Positional characteristics and movement pattern differences in professional part time soccer
Aims: This study was constructed to compare and analyse the positional characteristics and movement pattern differences in a Scottish League 1 Part Time Professional Soccer team. Methods: Analysis of 3 key comparisons of variables in positional movement activity were made (1) training versus games (2) standard of opponents (Full Time v Part Time) and (3) home versus away. A total of 28 games were recorded during the 2019-2020 competitive season, using a Global Positioning System device (GPS) sampling at 10 Herz (HZ) (PlayerTek, Catapult Innovations, Melbourne, Australia). Results: Positional data found that midfielders carried out a significantly greater total running distance in game play than both Defenders (p < 0.05) and Forwards (p < 0.05). Midfielders also carried out significantly greater high-intensity actions (power plays, sprint distance) in game play than Defenders (Table 1; p < 0.05). Sprint distance (m) in game measures had 39.3% more distance covered when compared to training for all metrics regardless of position. Similarly, power plays (no.) in game play increase by 56.4% when compared to power plays in training for the team data. Home games displayed greater running demands than away games for the Part Time players. Away games for all positions incurred significantly less top speed values (m.s-1) when compared to home games for all positions (p < 0.05). The central finding was that high-intensity running for Part Time Professionals in training is similar to Full Time Professionals, but when looking at game play, high-intensity running is greater than the Full Time players in previous literature. Conclusions: This study is the first to compare the outcomes of a Part Time team to other Part Time and Full Time opposition. The current findings provide imperative Soccer movement and activity information that could benefit Part Time and Lower League teams in the development of appropriate Physiologically adapted Training programmes to be more specific to game and positional demands.
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