maximal sprinting speed of elite soccer players during

MAXIMAL SPRINTING SPEED PLAYERS DURING TRAINING LEO DJAOUI,1 KARIM CHAMARI,2 ADAM L. OWEN,1

OF ELITE SOCCER AND MATCHES

AND

ALEXANDRE DELLAL1,3

1

LIBM (Inter-University Laboratory of Human Movement Biology), University of Lyon, University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France; 2Athlete and Health Performance Research Center, Aspetar, Doha, Qatar; and 3FIFA Medical Center of Excellence, Center Orthopedique Santy, Lyon, France ABSTRACT

Djaoui, L, Chamari, K, Owen, A, and Dellal, A. Maximal sprinting speed of elite soccer players during training and matches. J Strength Cond Res 31(6): 1509–1517, 2017—The aim of the present study was to compare (a) the maximal sprinting speed (MSS) attained by soccer players during matches (MSSmatch) according to their level of play (professional first French division vs. elite amateur fourth French division) and the playing positions and (b) the MSS attained by professional soccer players during 14 different types of small-sided games (SSG, MSSSSG) and match-play. All players monitored through the study performed a 40-m sprint test to assess individual MSS (MSStest) and compare it to the training and match activity, with the calculation of the percentage of MSStest (%MSStest) reached. No differences were found according to the level of play; however, positional wide players achieved a higher MSSmatch, %MSStest, and MSSSSG than central players (both defenders and midfielders) during matches and SSG. MSSmatch were higher than all MSSSSG, and MSSSSG were positively correlated with the area of the pitch (0.45, p , 0.001), its length (0.53, p , 0.001), and the number of players involved (0.38, p , 0.001). The closer SSG was to match situation in terms of rules, the higher the MSSSSG. Wide players reached higher MSS in match and SSG than central players, confirming the relevance of using SSG close to match situation to specifically prepare elite players to the maximal running speed demand of the match.

KEY WORDS SSG, physical activity, playing position, match analysis, training analysis, football INTRODUCTION

T

he physical qualities, power and speed, are essential to perform in elite soccer match-play (5,23,29). Furthermore, it has been observed that soccer players reach peak running speeds close to 32 km$h21

Address correspondence to Mr. Leo Djaoui, [email protected]. 31(6)/1509–1517 Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research Ó 2016 National Strength and Conditioning Association

during match-play (34,35). This quality of sprinting speed depends on several factors including the level of practice and the age (2,24). Indeed, it has been shown that elite players would be faster on the first 10 m of a 30-m sprint test than amateurs (15) and that older players would be faster covering a 40-m sprint test in highly trained young soccer players (11). The quality of sprinting speed also differs according to players’ position as they all have specific tactical tasks and so physical needs in match. However, differences were observed in the current literature. Thus, Ferro et al. (24), using a laser sensor system, observed in competitive student players that forwards (FW) (;33.3 km$h21) had the highest maximal sprinting speed (MSS), followed by central midfielders (CM) (;32.1 km$h21), then by central defenders (CD) (;31.9 km$h21), and that wide midfielders (WM) were the slowest (;31.4 km$h21). Al Haddad et al. (2), using the fastest 10-m split time during a maximal 40-m sprint test to calculate the MSS, observed in youth elite players that WM, CD, and FW had a higher MSS (;28.7 km$h21) than wide defenders (WD) and CM (;27.7 km$h21). Furthermore, with the same method used by Al Haddad et al. (2), Mendez-Villanueva et al. (32) observed in elite youth players that the fastest CD reached 35.0 km$h21 and the fastest WM 34.3 km$h21 and that the slowest CD and WM, 31.2 and 30.2 km$h21, respectively. However, the MSS is not the only factor influencing the speed running intensity during the match. Indeed, although it was observed that faster players reach higher running speeds during a match, it was also observed that some players compensated their lower MSS by increasing the percentage of MSS (%MSS) reached during the match (2,32). Mendez-Villanueva et al. (32) observed that the fastest CD of the young elite team reached 84.4% of MSS during a match and that the fastest WM reached 90.5% of MSS (slower during the test than the aforementioned). Al Haddad et al. (2) observed that CM reached only ;85.3% of MSS, whereas CD reached ;89.1%, WD ;90.1%, WM ;92.2%, and FW ;88.0 and ;93.6%. These results confirmed that the very high-intensity activity during matches was clearly different among playing positions (2,20,21). The authors of the present study suggested that speeds should always be based on relative speed rather than the speed bands set by motion capture and global positional system (GPS). VOLUME 31 | NUMBER 6 | JUNE 2017 |

1509

Copyright © National Strength and Conditioning Association Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.

Maximal Speed in Elite Soccer MATERIALS

11 vs. 11 10 vs. 10 9 vs. 9 9 vs. 9 8 vs. 8 8 vs. 8 8 vs. 8 7 vs. 7 7 vs. 7 6 vs. 6 6 vs. 6 5 vs. 5 5 vs. 5 5 vs. 5 4 vs. 4

Rules

Pitch size (m)

+ GK + GK + GK + GK + GK Score in mini-goals Ball-conservation Ball-conservation + GK + GK + GK + GK Ball-conservation Score in mini-goals + GK

102 3 66 60 3 50 70 3 55 50 3 60 60 3 40 60 3 50 45 3 50 40 3 50 34 3 38 50 3 60 40 3 40 40 3 36 50 3 40 40 3 30 40 3 42

*SSG = small-sided game; GK = goalkeeper.

