Analyzing Positional and Temporal Variations in Worst-Case Scenario Demands in Professional Spanish Soccer
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Study Design
2.2. Sample
2.3. Variables and Procedure
2.4. Statistical Analysis
3. Results
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
- Oliva-Lozano, J.M.; Rojas-Valverde, D.; Gómez-Carmona, C.D.; Fortes, V.; Pino-Ortega, J. Worst Case Scenario Match Analysis and Contextual Variables in Professional Soccer Players: A Longitudinal Study. Biol. Sport 2020, 37, 429–436. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Guimarães, R.D.S.; García-Calvo, T.; Raya-González, J.; Ponce-Bordón, J.C.; Fatela, P.; Lobo-Triviño, D. Effects of Contextual Variables on Match Load in a Professional Soccer Team Attending to the Different Season Periods. Sensors 2024, 24, 679. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- García-Calvo, T.; Huertas, F.; Ponce-Bordón, J.C.; López del Campo, R.; Resta, R.; Ballester, R. Does Player Age Influence Match Physical Performance? A Longitudinal Four-Season Analysis in Spanish Soccer LaLiga. Biol. Sport 2023, 40, 1097–1106. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Schimpchen, J.; Gopaladesikan, S.; Meyer, T. The Intermittent Nature of Player Physical Output in Professional Football Matches: An Analysis of Sequences of Peak Intensity and Associated Fatigue Responses. Eur. J. Sport Sci. 2021, 21, 793–802. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Martín-García, A.; Casamichana, D.; Díaz, A.G.; Cos, F.; Gabbett, T.J. Positional Differences in the Most Demanding Passages of Play in Football Competition. J. Sports Sci. Med. 2018, 17, 563–570. [Google Scholar]
- Delaney, J.A.; Thornton, H.R.; Pryor, J.F.; Stewart, A.M.; Dascombe, B.J.; Duthie, G.M. Peak Running Intensity of International Rugby: Implications for Training Prescription. Int. J. Sports Physiol. Perform. 2017, 12, 1039–1045. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Novak, A.R.; Impellizzeri, F.M.; Trivedi, A.; Coutts, A.J.; McCall, A. Analysis of the Worst-Case Scenarios in an Elite Football Team: Towards a Better Understanding and Application. J. Sports Sci. 2021, 39, 1850–1859. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Rico-González, M.; Oliveira, R.; Palucci Vieira, L.H.; Pino-Ortega, J.; Clemente, F. Players’ Performance during Worst-Case Scenarios in Professional Soccer Matches: A Systematic Review. Biol. Sport 2022, 39, 695–713. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Riboli, A.; Semeria, M.; Coratella, G.; Esposito, F. Effect of Formation, Ball in Play and Ball Possession on Peak Demands in Elite Soccer. Biol. Sport 2021, 38, 195–205. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Bortnik, L.; Nir, O.; Forbes, N.; Alexander, J.; Harper, D.; Bruce-Low, S.; Carling, C.; Rhodes, D. Worst Case Scenarios in Soccer Training and Competition: Analysis of Playing Position, Congested Periods, and Substitutes. Res. Q. Exerc. Sport 2024, 95, 588–600. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Trewin, J.; Meylan, C.; Varley, M.C.; Cronin, J. The Match-to-Match Variation of Match-Running in Elite Female Soccer. J. Sci. Med. Sport 2018, 21, 196–201. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Casamichana, D.; Castellano, J.; Diaz, A.G.; Gabbett, T.J.; Martin-Garcia, A. The Most Demanding Passages of Play in Football Competition: A Comparison between Halves. Biol. Sport 2019, 36, 233–240. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Fereday, K.; Hills, S.P.; Russell, M.; Smith, J.; Cunningham, D.J.; Shearer, D.; McNarry, M.; Kilduff, L.P. A Comparison of Rolling Averages versus Discrete Time Epochs for Assessing the Worst-Case Scenario Locomotor Demands of Professional Soccer Match-Play. J. Sci. Med. Sport 2020, 23, 764–769. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Oliva-Lozano, J.M.; Fortes, V.; Muyor, J.M. The First, Second, and Third Most Demanding Passages of Play in Professional Soccer: A Longitudinal Study. Biol. Sport 2021, 38, 165–174. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Baptista, I.; Johansen, D.; Figueiredo, P.; Rebelo, A.; Pettersen, S.A. Positional Differences in Peak- and Accumulated- Training Load Relative to Match Load in Elite Football. Sports 2019, 8, 1. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Lobo-Triviño, D.; García-Calvo, T.; Rubio-Morales, A.; Nevado, F.; Chena, M.; Piñero-Madrona, J.; Martín-Ardila, E.; Raya-González, J. The Influence of Match Status on the Conditional Characteristics of Tactical Sprint Actions in Professional Soccer Players. Biol. Sport 2024, 41, 243–248. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Pons, E.; Ponce-Bordón, J.C.; Díaz-García, J.; López del Campo, R.; Resta, R.; Peirau, X.; García-Calvo, T. A Longitudinal Exploration of Match Running Performance during a Football Match in the Spanish La Liga: A Four-Season Study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 1133. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Pons, E.; García-Calvo, T.; Resta, R.; Blanco, H.; López del Campo, R.; Díaz García, J.; Pulido, J.J. A Comparison of a GPS Device and a Multi-Camera Video Technology during Official Soccer Matches: Agreement between Systems. PLoS ONE 2019, 14, e0220729. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Posit RStudio: Integrated Development Environment for R and Python 2025. Available online: https://posit.co/ (accessed on 8 February 2025).
