Quantifying the Peak Physical Match-Play Demands of Professional Soccer Substitutes Following Pitch-Entry: Assessing Contextual Influences

• Published in: Research quarterly for exercise and sport Vol. 93; no. 2; pp. 270 - 281
• Main Authors: Hills, Samuel P., Barrett, Stephen, Thoseby, Bradley, Kilduff, Liam P., Barwood, Martin J., Radcliffe, Jon N., Cooke, Carlton B., Russell, Mark
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Routledge 01.06.2022; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Acceleration; Athletic Performance - physiology; Fatigue; football; monitoring; Geographic Information Systems; Humans; Linear Models; Microelectromechanical systems; Physical training; Running - physiology; Soccer; Soccer - physiology; substitution; Team Sports; Fatigue; football; monitoring; substitution
• ISSN: 0270-1367; 2168-3824; 2168-3824
• DOI: 10.1080/02701367.2020.1823308

Purpose: To quantify the peak post-pitch-entry physical responses of soccer substitutes while assessing contextual influences. Peak responses may be important performance indicators for substitutes introduced to provide a physical impact. Method: Thirty-three professional substitutes wore Microelectromechanical Systems during 44 matches (4 ± 3 observations·player −1 ). Post-pitch-entry relative peak values for total and high-speed (> 5.5 m·s −1 ) distances, average acceleration, and PlayerLoad™ were calculated using rolling averages over 60-s to 600-s. Linear mixed models assessed contextual influences (position, substitution timing, scoreline, and location). Results: Substitutes introduced during the final ~15 min of match-play covered less high-speed distance than first-half substitutes (~2.8-3.1 m·min −1 ) over 480-s to 600-s epochs, and less than 60:00-74:59 min substitutes (~1.7-1.8 m·min −1 ) during 540-s and 600-s epochs. Average acceleration during all except 180-s epochs was lower for 75:00+ min substitutes compared with first-half replacements (~0.27-0.43 m·s −2 ), and lower than 60:00-74:59 min substitutes during 60-s (~0.13 m·s −2 ). Substitutes introduced when their team was winning recorded greater distances over 120-s to 600-s (~6.2-7.7 m·min −1 ), and higher PlayerLoad™ values during 120-s, 180-s, 300-s, and 480-s epochs (~2.7-3.6 arbitrary units·min −1 ), compared with when scores were level at pitch-entry. Irrespective of substitution timing, substitute midfielders exceeded the total distance of substitute attackers (~5.9-16.2 m·min −1 ) for all except 360-s and 600-s epochs, and defenders (~13.3-26.7 m·min −1 ) during epochs < 300-s. Conclusions: This study provides benchmark data for practitioners tailoring training and recovery protocols, particularly "top-up" conditioning, to the competitive demands of soccer substitutes. Knowing how contextual factors influence substitutes' peak match-play responses may help managers/coaches assess the efficacy of substitution strategies.