Small-sided games (SSG) training have been shown to be extremely relevant to make soccer players enhance their tactical and technical skills (27), to expose them to high level of heart rate (HR) (higher than 90% HRmax) (4,9), to solicit high-intensity running distances (17,33), and to procure players’ high level of enjoyment (4). It was also shown that the more players involved in the SSG, the higher speed intensities reached (13,26,35) probably in connection with the larger space of practice and the opportunity for players to be more involved in actions without the ball, as running over the opponents to create scoring situations. Recently, Owen et al. (33) observed MSS reached during small-SG (4 vs. 4), medium-SG (5 vs. 5–8 vs. 8), and largeSG (9 vs. 9–11 vs. 11) up to 21.6 (61.3), 22.5 (60.9) and 24.6 (60.9) km$h21, respectively. These results combined with observations from matches show how much training and matches could differ regarding the MSS demand and performance. To our knowledge, there is no study examining MSS and %MSS over elite adult soccer players during both SSG and matches. Thus, the first aim of the present study was to analyze the MSS and the % MSS of soccer players reached during matches and to analyze these markers according to the level of practice (professional vs. elite amateur) and the playing positions. Then, the second aim of the study was to compare the maximal speed reached during different types of SSG and match-play according to the playing positions, the scorerules, the number of players involved, and the pitch sizes. Examining these markers may assist in helping coaches and staff to prepare, periodize, predict, analyze, and monitor players’ physical performance during training and competition.

1510

the

METHODS

Experimental Approach to

TABLE 1. Small-sided game details and rules.* Type of SSG

AND

Area per player (m2)

the Problem

In the first part of the study, professional and elite amateur 306 players were classified into 5 150 212 playing positions and were tested 166 for their individual MSS with 150 a GPS. They were then tested 185 during 6 different matches with 140 the same GPS device to analyze 142 92 their MSS obtained during the 166 match and their individual % 133 MSS reached and to compare 142 the results between the groups 166 (professional vs. elite amateur) 120 210 and the playing positions. In the second part of the study, professional players were classified into 5 playing positions and tested with GPS during 14 different types of SSG, with different rules according to the number of players involved, the way of scoring, and the pitch sizes. They were also tested during a match to compare the MSS obtained during the match to the MSS obtained during the different types of SSG. Subjects

To analyze differences depending on the competitive level, one group of 24 professional players (age: 24.3 6 2.6 years; age range: 33.9 2 17.9; height: 180.1 6 4.1 cm; body mass: 75.0 6 5.3 kg; % body fat mass: 9.4 6 2.2%) competing in the French first league was compared to a group of 24 elite amateur players (age: 20.9 6 2.9 [28–16.8] years; height: 177.2 6 3.7 cm; body mass: 72.8 6 4.4 kg; % body fat mass: 9.7 6 3.7%) competing in the French fourth division. Players were divided into 5 playing positions: CD (n = 10), WD (n = 7), CM (n = 16), WM (n = 6), and FW (n = 8). Then, another group of 14 professional players (age: 23.1 6 4.0 years; age range: 32.9 2 17.4; height: 178.4 6 5.7 cm; body mass: 73.7 6 5.1 kg; % body fat mass: 8.8 6 2.2%), from the same professional team competing in the French first league, was tested over 14 SSG situations. In both analyses, players were divided into 5 playing positions: CD (n = 3), WD (n = 4), CM (n = 4), WM (n = 2), and FW (n = 1). The study was explained to all players and they all gave their written consent. Players aged under 18 years of age also gave written parental or guardian consent. The study was approved by the local university ethics committee and was conducted according to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Procedures

Tests. Individual maximal sprinting speed was recorded with a GPS, and this value was obtained from a straight sprinting

TM

Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research


the

TM


| www.nsca.com

TABLE 2. Maximal and percentage of maximal sprinting speed reached by soccer players.* Variables

Group

MSStest (km$h21)

Pro

MSStest (km$h21)

Amateur

MSStest (km$h21)

Combined

MSSmatch (km$h21)

Pro

MSSmatch (km$h21)

Amateur

MSSmatch (km$h21)

Combined

%MSS

Pro

%MSS

Amateur

%MSS

Combined

Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD

CD

WD

CM

WM

FW

All players

30.59 1.08 30.55 0.99 30.56 1.04 27.95 4.00 29.00 2.49 28.25 3.63 91.32 12.37 94.98 8.17 92.38 11.33

31.02 1.26 32.18 1.28 31.67† 1.37 29.13 2.15 30.70 2.02 30.02§ 2.18 93.88 4.93 95.40 4.87 94.74 4.85

30.89 1.42 31.47 1.78 31.12 1.58 28.17 2.62 28.06 2.21 28.13 2.45 91.16 7.01 89.28 6.74 90.42 6.92

