Analysis of the most demanding passages of play in elite youth soccer: a comparison between congested and non-congested fixture schedules

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to examine the most demanding passages of play in elite youth soccer for congested and non-congested fixture schedules. Seventeen elite youth male soccer players (18.2 ± 1.3 years old) participated in this study across 30 competitive matches. Assessed matches included congested (n = 12, three matches within eight consecutive days or less) and non-congested matches (n = 18, at least 5 days between matches). The players’ activity profiles during matches were analysed using global positioning measurement units (GPS). Players activity included: distance covered, distance covered at different velocities, high-intensity accelerations and decelerations, and player load. The most demanding passages (MDP) of match play was calculated using a moving average method within three-time windows (i.e., 1, 5, and 10 min). Data were analysed using a Bayesian ANOVA. During congested fixtures, the players’ distance covered and player load declined, with the former decreasing across all the MDP time windows, whereas the latter exclusively into the long-time windows (i.e., 5 and 10 min). Conversely, statistical differences in the remaining variables were anecdotal and in favour of the null hypothesis (i.e., Bayes factor <1), suggesting a non-influence of the competition fixture schedule. These findings provide insight into the MDP of youth soccer, helping practitioners to periodize training and recovery strategies during different competitive fixture schedules.

KEYWORDS:

• Match demands
• physical performance variation
• peak intensity
• competitive season

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), and European Social Fund (ESF), through a Doctoral grant endorsed to the second author [SFRH/BD/138499/2018] under the Human Potential Operating Program (POPH); and also, by national funds through the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P., endorsed to the second and the sixth authors [UID04045/2020].