The Influence of the Playing Surface on Workload Response in Spanish Professional Male Soccer Players.

This study aimed to quantify the influence of the playing surface on workload-related variables (i.e., external load, Rate of perceived exertion (RPE), and mental load) in training sessions with a Spanish professional soccer team. Twenty professional male players from the same soccer team were involved. A total of thirty training sessions related to the preseason period were included. All the players completed training sessions on three playing surfaces: natural turf of poor quality, natural turf of high quality, and third-generation artificial turf. Monitoring during sessions involved assessing internal load (i.e., RPE and mental load) via self-reported questionnaires, and external load using Global Positioning System devices. Linear mixed models showed that RPE was significantly higher on natural turf of high quality than on natural turf of poor quality (p < 0.001). Total distance, relative total distance, the number of accelerations, decelerations, and high metabolic load distance were significantly lower on third-generation artificial turf compared to natural turf of poor quality (p < 0.001) and high quality (p < 0.001). In addition, high-speed running, sprint running distances, and the number of sprints reached higher values on third-generation artificial turf compared to the other two playing surfaces. These findings highlight the need for coaches to consider the type of training surface in soccer to optimize training load planning and prevent injuries.

Examining tactical sprint actions and distribution among playing positions attending to match status in soccer: Implications for specific training.

The study aimed to analyze the tactical sprint actions performed by Spanish professional soccer players, considering their playing positions and the match status at the time of each action. Thirty-two Spanish male professional soccer players from a LaLiga Spanish Second Division (LaLiga SmarthBank) team participated in this study. Actions above 85% of the players' maximum velocity during 42 official matches were collected by an optical tracking system ChyronHego® and were synchronized using Mediacoach software (LaLiga, Madrid, Spain). Then, actios were analyzed trough an observation instrument designed to assess the type of tactical action performed by players. Central defenders (CD) and wide defenders (WD) were mainly involved in recovery runs. Central midfielders (CM) also frequently performed recovery runs and pressing actions. Wide midfielders (WM) were often engaged in runs in behind/penetrate actions, while forwards (F) had a diverse range of sprint actions, including pressing, runs in behind/penetrate, and breaking into the box. It was observed that F performed fewer chase actions than expected. On the other hand, CD, WD, and CM engaged in a greater number of recovery run actions than expected. CD also performed more close down/interception actions than expected, while CM, WM, and F performed fewer close down/interception actions than expected. When their team was losing, WM performed more recovery run actions than expected. CM made more runs with the ball when their team was winning CD showed a higher frequency of breaks into the box when their team was winning. These findings provide valuable information regarding the tactical aspects of sprinting in soccer, facilitating the design of specific training tasks that not only address the physical demands associated with each playing position but also considering the tactical context in which sprints occur.

The influence of match status on the conditional characteristics of tactical sprint actions in professional soccer players.

This study aimed to analyse the influence of the match status on the conditional characteristics of tactical sprint actions among Spanish professional soccer players, considering playing positions. Thirty-two Spanish male professional soccer players from a LaLiga Spanish Second Division (LaLiga SmarthBank) team participated in this study. Actions above 85% of the players' maximum velocity were analysed based on their tactical purpose. These findings provide valuable information regarding the tactical aspects of sprinting in soccer, emphasizing the influence of playing positions and match status on the distribution of tactical sprint actions. No effects of match status were observed for any game phase. However, when tactical actions were individually studied, it was observed that the maximum velocity in Chase actions was higher when the team was winning, while in Press actions, the maximum velocity was higher when the team was losing and in in Run in behind/Penetrate, the maximum velocity was higher in drawing situations compared to losing situations. No effects of match status on the distance covered during sprinting were observed, and regarding duration, significant differences were only observed in Recovery run actions. In addition, the influence of match status is higher when playing positions are considered, although the within playing positions analysis revealed significant differences only in CM players. These findings provide valuable information for the design of specific training drills considering playing positions, suggesting the need to analyse the previous match in order to structure the training load of the microcycle in a comprehensive manner.

Effects of Contextual Variables on Match Load in a Professional Soccer Team Attending to the Different Season Periods.

This study aimed to analyze the effects of contextual variables (i.e., match location and match outcome) and season periods on match load (i.e., internal and external load) in professional Brazilian soccer players. Thirty-six professional players from the same soccer team participated in this study. The season was split into four phases: matches 1-16 (i.e., Phase 1 = P1); matches 17-32 (i.e., Phase 2 = P2); matches 33-48, (i.e., Phase 3 = P3); matches 49-65 (i.e., Phase 4 = P4). Considering match outcome, when the team wins, Cognitive load, Emotional load, and Affective load were significantly higher in away vs. home matches (p < 0.05). Considering season phases, in P3, Mental Fatigue was significantly higher in drawing than in losing matches (p < 0.05). Additionally, considering the match outcome, when the team lost, Total Distance (TD)/min and TD > 19 km·h-1/min were significantly lower in P1 than P2 (p < 0.001), P3 (p < 0.001), and P4 (p < 0.001). These results suggest to strength and conditioning coaches the need to consider the outcome and location of the previous game when planning the week, as well as the phase of the season they are in to reduce fatigue and injury risk.