31.54 0.99 31.60 1.72 31.81† 1.37 30.12 1.59 29.39 2.96 29.86 2.14 95.48 3.98 92.54 4.83 93.88 4.99

32.26 1.18 30.76 1.42 31.93z 1.37 30.18 1.94 29.28 1.80 29.98§ 1.92 93.58 5.80 95.15 2.81 93.93 5.29

30.93 1.37 31.41 1.60 31.28 1.46 28.60 2.89 29.07 2.47 28.93 2.74 91.62 8.08 92.51 6.00 92.45 7.49

*CD = central defenders; WD = wide defenders; CM = central midfielders; WM = wide midfielders; FW = forwards; MSS = maximal sprinting speed; MSStest = tested MSS; MSSmatch = MSS reached in match. †Higher than CD for the same measure (p # 0.05). zHigher than CD for the same measure (p , 0.001). §Higher than CM for the same measure (p # 0.05).

TABLE 3. Maximal sprinting speed of elite soccer players reached during different types of small-sided games and matches.* Playing positions

CD

WD

CM

WM

FW

All players

SSG types

Mean

SD

Mean

SD

Mean

SD

Mean

SD

Mean

SD

Mean

SD

Match 10 vs. 10 + GK 9 vs. 9 + GK (70 3 55 m) 9 vs. 9 + GK (50 3 60 m) 8 vs. 8 + GK 8 vs. 8 (mini-goals) 8 vs. 8 7 vs. 7 7 vs. 7 + GK 6 vs 6 + GK (50 3 60 m) 6 vs 6 + GK (40 3 40 m) 5 vs. 5 + GK 5 vs. 5 5 vs. 5 (mini-goals) 4 vs. 4 + GK All SSG combined

29.53 23.07 25.50 22.30 25.30 26.30 22.43 23.17 20.73 23.17 24.20 24.40 17.27 20.30 22.33 22.89

1.34 0.32 1.32 3.29 2.21 1.54 2.95 0.58 3.70 5.62 0.96 4.68 0.91 6.88 1.42 3.53

30.25 25.95 27.95 27.40 25.70 27.80 23.83 23.25 19.38 27.68 26.70 23.13 22.93 22.83 22.98 24.82k¶

1.48 1.54 2.04 1.32 1.56 2.02 1.84 2.98 0.56 1.59 2.41 3.59 2.29 1.62 2.66 3.12

26.48 24.10 24.45 23.70 23.83 22.58 20.90 21.50 20.03 25.40 23.80 22.95 22.00 23.65 22.40 22.95

0.95 1.64 4.49 2.10 1.98 2.96 0.62 1.35 2.44 2.45 2.87 1.95 1.02 2.06 0.51 2.44

29.40 23.20 23.80 26.35 26.45 28.65 25.20 23.50 20.90 26.30 25.25 21.05 22.15 22.50 22.45 24.13§

0.57 5.37 1.41 1.20 1.63 1.20 0.14 1.56 1.70 4.95 2.47 0.35 1.34 0.57 1.34 2.81

27.00 27.00 24.10 27.30 25.10 20.80 20.60 20.10 17.60 25.00 24.90 23.50 19.90 25.90 20.50 23.02

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3.04

28.66†z§ 24.49 25.56z 25.09§ 25.14z 25.61 22.66 22.54 19.94 25.67z 25.00z§ 23.08 21.12 22.69 22.42 23.64

1.93 2.31 2.97 2.80 1.82 3.33 2.22 1.97 2.14 3.39 2.31 2.88 2.58 3.36 1.59 3.08

*CD = central defenders; WD = wide defenders; CM = central midfielders; WM = wide midfielders; FW = forwards; SSG = SSG = small-sided game; GK = presence of goals and goalkeepers. †Higher than all others SSG types (p , 0.01). zHigher than 7 vs.7 + GK rule (p , 0.0005). §Higher than 5 vs.5 rule (p , 0.0005). kHigher than CM (p , 0.001). ¶Higher than CD (p , 0.001).

VOLUME 31 | NUMBER 6 | JUNE 2017 |

1511


the


Maximal Speed in Elite Soccer

1512 TM


TABLE 4. Percentage of match maximal sprinting speed of elite soccer players reached during different type of small-sided games.* Playing positions SSG types 10 vs. 10 + GK 9 vs. 9 + GK (70 3 55 m) 9 vs. 9 + GK (50 3 60 m) 8 vs. 8 + GK 8 vs. 8 (mini-goals) 8 vs. 8 7 vs. 7 7 vs. 7 + GK 6 vs 6 + GK (50 3 60 m) 6 vs 6 + GK (40 3 40 m) 5 vs. 5 + GK 5 vs. 5 5 vs. 5 (mini-goals) 4 vs. 4 + GK All SSG combined

CD

WD

CM

WM

FW

All players

Mean

SD

Mean

SD

Mean

SD

Mean

SD

Mean

SD

Mean

SD

78.18 86.40 75.83 85.83 89.34 75.92 78.49 69.95 78.33 82.08 82.45 58.50 69.53 75.86 77.62k

