Soccer Official Match Analysis

PURPOSE Match analysis in soccer began in 1991. Video interpretation of the offi cial competitions is the only method admitted to evaluate performance soccer, since federal law forbids any wearable device. The aim of the present study was to report for the fi rst time reference values of performance soccer offi cial match with Global Positioning System. METHODS A football team of Italian sixth division obtained the permission of Federal Committee to wear GPS equipment during all the offi cial matches of 2013/2014. In the week before the fi rst offi cial match, tests were carried out to determine the maximum values of speed (S), acceleration (A) and deceleration (D) of each player with GPS technology. Therefore 10 players (age 23.5±2.3 yrs) in the fi rst two game of the season have worn under the offi cial shirt GPS device (K-Sport-Italy, 10 Hz). The values were tabulated in: - total distance (TD, m); - relative distance, as total distance/time (RD, m/min). - 6 zones of S (S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, m/sec); - 4 zones of A (A1, A2, A3, A4, m/sec2); - 4 zones of D (D1, D2, D3, D4, m/sec2). The zones of S, A and D were calculated according the individual maximum, TD and time. RESULTS Mean values were as follows: TD= 9663.5±875.6 m; RD=99.6±9.0 m/min S1=3559.1±482.7 m (36.8%) 59 min 33 sec (65.7%) S2=2875.2±564.4m (29.8%) 19 min 06sec (20,9%) S3=2144.8±516.9m (22.2%) 8min 35sec (9.43%) S4=808.7±238.2m (8.4%) 2 min 38 sec (2.9%) S5=251.1±117.9 (2.6%) 46 sec (0.8%) S6=24.6 m (0.3%) 4 sec (0.1%) A1=4180.3±500.2m (43.3%) 40 min 20 sec (44.3%) A2=550.3±58.3 m (5.7%) 4 min 4 sec (4.5 %) A3= 81.6±16.8 m (0.8%) 34 sec (0.6%) A4=17.2 m±6.2m (0.2%) 7 sec (0,1%) D1=4274.5±294.8m (44.2%) 42 min 6 sec (46.2%) D2=484.3±101.6m (5%) 3 min 24 sec (3.7%) D3=72.6±22.2 m (0.8%) 28 sec (0.5%) D4=10.0±4.2m (0.1%) 3 sec (0.1%). CONCLUSION In the literature lower values of TD and RD than the present study have been reported. This is probably due to the different category of the team and to the investigation methodology. The values as ratio of TD and time give additional information for speed. Many variables are present in soccer, such as opponent, weather and so on, the study require a larger number of matches. This pilot study is part of a wider observational study. Therefore, the results must be considered as preliminary ones that allow the authors to improve their evaluation of larger series