Match Performance Comparison in Top English Soccer Leagues

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare motions of soccer players in the English Premier (1^st) and Championship (2^nd) League. A total of 26 449 observations were obtained from players during 4 seasons (2006–2010) in the 2 leagues. Time-motions of all players (attackers, central defenders, central midfielders, wide defenders, wide midfielders) were recorded during each match using the Prozone^® System, (Leeds, UK), and categorized by speed intensity. Number of actions, total distance and the mean distance covered at each speed intensity were measured. Players in the Championship league covered a total match distance of 11.1±0.9 km compared with 10.8±1.0 km for players from the Premiership (p<0.001). Championship players also covered greater distances during jogging, running, high-speed running, and sprinting. Premiership players covered more distance walking. Players in the Soccer League Championship had more instances of each condition. Although these differences were statistically significant, they were negligible in practical terms, suggesting match-related activities do not explain the general superiority of Premiership players over Championship players in England.

Key words

soccer - leagues comparison - player position - match analysis - physical performance - specific training

• References

• 1 Andersson H, Krustrup P, Mohr M. Differences in movement pattern, heart rate and fatigue development in international versus national league matches of Swedish and Danish elite female soccer players. J Sports Sci Med 2007; 10: S109
• 2 Aziz AR, Mukherjee S, Chia MY, Teh KC. Validity of the running repeated sprint ability test among playing positions and level of competitiveness in trained soccer players. Int J Sports Med 2008; 29: 833-838
• 3 Bangsbo J, Michalsik L. Assessment and physiological capacity of elite soccer players. In: Spinks W, Reilly T, Murphy A. (eds.). Science and Football IV. London: Routledge; 2002: 53-62
• 4 Bangsbo J, Norregaard L, Thorso F. Activity profile of competition soccer. Can J Sports Sci 1991; 16: 110-116
• 5 Bradley PS, Carling C, Archer D, Roberts J, Dodds A, Di Mascio M, Paul D, Gomez Diaz A, Peart D, Krustrup P. The effect of playing formation on high-intensity running and technical profiles in English FA Premier League soccer matches. J Sports Sci 2011; 9: 821-830
• 6 Carling C. Analysis of physical activity profiles when running with the ball in a professional soccer team. J Sports Sci 2010; 28: 319-326
• 7 Carling C, Bloomfield J, Nelsen L, Reilly T. The role of motion analysis in elite soccer contemporary performance measurement techniques and work rate data. Sports Med 2008; 38: 839-862
• 8 Cohen J. (ed.). Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences. 2^nd ed Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum; 1988
• 9 Di Prampero PE, Fusi S, Sepulcri L, Morin JB, Belli A, Antonutto G. Sprint running: a new energetic approach. J Exp Biol 2005; 208: 2809-2816
• 10 Di Salvo V, Baron R, González-Haro C, Gormasz C, Pigozzi F, Bachl N. Sprinting analysis of elite soccer players during European Champions League and UEFA Cup matches. J Sports Sci 2010; 28: 1489-1494
• 11 Di Salvo V, Gregson W, Atkinson G, Tordoff P, Drust B. Analysis of high intensity activity in Premier League soccer. Int J Sports Med 2009; 30: 205-212
• 12 Di Salvo V, Baron R, Tschan H, Calderon Montero FJ, Bachl N, Pigozzi F. Performance characteristics according to playing position in elite soccer. Int J Sports Med 2007; 28: 222-227
• 13 Di Salvo V, Collins A, McNeill B, Cardinale M. Validation of Prozone^®: A new video-based performance analysis system. Int J Perf Anal Sport 2006; 6: 108-109
• 14 Di Salvo V, Pigozzi F. Physical training of football players based on their positional rules in the team. Effects on performance-related factors. J Sports Med Phys Fitness 1998; 38: 294-297
• 15 Diaz del Campo DG, Gonzalez Villora S, Garcia Lopez LM, Mitchell S. Differences in decision-making development between expert and novice invasion game players. Percept Mot Skills 2011; 112: 871-888
• 16 Ekblom B. Applied physiology of soccer. Sports Med 1986; 3: 50-60
• 17 European Parliament and the Council of the European Union . Directive 95/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 October 1995 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data. Off J Eur Comm 1995; 281: 31-50
• 18 Gregson W, Drust B, Atkinson G, Di Salvo V. Match-to-match variability of high-speed activities in premier League soccer. Int J Sports Med 2010; 31: 237-242
• 19 Harriss DJ, Atkinson G. Update – ethical standards in sport and exercise science research. Int J Sports Med 2011; 32: 819-821
• 20 Krustrup P, Bangsbo J. Physiological demands of top-class soccer refereeing in relation to physical capacity: Effect of intense intermittent exercise training. J Sports Sci 2001; 19: 881-891
• 21 Lago C. The influence of match location, quality of opposition, and match status on possession strategies in professional association football. J Sports Sci 2009; 27: 1463-1469
• 22 Mohr M, Krustrup P, Bangsbo J. Match performance of high-standard soccer players with special reference to development of fatigue. J Sports Sci 2003; 21: 519-528
• 23 Osgnach C, Poser S, Bernardini R, Rinaldo R, Di Prampero PE. Energy cost and metabolic power in elite soccer: a new match analysis approach. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2010; 42: 170-178
• 24 Rampinini E, Impellizzeri FM, Castagna C, Coutts AJ, Wisløff U. Technical performance during soccer matches of the Italian Serie A League: Effect of fatigue and competitive level. J Sci Med Sport 2009; 12: 227-233
• 25 Rampinini E, Bishop D, Marcora SM, Ferrari Bravo D, Sassi R, Impellizzeri FM. Validity of simple field tests as indicators of match-related physical performance in top-level professional soccer players. Int J Sports Med 2007; 28: 228-235
• 26 Rampinini E, Coutts AJ, Castagna C, Sassi R, Impellizzeri FM. Variation in top level soccer match performance. Int J Sports Med 2007; 28: 1018-1024
• 27 Reilly T. Motion analysis and physiological demands. In: Reilly T, Williams AM. (eds.). Science and Soccer. London: Routledge; 2003: 59-73
• 28 Reilly T, Gilbourne D. Science and football: a review of applied research in the football codes . J Sports Sci 2003; 21: 693-705
• 29 Reilly T. Motion analysis and physiological demands. In: Reilly T. (ed.). Science and Soccer. London: E & FN Spon; 1996: 65-83
• 30 Reilly T. Football. In Reilly T, Secher N, Snell P, Williams C. (ed.). Physiology of Sports. London: E & FN Spon; 1990: 371-426
• 31 Tenga A, Holme I, Tore Ronglan L, Bahr R. Effect of playing tactics on achieving score-box possessions in a random series of team possessions from Norwegian professional soccer matches. J Sports Sci 2010; 28: 245-255
• 32 Tenga A, Holme I, Ronglan LT, Bahr R. Effect of playing tactics on goal scoring in Norwegian professional soccer. J Sports Sci 2010; 28: 237-244
• 33 Vaeyens R, Lenoir M, Williams AM, Philippaerts RM. Mechanisms underpinning successful decision making in skilled youth soccer players: an analysis of visual search behaviors. J Mot Behav 2007; 39: 395-408