2.53 4.35 13.48 9.04 9.46 8.58 1.69 9.72 17.50 5.57 13.64 2.91 26.76 8.07 12.30

85.83 92.33 90.62 84.92 91.82 78.72 77.10 64.10 91.83 88.27 76.43 75.89 75.52 75.99 82.10k

4.49 3.23 2.94 1.15 2.50 3.82 11.22 1.62 9.48 6.74 11.37 7.84 5.39 8.77 10.11

91.05 92.14 89.76 90.02 85.12 78.97 81.15 75.68 95.95 90.01 86.68 83.23 89.29 84.68 86.70

5.79 14.82 10.37 7.46 8.91 2.10 2.12 9.49 8.90 11.76 6.61 5.88 6.47 3.27 8.98

79.10 81.01 89.68 90.04 97.43 85.73 80.00 71.16 89.31 85.82 71.60 75.31 76.53 76.33 82.07

19.80 6.37 5.81 7.26 2.21 2.13 6.83 7.14 15.12 6.77 0.18 3.12 0.45 3.10 9.62

100.00 89.26 101.11 92.96 77.04 76.30 74.44 65.19 92.59 92.22 87.04 73.70 95.93 75.93 85.26

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 11.27

85.73 89.17† 87.82† 87.88†z 89.12 79.02 78.78 69.75 89.81† 87.37†§ 80.72 74.02 79.77 78.49 82.67

9.37 8.77 10.40 6.13 7.93 5.08 6.20 7.90 12.15 7.86 10.08 10.35 14.35 6.89 10.74

*CD = central defenders; WD = wide defenders; CM = central midfielders; WM = wide midfielders; FW = forwards; SSG = same-sided game; GK = presence of goals and goalkeepers. †Higher than 7 vs.7 + GK rule (p , 0.0005). zHigher than 8 vs.8 (p , 0.0005). §Higher than 5 vs.5 rule (p , 0.0005). kLower than CM (p , 0.005).

the

TM

Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 40-m test. During the test, players used the same type of GPS than during matches. Players started from a static position behind the line of the 40-m sprint distance and were asked to run as fast as possible. They started when ready and completed 3 trials with best speed performance selected in the analysis as the individual maximal sprinting speed (MSStest). If, during match and sided games, a player reached a higher speed than during the test, the higher speed obtained was considered as the MSStest. Professional vs. Elite Amateur. The 2 groups participated in 6 soccer matches: official pre-season friendly matches for professional players and official competitive matches for elite amateurs. All players participating (kept for analysis) in the study played at least 45 minutes of the matches. During matches, they were wearing a GPS with a sampling frequency of 15 Hz (GPSports SPI Elite, Canberra, Australia) to evaluate the maximal sprinting speed (MSSmatch) they reached. The system uses signals from at least 3 earth-orbiting satellites to determine the position and calculate movement speeds and distances. The same units were used for each player to exclude the effects of interunit variability. Units were placed in a harness on the player’s upper back. The use of GPS for assessing highspeed running has been reported with a good reliability (6,16). Therefore, Buchheit et al. (10) have well shown that the GPS used in the present study allows providing accurate data of different running speed categories but not regarding acceleration and deceleration. This value was then expressed relatively to the MSStest as a percentage of maximal speed reached in match (%MSS) (7). Small-Sided Games. The third group of players participated in one whole match of 90 minutes and 14 different sessions of SSG using the same GPS described below to evaluate the MSSSSG they reached every time. Rules and pitch sizes of SGG are detailed in Table 1. Statistical Analyses. Data were presented as mean 6 SD. All variables were tested with the Shapiro-Wilk normality test. First, a 2-way analysis of variance was assessed to test the interaction effect of groups (professional vs. elite amateur) and playing positions on MSStest, MSSmatch, and %MSS. When the interaction was significant, t-test was assessed to precise the difference between the same playing positions of different groups. If the interaction between groups and playing positions was not significant, we observed the single effects of each factor and a Tukey’s post hoc test was assessed when significant. Pearson’s correlation “r” tests were assessed between MSStest, MSSmatch, and %MSS. Correlations with values of 0–0.19, 0.20–0.39, 0.40–0.59, 0.60–79, and 0.80–1.00 were respectively interpreted as very weak, weak, moderate, strong, and very strong (22). Second, a nonparametric Freidman test in repeated measures was assessed to compare differences between

| www.nsca.com

match and SSG rules whether games were played with goalkeepers, mini-goals, or in ball-conservation mode. A Wilcoxon’s post hoc test was then assessed to precise the differences two by two. Bonferonni’s correction was applied and p was considered to be significant when ,0.0005 for these 104 (MSSmatch and MSS SSG) and 91 (% MSSmacth) comparisons two by two. Pearson’s correlation “r” tests were assessed between MSS SSG and: the pitch area per player, the number of players involved, and the depth of the pitches. The effect size (ES) was calculated according to Cohen’s d ES for identified statistical differences were determined. Effect sizes with values of 0.2, 0.5, and 0.8 were respectively considered to represent small, medium, and large differences (14).

