Validity and Reliability of 15 Hz Global Positioning System Units for Assessing the Activity Profiles of University Football Players

J Strength Cond Res. 2019 May;33(5):1371-1379. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000002076.

Abstract

Barr, M, Beaver, T, Turczyn, D, and Cornish, S. Validity and reliability of 15 Hz global positioning system units for assessing the activity profiles of university football players. J Strength Cond Res 33(5): 1371-1379, 2019-Global positioning system (GPS) units have recently become popular for monitoring and assessing the workloads of football players. Currently, there is a lack of studies examining the validity and reliability of these systems for that purpose, so the aim of the current study was to determine whether 15 Hz units (SPI HPU; GPSports, Canberra, Australia) could accurately be used to describe the physical demands of football. A series of cohort studies were conducted with Canadian university football players (n = 28). To assess the accuracy of the units' ability to measure high-velocity sprinting, 12 players performed multiple electronically timed 36.6 m sprints while wearing the units. To assess the interunit reliability, 5 players wore 2 units each during a training session. An analysis of the units' validity for measuring collisions was performed by comparing the correct number of tackles and blocks notated on video by an expert rater in 2 games with the number of collisions recorded by the units. The units were accurate for measuring high-sprinting velocities (coefficient of variation [CV] = 0.9%) and had good interunit reliability for recording distances at velocities between walking and sprinting CV (1.4-7.8%). The collision algorithm filter the accompanying software uses was found to have its best balance between precision and recall using a cut-off of 2.65g for linemen and 2.9g for nonlinemen. The devices used are effective at providing acceptably valid and reliable information to describe the physical demands of football. Position-specific locomotor zones are recommended when using GPS units with football players.

Publication types

  • Observational Study

MeSH terms

  • Athletes
  • Athletic Performance / physiology*
  • Canada
  • Football / physiology*
  • Geographic Information Systems / standards*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Running / physiology*
  • Software
  • Universities
  • Walking / physiology
  • Wearable Electronic Devices / standards*
  • Young Adult