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Influence of Players’ Maximum Running Speed on the Team’s Ranking Position at the End of the Spanish LaLiga

Author

Listed:
  • Juan Del Coso

    (Centre for Sport Studies, Rey Juan Carlos University, 28943 Fuenlabrada, Spain)

  • Diego Brito de Souza

    (Exercise Physiology Laboratory, Camilo José Cela University, 28943 Madrid, Spain)

  • Víctor Moreno-Perez

    (Sports Research Centre, Miguel Hernandez University of Elche, 03202 Alicante, Spain)

  • Javier M. Buldú

    (Complex Systems Group, Rey Juan Carlos University, 28933 Mostoles, Spain)

  • Fabio Nevado

    (Department of Competitions and Mediacoach, LaLiga, 28043 Madrid, Spain)

  • Ricardo Resta

    (Department of Competitions and Mediacoach, LaLiga, 28043 Madrid, Spain)

  • Roberto López-Del Campo

    (Department of Competitions and Mediacoach, LaLiga, 28043 Madrid, Spain)

Abstract

The maximum running speed that a football player can attain during match play has become one of the most popular variables to assess a player’s physical talent. However, the influence of a player’s maximum running speed on football performance has not yet been properly investigated. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of a player’s peak/maximum running speed on the team’s ranking position at the end of a national league. A second aim was to investigate differences in maximum running speed among playing positions. To fulfil this aim, the peak/maximum running speeds of 475 male professional football players were recorded for 38 fixtures of the Spanish first-division league ( LaLiga ) from the 2017–2018 season (7838 data points). Players’ peak running speeds in each match were assessed with a validated multicamera tracking system and associated software (Mediacoach ® ). Players’ maximum running speed was established as the fastest running speed they attained during the entire season. Most players (53.5% of the total) had a maximum running speed in the range of 32.0–33.9 km/h, with only three players (0.6%) with a maximum running speed of over 35.0 km/h. Overall, forwards were faster than defenders and both types of players were faster than midfielders (33.03 ± 1.35 > 32.72 ± 1.32 > 32.08 ± 1.63 km/h; p < 0.001). There was no association between teams’ maximum running speed and ranking position at the end of the league ( r = −0.356, p = 0.135). The correlations between teams’ maximum speeds and ranking position were low for defenders ( r = −0.334, p = 0.163), midfielders ( r = 0.125, p = 0.610), and forwards ( r = −0.065, p = 0.791). As a result, the variance in the ranking position at the end of the season explained by a team’s maximum speed was of only 7.5%. Finally, as an average for all teams, players’ peak running speeds remained stable at ~30.7 ± 0.6 km/h throughout the whole season. These results suggest that successful and less successful football teams have squads with players able to obtain similar maximum running speeds during match play throughout the season. Hence, players’ maximum running speeds have a poor association with the team’s ranking position at the end of the Spanish professional national league.

Suggested Citation

  • Juan Del Coso & Diego Brito de Souza & Víctor Moreno-Perez & Javier M. Buldú & Fabio Nevado & Ricardo Resta & Roberto López-Del Campo, 2020. "Influence of Players’ Maximum Running Speed on the Team’s Ranking Position at the End of the Spanish LaLiga," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(23), pages 1-11, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:23:p:8815-:d:452307
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Carlos Puente & Juan Del Coso & Juan J Salinero & Javier Abián-Vicén., 2015. "Basketball performance indicators during the ACB regular season from 2003 to 2013," International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(3), pages 935-948, December.
    2. Diego Brito Souza & Roberto López-Del Campo & Hugo Blanco-Pita & Ricardo Resta & Juan Del Coso, 2019. "A new paradigm to understand success in professional football: analysis of match statistics in LaLiga for 8 complete seasons," International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(4), pages 543-555, July.
    3. Diego Brito Souza & Roberto López-Del Campo & Hugo Blanco-Pita & Ricardo Resta & Juan Del Coso, 2020. "Association of match running performance with and without ball possession to football performance," International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(3), pages 483-494, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Vicente Fernández-Ruiz & Álvaro López-Samanes & Juan Del Coso & José Pino-Ortega & Javier Sánchez-Sánchez & Pablo Terrón-Manrique & Marco Beato & Víctor Moreno-Pérez, 2021. "Influence of Football Match-Play on Isometric Knee Flexion Strength and Passive Hip Flexion Range of Motion in Football Referees and Assistant Referees," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-9, November.
    2. Abraham García-Aliaga & Moisés Marquina & Ignacio Refoyo Román & Diego Muriarte Solana & Juan A. Piñero Madrona & Roberto López del Campo & Fabio Nevado Garrosa & Daniel Mon-López, 2022. "COVID-19 Confinement Effects on Game Actions during Competition Restart in Professional Soccer Players," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-11, April.
    3. Abraham García-Aliaga & Moisés Marquina & Antonio Cordón-Carmona & Manuel Sillero-Quintana & Alfonso de la Rubia & Silvestre Jos Vielcazat & Fabio Nevado Garrosa & Ignacio Refoyo Román, 2021. "Comparative Analysis of Soccer Performance Intensity of the Pre–Post-Lockdown COVID-19 in LaLiga™," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(7), pages 1-9, April.
    4. Damir Sekulic & Sime Versic & Andrew Decelis & Jose Castro-Piñero & Dejan Javorac & Goran Dimitric & Kemal Idrizovic & Igor Jukic & Toni Modric, 2021. "The Effect of the COVID-19 Lockdown on the Position-Specific Match Running Performance of Professional Football Players; Preliminary Observational Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-9, November.

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