RESULTS Professional vs. Elite Amateur

All 3 variable’s distributions were found to be normal (p # 0.05). A moderate correlation was found between MSStest and MSSmatch (r = 0.52, p # 0.05), a very strong correlation was found between MSSmatch and %MSS (r = 0.87, p # 0.05), and no correlation was found between MSStest and %MSS. No differences were found between professional and amateur players in the 3 markers observed. Differences among playing positions were observed in MSStest and MSSmatch but not in %MSS. All players combined reached a mean of 92.45 (67.49) % of MSS during matches (Table 2). Match vs. Same-Sided Games

All situations combined, differences were observed among the playing positions with a small ES (0.28). Wide defenders (25.18 6 3.32 km$h21) and WM (24.48 6 3.03 km$h21) were faster than CM (23.18 6 2.53 km$h21; p , 0.001) and WD was also faster than CD (23.33 6 3.81 km$h21; p , 0.001). Significant differences on MSSSSG were found between the different types of SSG with a moderate ES (0.51). Indeed, the ball-conservation rule made players run slower (22.11 6 2.32 km$h21) than SSG with goalkeeper (GK) (24.04 6 3.03 km$h21; p , 0.001) and SSG with mini-goals (24.15 6 3.60 km$h21; p , 0.001). No differences between GK and mini-goals rules were found. Moderate correlations were found between the pitch area and MSSSSG (r = 0.45; p , 0.001), and between the length of the pitch and MSSSSG (r = 0.53; p , 0.001). A weak correlation was also found between the number of players and MSSSSG (r = 0.38; p , 0.001) (Table 3). All players combined reached a mean of 82.67 6 10.74% of MSS during SSG (Table 4).

DISCUSSION The aim of this study was to examine how MSS was affected according to the training, match-play, and test situation, with a special comparison between professional vs. elite amateurs and match-play values vs. SSG. The main findings were that (a) MSS did not vary according to the playing level VOLUME 31 | NUMBER 6 | JUNE 2017 |

1513


Maximal Speed in Elite Soccer (professional vs. elite amateur players), whereas (b) MSS values differed across SSG, match-play, and results in 40-m sprint test with difference according to the playing position. Specifically, professional players reached a mean of 92.45 6 7.49% of MSS during matches, whereas they reached a mean of 82.67 6 10.74% of MSS during SSG. The first aim of this study was to analyze MSS reached during elite soccer matches and to compare the results according to the players’ level (professional vs. elite amateur) and their playing positions. A significant interaction was found between the level of players and their playing positions (p # 0.05) on the MSStest but the results showed no significant differences between the same playing positions in the different groups (WD pro vs. WD amateur; CD pro vs. CD amateur, and others). Furthermore, no differences between groups were found significant in the MSSmatch and %MSS observations. It is possible that, as professional players played pre-season friendly matches, the peak running speed they achieved could have been impacted by this moment of the season. However, the results indicated that, in terms of individual speed qualities and in terms of speed needs during a soccer match, there were no differences between professional players and elite amateur players. Furthermore, although these players competed in 4 divisions apart, the elite amateur group was also composed of elite amateur young soccer players, who trained every day. Thus, both groups were considered as “high-level” soccer players. Consequently, results could have been different if comparing professional players to elite amateur players who trained significantly less with lower abilities. It was well known that differences among professional and elite amateur matches are related to the ability to repeat sprints, the total distance sprinting, the physiological responses to high-intensity actions, and the technical skills (19,36); however, the present analysis completed the literature findings in showing that differences among professional and elite amateur matches did not reside in differences in the top speed qualities such as MSS or the %MSS reached. In this context, it appears that professional (first league) and elite amateur soccer players reached and presented the same MSS during match-play; however, differences were found between playing positions. Indeed, when groups were pooled together, the results showed that FW (31.93 6 1.37 km$h21; p , 0.005), WM (31.81 6 1.37 km$h21; p # 0.05), and WD (31.67 6 1.37 km$h21; p # 0.05) reached higher MSStest than CD (30.55 6 0.99 km$h21). The present results were not in accordance with those from Ferro et al. (24) who found no significant differences between FW, WM, WD, and CD in a 30-m MSStest. The difference in the competition level of players tested could explain the difference between the 2 studies. Indeed, they observed competitive students when we observed high-level players. It is possible that the central players (CD and CM) of this study were more able to anticipate ball trajectories, opponents moves, and thus to position correctly on the pitch during matches. Moreover,