- Bates, D.; Martin Marchler, B.B.; Steven, W. Lme4: Linear Mixed-Effects Models Using Eigen and S4. 2023. Available online: https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/lme4/index.html (accessed on 8 February 2025).
- Heck, R.H.; Thomas, S.L. An Introduction to Multilevel Modeling Techniques; Routledge: New York, NY, USA, 2020; ISBN 9780429060274. [Google Scholar]
- West, B.T.; Welch, K.B.; Gałecki, A.T.; Gillespie, B.W. Linear Mixed Models; Chapman and Hall/CRC: Boca Raton, FL, USA, 2022; ISBN 9781003181064. [Google Scholar]
- Mallo, J.; Mena, E.; Nevado, F.; Paredes, V. Physical Demands of Top-Class Soccer Friendly Matches in Relation to a Playing Position Using Global Positioning System Technology. J. Hum. Kinet. 2015, 47, 179–188. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- García-Calvo, T.; Ponce-Bordón, J.C.; Pons, E.; del Campo, R.L.; Resta, R.; Raya-González, J. High Metabolic Load Distance in Professional Soccer According to Competitive Level and Playing Positions. PeerJ 2022, 10, e13318. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Bush, M.; Barnes, C.; Archer, D.T.; Hogg, B.; Bradley, P.S. Evolution of Match Performance Parameters for Various Playing Positions in the English Premier League. Hum. Mov. Sci. 2015, 39, 1–11. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Soler, A.; Agullo, F.; Hernández-Davó, J.L.; Raya-González, J.; del Coso, J.; Gonzalez-Rodenas, J.; Moreno-Pérez, V. Influence of the External Workload on Calf Muscle Strain Injuries in Professional Football Players: A Pilot Study. Sports Health 2025, 17, 175–182. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Fradua, L.; Zubillaga, A.; Caro, Ó.; Iván Fernández-García, Á.; Ruiz-Ruiz, C.; Tenga, A. Designing Small-Sided Games for Training Tactical Aspects in Soccer: Extrapolating Pitch Sizes from Full-Size Professional Matches. J. Sports Sci. 2013, 31, 573–581. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Lobo-Triviño, D.; García-Calvo, T.; Manzano-Rodríguez, D.; Nevado, F.; Chena, M.; Piñero-Madrona, J.Á.; Martín-Ardila, E.; Raya-González, J. Examining Tactical Sprint Actions and Distribution among Playing Positions Attending to Match Status in Soccer: Implications for Specific Training. PLoS ONE 2024, 19, e0301925. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Faude, O.; Koch, T.; Meyer, T. Straight Sprinting Is the Most Frequent Action in Goal Situations in Professional Football. J. Sports Sci. 2012, 30, 625–631. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
Variables | FB | CB | MD | AM | W | S | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Coeff (SE) | p | Coeff (SE) | p | Coeff (SE) | p | Coeff (SE) | p | Coeff (SE) | p | Coeff (SE) | p | |
TD85% (nº) | 5.79 (0.09) | b ***, c ***, d *** | 7.23 (0.07) | d ***, e ***, f *** | 7.22 (0.07) | d ***, e ***, f *** | 6.59 (0.07) | e ***, f *** | 5.66 (0.07) | 5.81 (0.07) | ||
VHSR85% (nº) | 1.70 (0.07) | b *, c **, d *, f * | 1.50 (0.07) | 1.42 (0.07) | e * | 1.47 (0.07) | 1.65 (0.07) | 1.48 (0.07) | ||||
Sprint85% (nº) | 1.49 (0.07) | c **, d *, f * | 1.31 (0.07) | 1.17 (0.07) | e * | 1.26 (0.07) | 1.40 (0.07) | 1.26 (0.07) |
Disclaimer/Publisher’s Note: The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content. |
© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Share and Cite
Lobo-Triviño, D.; García-Calvo, T.; Polo-Tejada, J.; Sanabria-Pino, B.; López del Campo, R.; Nevado-Garrosa, F.; Raya-González, J. Analyzing Positional and Temporal Variations in Worst-Case Scenario Demands in Professional Spanish Soccer. J. Funct. Morphol. Kinesiol. 2025, 10, 172. https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk10020172
Lobo-Triviño D, García-Calvo T, Polo-Tejada J, Sanabria-Pino B, López del Campo R, Nevado-Garrosa F, Raya-González J. Analyzing Positional and Temporal Variations in Worst-Case Scenario Demands in Professional Spanish Soccer. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology. 2025; 10(2):172. https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk10020172
Chicago/Turabian StyleLobo-Triviño, David, Tomás García-Calvo, Jorge Polo-Tejada, Borja Sanabria-Pino, Roberto López del Campo, Fabio Nevado-Garrosa, and Javier Raya-González. 2025. "Analyzing Positional and Temporal Variations in Worst-Case Scenario Demands in Professional Spanish Soccer" Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology 10, no. 2: 172. https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk10020172
APA StyleLobo-Triviño, D., García-Calvo, T., Polo-Tejada, J., Sanabria-Pino, B., López del Campo, R., Nevado-Garrosa, F., & Raya-González, J. (2025). Analyzing Positional and Temporal Variations in Worst-Case Scenario Demands in Professional Spanish Soccer. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology, 10(2), 172. https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk10020172