The impact of a multicomponent training program on physical fitness and joint injuries in Spanish male professional soccer players.

This study aimed to assess the effects of a multicomponent training program (ProSAS) on selected measures of physical fitness and joint injuries in Spanish male professional soccer players. Twenty-six professional soccer players (age: 25.2 ± 3.1 years) were randomly assigned to either the experimental (EG; n = 16) or control group (CG; n = 10). Y-balance test (YBT), Single leg countermovement jump (SLCMJ), Single leg hop for distance test (SLH), Side-hop test (SH), Speedy jump test (SpJ), Agility T-test (TT) and Lower extremity functional test (LEFT) were performed before and after an 8-weeks training period. Additionally, any joint injury occurring during the intervention period were recorded. Significant improvements in the EG in all tests (p = 0.001 to p = 0.014), except for SLCMJ (p = 0.632) with the dominant leg were observed. CG displayed decreases in SLCMJ with the non-dominant leg (p = 0.014), SH for both legs (p = 0.001 to p = 0.050), TT (p = 0.005), and LEFT (p = 0.001). Inter-groups differences revealed better results for the EG in all variables (p = 0.001 to p = 0.008) except from SLCMJd (p = 0.555). Moreover, the EG exhibited lower joint injury incidence and burden compared to the CG (p < 0.05). These findings suggest that the ProSAS is an effective multicomponent program to improve variables related to risk of joint injuries, and consequently, to reduce the incidence and burden of these injuries in professional soccer players.

The Effect of the Video Assistant Referee System Implementation on Match Physical Demands in the Spanish LaLiga.

The present study aimed to analyze the influence of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) on match physical demands in the top Spanish professional football league. Match physical demand data from all the matches for two seasons (2017/2018 and 2018/2019) in the First Spanish Division (n = 1454) were recorded using an optical tracking system (ChyronHego®). Total distance, relative total distance covered per minute, distance covered between 14-21 km·h-1, distance covered between 21-24 km·h-1, and distance covered at more than 24 km·h-1 were analyzed; also, the number of sprints between 21-24 km·h-1 and more than 24 km·h-1 were taken into consideration. The times the VAR intervened in matches were also taken into account. Results showed that total distance and relative total distance significantly decreased in seasons with VAR compared to seasons without VAR. Finally, distance covered between 21-24 km·h-1, distance covered at more than 24 km·h-1, and the number of high-intensity efforts between 21-24 km·h-1 and more than 24 km·h-1 increased in seasons with VAR compared to seasons without VAR, but the differences were nonsignificant. Thus, these findings help practitioners to better understand the effects of the VAR system on professional football physical performance and to identify strategies to reproduce competition demands.

The Influence of Time Winning and Time Losing on Position-Specific Match Physical Demands in the Top One Spanish Soccer League.

The aim of the present study was to analyze the influence of time winning and time losing on position-specific match physical demands with and without ball possession in the top Spanish professional soccer league. All matches played in the First Spanish soccer league over four consecutive seasons (from 2015/16 to 2018/19) were recorded using an optical tracking system (i.e., ChyronHego), and the data were analyzed via Mediacoach®. Total distance (TD), and TD > 21 km·h-1 covered with and without ball possession were analyzed using a Linear Mixed Model, taking into account the contextual variables time winning and losing. Results showed that TD and TD > 21 km·h-1 covered by central midfielders (0.01 and 0.005 m/min, respectively), wide midfielders (0.02 and 0.01 m/min, respectively), and forwards (0.03 and 0.02 m/min, respectively) significantly increased while winning (p < 0.05). By contrast, TD and TD > 21 km·h-1 covered by central defenders (0.01 and 0.008 m/min, respectively) and wide defenders (0.06 and 0.008 m/min, respectively) significantly increased while losing (p < 0.05). In addition, for each minute that teams were winning, total distance with ball possession (TDWP) decreased, while, for each minute that teams were losing, TDWP increased. Instead, TDWP > 21 km·h-1 obtained opposite results. Total distance without ball possession increased when teams were winning, and decreased when teams were losing. Therefore, the evolution of scoreline significantly influences tactical-technical and physical demands on soccer matches.