1514

the

their specific central position did not impose them to go as fast as wide positions players or forward who used their speed to create goal situations in the deep spaces of the pitch. So, it is possible that for the elite soccer players tested in this particular context, MSStest of CD and CM would not be as high as MSStest of WD, WM, and FW because they would not need to reach a high MSS during match situations, and thus, in long term, they would not need to develop as high MSS as the other playing positions. The observations of MSSmatch confirmed the different speed (related to tactical) needs among playing positions during the match. Indeed, FW (29.98 6 1.92 km$h21) and WD (30.02 6 2.18 km$h21) were faster than CM (28.13 6 2.45 km$h21; p # 0.05). These observations were in accordance with those from Bradley et al. (8) and from Andrzejewski et al. (3) who found that FW, WM, and WD were faster than CD during matches, not mattering if they were international players or elite domestic players. The present results were also different with those from Kaplan et al. (28) who found no differences between playing positions according to a shuttle run test (10 3 5 m). Differences between the 2 studies could be explained by the fact that they observed repeated-sprint ability on a short distance (5 m), whereas we observed the unique and best MSS reached in a higher running distance (40 m) and the speed reached in 5 m could not be as high as the speed reached in 40 m (25). However, because elite soccer is a very complex sport, it remains important to keep in mind that the physical activity of the players on the pitch is affected by many parameters (e.g., technical, tactical, environmental, and others) that could prevaricate the analyses. Moreover, no significant differences between playing positions were found when analyzing the %MSS reached during matches. Such results could be explained by the large interindividual variations, represented here by the mean of all mixed players (92.45% 6 7.45%) and the large SD observed (from 4.85 to 11.33%). Indeed, some of the players observed reached their individual best MSS during the match and not during the test (e.g., 25 players). Their % MSS was thus settled to 100%, increasing also the variability in-between players. Al Haddad et al. (2) found a strong correlation between MSStest and %MSS reached during matches (e.g., r = 0.69) that was not confirmed in the present study. The means of the playing positions we observed were all above 90% of %MSS during matches while some of theirs were below 90% (e.g., CD, CM, and what they called the second striker). They observed young players of 15.0 6 1.2 years old while we observed adults (24.3 6 2.6 years). As the age influences the speed abilities (10,30,31), differences between our 2 studies might be related to the different population observed. Furthermore, their players were certainly in their growth period, and their MSS was not fully developed with the same level of maturity for every player. The second aim of the present study was to compare the MSS reached during match-play and training including SSG with different rules and formats. The MSSmatch (28.66 6 1.93

TM



the

TM

Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research km$h21) were found to be higher than the MSSSSG in all situations (mean 23.98 6 3.26 km$h21 from 19.94 6 2.14 to 25.67 6 3.39 km$h21; p , 0.01). The mean average of MSSSSG reached was 23.64 6 3.08 km$h21, representing 82.67 6 10.74% of MSSmatch (from 69.75 to 89.81%). Casamichana et al. (12) found similar results comparing the physical activity of a friendly match and 3 SSG formats (3 vs. 3, 5 vs. 5, and 7 vs. 7). Over semiprofessional players, they found that MSSmatch was clearly higher (;27.0 km$h21) than mean MSSSSG (;20.3 km$h21). So, it was clear that the match situation made players reached a higher MSS than different SSG situations. These observations were probably related to the different context (competition vs. training) as competition may have more stake and motivational aspects with a bigger pitch area giving more space for players to take speed. Furthermore, it is important to clarify that, although modulating SSG rules and pitch area might make enable greater speeds, the stimulus of SSG alone might not be enough to maintain or build maximal speed in soccer players. Thus, coaches are advised to include additional specific speed drills to SGG to prepare players for competition with a suitable stimulus of MSS. Differences were observed among the playing positions as WD and WM were both faster than CM (p , 0.001, ES = 0.28) and WD was also faster than CD (p , 0.001, ES = 0.28). The small effect observed might be explained by the fact that some SSG situations (situations without GK) did not require players to occupy a specific position on the pitch. For example, although playing a 5 vs. 5 “ball-conservation,” all players positioned like they wanted on the pitch and consequently had the same motion characteristics. What was observed and discussed above about the differences in the MSSmatch among playing positions was also observed here with the MSSSSG since central players reached lower speed than wide players in match and SSG situations. As the purpose of training is mainly to specifically prepare players for the competition, these observations confirmed that SSG are well adapted to specifically train elite players for the high-speed physical activity according to their playing position. It was also observed that CM (86.70 6 8.98%) reached a higher %MSSmatch than CD (77.62 6 12.30%) and WD (82.10 6 10.11%) during the SSG situations (p , 0.005) probably because they are concerned both in offensive and defensive phases. In the present study, the SSG was recorded without any specific tactical aspects, but this component should greatly affect the physical activities. The tactical options that coach chose induced different defensive and offensive roles and would have affected differently each playing position. Thus, although this study did not focus on tactical SSG requirements, coaches need to have a special attention to this component. The present study was the first one to observe the influence of the rules, the number of players involved, and the pitch sizes on the MSS during SSG. Rules of the situations were found to have a role in the difference of MSSSSG. In the first place, the situations with goal-scoring

