Physical demands analysis of soccer players during the extra-time periods of the UEFA Euro 2016

Abstract

Background: Despite the importance of extra-time (ET) in determining success in the knockout stages of tournaments, there is scant information on the physical demands of ET on soccer players.

Methods: This study investigated the physical demands of all soccer players (n=59) who completed four matches that went to ET at the 2016 UEFA Euro Championship. Players were categorised as follows: central defenders (CDs), wide defenders (WDs), central midfielders (CMs), wide midfielders (WMs) and attackers (ATs). Match activities were captured using a validated camera tracking system (InStat®). Descriptive statistics and repeated measures one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to analyse the data.

Results: The findings showed that total distances covered by players during matches decreased by 13% from the first half of the game (113±10 m/min) to ET (98±10 m/min). Concerning playing positions, a decline in total distances covered during matches was more apparent among midfielders than players in other field positions. A repeated measures ANOVA, with a Greenhouse-Geisser correction, showed that the mean total distances differed significantly between halves of the game [F(1.54, 83.28) = 121.97, p < 0.001].

Conclusion: Intervention strategies needed to sustain soccer players’ physical performance during ET periods and of post-match recovery modalities warrant further investigation.

Keywords: distance, physical performance, substitution, tournament