas and Rodrigo Ramirez-Campillo and Barry Drust and Blanca Romero-Moraleda",

note = "Funding Information: No funding Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 SHAPE America.",

year = "2023",

month = apr,

day = "3",

doi = "10.1080/02701367.2021.2004297",

language = "English",

volume = "94",

pages = "435--443",

journal = "Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport",

issn = "0270-1367",

publisher = "Taylor & Francis",

number = "2",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Assessment of Peak Physical Demands in Elite Women Soccer Players

T2 - Can Contextual Variables Play a Role?

AU - González-García, Jaime

AU - Giráldez-Costas, Verónica

AU - Ramirez-Campillo, Rodrigo

AU - Drust, Barry

AU - Romero-Moraleda, Blanca

PY - 2023/4/3

Y1 - 2023/4/3

N2 - Aim: To describe and compare the peak physical demands through the worst-case scenario method (WCS), according to different rolling average (RA) time epochs (i.e. 1 min, 3 min, and 5 min) and contextual variables in women soccer players. Methods: Using an observational-comparative study design, an elite women soccer team from the Spanish 1st league division was monitored during 27 matches. Nine WCS-dependent variables were assessed, including total distance (TD), high-speed running distance (HSR), sprint distance (SP), acceleration, and deceleration distance at different intensities by players position (i.e., central defenders [CD], wide defenders [WD], central midfielders [CM], wide midfielders [WM], forwards [F]), match half, location, and match outcome. Results: The 1-min RA showed the lowest variability (CV = 9.8–65.8%) for all nine dependent variables. The WD presented the highest TD (168 ± 15.71 m/min). Differences between positions were observed for: CM<F (−10.19 m/min), CM<WM (−11.20 m/min), and CM<WD (−12.70 m/min). For SP: CM<F (−10.03 m/min), CM<WM (−11.91 m/min), CM<WD (−10.03 m/min), and CM<CD (−5.31 m/min). The WCS-dependent variables were also affected by match half and match outcome. Conclusions: 1-min RA time epochs allow greater accuracy and reliability to identify nine key WCS outcomes in elite women soccer players. Different contextual variables, particularly player’s position, influenced the peak periods.

AB - Aim: To describe and compare the peak physical demands through the worst-case scenario method (WCS), according to different rolling average (RA) time epochs (i.e. 1 min, 3 min, and 5 min) and contextual variables in women soccer players. Methods: Using an observational-comparative study design, an elite women soccer team from the Spanish 1st league division was monitored during 27 matches. Nine WCS-dependent variables were assessed, including total distance (TD), high-speed running distance (HSR), sprint distance (SP), acceleration, and deceleration distance at different intensities by players position (i.e., central defenders [CD], wide defenders [WD], central midfielders [CM], wide midfielders [WM], forwards [F]), match half, location, and match outcome. Results: The 1-min RA showed the lowest variability (CV = 9.8–65.8%) for all nine dependent variables. The WD presented the highest TD (168 ± 15.71 m/min). Differences between positions were observed for: CM<F (−10.19 m/min), CM<WM (−11.20 m/min), and CM<WD (−12.70 m/min). For SP: CM<F (−10.03 m/min), CM<WM (−11.91 m/min), CM<WD (−10.03 m/min), and CM<CD (−5.31 m/min). The WCS-dependent variables were also affected by match half and match outcome. Conclusions: 1-min RA time epochs allow greater accuracy and reliability to identify nine key WCS outcomes in elite women soccer players. Different contextual variables, particularly player’s position, influenced the peak periods.

KW - Female soccer

KW - match analysis

KW - worst-case scenario

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85122854395&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1080/02701367.2021.2004297

DO - 10.1080/02701367.2021.2004297

M3 - Article

C2 - 35025719

AN - SCOPUS:85122854395

SN - 0270-1367

VL - 94

SP - 435

EP - 443

JO - Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport

JF - Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport

IS - 2

ER -

Assessment of Peak Physical Demands in Elite Women Soccer Players: Can Contextual Variables Play a Role?

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this