| www.nsca.com

(with goalkeeper or with mini-goals) situations offered a higher MSSSSG than ball-conservation. These findings might be explained by the fact that goal-scoring situations induced to be organized and play similarly to match-play, and therefore, players needed to run faster to create goal situations, whereas during the ball-conservations, the technical and tactical skills with a continuously high-intensity activity might predominate over the high-speed running activity. Several authors suggested that the presence of goals and goalkeepers might be more motivating and so increased players’ involvement into the sided games (18). This motivational aspect could have also influenced the MSS reached during the sided games. Furthermore, as players had to simultaneously protect their own goal while trying to score, a higher physical activity was imposed during the SSG with goals (1) making these higher speed running having more impact on the games. In the second place, the pitch area per player (r = 0.45) and the use of pitch length (r = 0.53) were also influent on the MSSSSG. The bigger the area per player, the higher MSSSSG and the longer the pitch, the higher MSSSSG. These findings were also in accordance with current literature, which stated an increase of physical activity with pitch size as players had more space to cover while attempting to attack (score or conserving the ball) or defend (getting back the ball or protecting their own goal) (1). Finally, the number of players involved also had a significant influence on MSSSSG (r = 0.38; p # 0.05). The more players, the higher MSSSSG. These findings were in accordance with the current literature and confirmed what authors observed over highintensity activity (13,26,33,35). The more players involved, the more the SSG situations were close to the match situation and the more MSSSSG were close to MSSmatch. This study confirmed the current finding about the high-intensity activity of during training and match and was the first one to observe the MSS reached during SSG of elite soccer players. From the data, it can be concluded that no differences were observed between elite professional players elite amateur players in the MSS reached during matches. Differences were observed between playing positions, as wide players reached higher MSS than central players, probably because they are more frequently involved in decisive actions to unbalance the opponent and create goal situations. Differences were also observed between the MSS reached during match-play when compared to SSG. The analysis of the SSG rules revealed that the closer the SSG was to the match situation in terms of surface area, number of players involved, and the presence of goals and GKs, the closer the MSSSSG was to the MSSmatch. During the sided games, wide players reached a higher MSSSSG than central players, confirming the relevance of SSG as specific soccer training drills.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Current findings might help individuals involved within the physical preparation of players (e.g., technical coaches, fitness coaches, and sport science staff ) when developing VOLUME 31 | NUMBER 6 | JUNE 2017 |

1515


Maximal Speed in Elite Soccer training programs and training sessions in line with the playing positions and with the levels of high-speed running targeted to reach during specific training drills such as sided games. Indeed, the closer to match-play situations regarding the rules with goals, goalkeepers, the larger pitch sizes, and greater number of players involved, the higher sprinting speed running players would reach during sided games. However, coaches are advised to add specific speed drills to sided games to elicit a stimulus of high-speed running high enough to prepare players for competition.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The authors want to thank all the staff and players involved in the study. The authors also want to state that the results of the present study do not constitute endorsement of the product by the authors of the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

REFERENCES 1. Aguiar, M, Botelho, G, Lago, C, Mac¸as, V, and Sampaio, J. Review on the effects of soccer small-sided games. J Hum Kin 33: 103– 113, 2012. 2. Al Haddad, H, Simpson, BM, Buchheit, M, Di Salvo, V, and Mendez-Villanueva, A. Peak match speed and maximal sprinting speed in youth players: Effect of age and playing position. Int J Sports Physio Perf 10: 888–896, 2015. 3. Andrzejewski, M, Chmura, J, Pluta, B, and Konarski, JM. Sprinting activities and distance covered by top level Europa league soccer players. Int J Sports Sci Coaching 10: 39–51, 2015. 4. Arcos, A, Vazquez, JS, Martin, J, Lerga, J, Sanchez, F, Villagra, F, and Zulueta, JJ. Effects of small-sided games vs. interval training in aerobic in fitness and physical enjoyment in young elite soccer players. PLoS One 10: e0137224, 2015. 5. Arnason, A, Sigurdsson, SB, Gudmundsson, A, Holme, I, Engebretsen, L, and Bahr, R. Physical fitness, injuries, and team performance in soccer. Med Sci Sports Exerc 36: 278–285, 2004.

players on physiological and physical demands during sided games in soccer. J Hum Kin 47: 259–268, 2015. 14. Cohen, J. Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences. (2nd ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum, 1988. 15. Cometti, G, Maffiuletti, NA, Pousson, M, Chatard, JC, and Maffulli, N. Iso-kinetic strength and anaerobic power of elite, subelite and amateur French soccer players. Int J Sports Med 22: 45–51, 2001. 16. Coutts, AJ and Duffield, R. Validity and reliability of GPS devices for measuring movement demands of team sports. J Sci Med Sport 13: 133–135, 2010. 17. Dellal, A, Chamari, K, Owen, A, Wong, DP, Lago-Penas, C, and HillHaas, S. Influence of technical instructions on the physiological and physical demands of small-sided soccer games. Eur J Sport Sci 11: 341–346, 2011. 18. Dellal, A, Chamari, K, Pintus, A, Girard, O, Cotte, T, and Keller, D. Heart rate responses during small-sided and short intermittent running training in elite soccer players: A comparative study. J Strength Cond Res 22: 1449–1457, 2008. 19. Dellal, A, Hill-Haas, S, Lago-Penas, C, and Chamari, K. Small-sided games in soccer: Amateur vs. professional players’ physiological responses, physical, and technical activities. J Strength Cond Res 25: 237–281, 2011. 20. Dellal, A, Wong, DP, Moalla, W, and Chamari, K. Physical and technical activity of soccer players in the French first league—with special reference to their playing position. Int J Sport Med 11: 278– 290, 2010. 21. Di Salvo, V, Baron, R, Gonzalez-Haro, C, Gormasz, C, Pigozzi, F, and Bachl, N. Sprinting analysis of elite soccer players during European Champions League and UEFA Cup matches. J Sports Sci 28: 1489–1494, 2010. 22. Evans, JD. Straightforward Statistics for the Behavioural Sciences. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole Publishing, 1996. 23. Faude, O, Koch, T, and Meyer, T. Straight sprinting is the most frequent action in goal situations in professional football. J Sports Sci 30: 625–631, 2012. 24. Ferro, A, Villacieros, J, Floria, P, and Graupera, JL. Analysis of speed performance in soccer by playing position and a sports level using a laser system. J Hum Kin 44: 143–153, 2014. 25. Girard, O, Mendez-Villanueva, A, and Bishop, D. Repeated-sprint ability —part I: Factors contributing to fatigue. Sports Med 41: 673–694, 2011.

