Evaluating Physical and Tactical Performance and Their Connection during Female Soccer Matches Using Global Positioning Systems

Sensors (Basel). 2022 Dec 21;23(1):69. doi: 10.3390/s23010069.

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the tactical and physical performance during official matches of a women's soccer league and to correlate both dimensions in periods of 15 min. To do this, eight official matches of a semi-professional soccer team belonging to the Women's Second Division of Spain (Reto Iberdrola) were analysed during the 2020-2021 season. The variables recorded were classified into two dimensions: tactical variables (i.e., Width, Length, Height and Surface Area) and physical variables (i.e., Total Distance Covered (TD), Total Distance Covered in High-Speed Running (HSR) and Total Distance Covered in Sprint). The main results were: (1) there were no differences between the periods in any of the tactical dimension variables; (2) in the physical dimension, a significant decrease in TD and HSR was described at the end of the match (period 60-75); and (3) some positive correlations were found among some variables of the tactical and physical dimension at the beginning and at the end of the match (periods 0-15, 60-75 and 75-90). The findings of the study suggest that connecting the tactical and physical dimension in the interpretation of team performance would allow for a better understanding of player and team performance and during competition.

Keywords: electronic performance and tracking systems; match analysis; team sport; time-motion analysis; women’s football.

MeSH terms

  • Athletic Performance*
  • Female
  • Geographic Information Systems
  • Humans
  • Running*
  • Seasons
  • Soccer*