6. Barbero-Alvarez, JC, Coutts, A, Granda, J, Barbero-Alvarez, V, and Castagna, C. The validity and reliability of a global positioning satellite system device to assess speed and repeated sprint ability (RSA) in athletes. J Sci Med Sport 13: 232–235, 2010.

26. Hill-Haas, S, Coutts, A, Rowsell, G, and Dawson, B. Variability of acute physiological responses and performance profiles of youth soccer players in small-sided games. J Sci Med Sport 11: 487–490, 2008.

7. Bradley, PS, Mascio, MD, Peart, D, Olsen, P, and Sheldon, B. Highintensity activity profiles of elite soccer players at different performance levels. J Strength Cond Res 24: 2343–2351, 2010.

27. Hill-Haas, SV, Dawson, B, Impellizzeri, FM, and Coutts, AJ. Physiology of small-sided games training in foot-ball: A systematic review. Sports Med 41: 199–220, 2011.

8. Bradley, PS, Sheldon, W, Wooster, B, Olsen, P, Boanas, P, and Krustrup, P. High-intensity running in English FA premier league soccer matches. J Sports Sci 27: 159–168, 2009.

28. Kaplan, T, Erkmen, N, and Taskin, H. The evaluation of the running speed and agility performance in professional and amateur soccer players. J Strength Cond Res 23: 774–778, 2009.

9. Brandes, M, Heitmann, A, and Mu¨ller, L. Physical responses of different small-sided game formats in elite youth soccer players. J Strength Cond Res 26: 1353–1360, 2012.

29. Lago-Penas, C, Casais, L, Dellal, A, Rey, E, and Dominguez, E. Anthropometric and physiological characteristics of young soccer players according to their playing positions: Relevance for competition success. J Strenght Cond Res 25: 3358–3367, 2011.

10. Buchheit, M, Al Haddad, H, Simpson, BM, Palazzi, D, Bourdon, PC, Di Salvo, V, and Mendez-Villanueva, A. Monitoring accelerations with GPS in football: Time to slow down. Int J Sports Physiol Perform 9: 442–445, 2014. 11. Buchheit, M, Mendez-Villanueva, A, Simpson, BM, and Bourdon, PC. Match running performance and fitness in youth soccer. Int J Sports Med 31: 818–825, 2010. 12. Casamichana, D, Castellano, J, and Castagna, C. Comparing the physical demands of friendly matches and small-sided games in semi professional soccer players. J Strength Cond Res 26: 837–843, 2012. 13. Casamichana, D, Roma´n-Quintana, JS, Castellano, J, and CallejaGonza´lez, J. Influence of the type of marking and the number of

1516

the

30. Le Gall, F, Carling, C, Williams, M, and Reilly, T. Anthropometric and fitness characteristics of international, professional and amateur male graduate soccer players from an elite youth academy. J Sci Med Sport 13: 90–95, 2010. 31. Mendez-Villanueva, A, Buchheit, M, Kuitunen, S, Douglas, A, Peltola, E, and Bourdon, P. Age-related differences in acceleration, maximum running speed, and repeated-sprint performance in young soccer players. J Sports Sci 29: 477–484, 2011. 32. Mendez-Villanueva, A, Buchheit, M, Simpson, B, Peltola, E, and Bourdon, P. Does on-field sprinting performance in young soccer players depend on how fast they can run or how fast they do run? J Strength Cond Res 25: 2634–2638, 2011.

TM



the

TM


| www.nsca.com

33. Owen, AL, Wong, DP, Paul, D, and Dellal, A. Physical and technical comparisons between various-sided games within professional soccer. Int J Sports Med 35: 286–292, 2014.

35. Rampinini, E, Impellizzeri, FM, Castagna, C, Abt, G, Chamari, K, Sassi, A, and Marcora, SM. Factors influencing physiological responses to small-sided soccer games. J Sports Sci 25: 659–666, 2007.

34. Rampinini, E, Coutts, AJ, Castagna, C, Sassi, R, and Impellizzeri, FM. Variation in top level soccer match performance. Int J Sports Med 28: 1018–1024, 2007.

36. Rampinini, E, Sassi, A, Morelli, A, Mazzoni, S, Fanchini, M, and Coutts, AJ. Repeated-sprint ability in professional and amateur soccer players. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab 34: 1048–1054, 2009.

VOLUME 31 | NUMBER 6 | JUNE 2017 |

1517
