Article Details

Various Studies on the Relationship among Physical Performance and Team Presentation in Elite Soccer Players | Original Article

Raj Kumar*, in International Journal of Physical Education & Sports Sciences | Physical Education, Health, Fitness & Sports

ABSTRACT:

Monitoring soccer players is important for evaluating individual and collective team behavior during training sessions and games, in addition to informing recovery strategies and load management. Modern micro-technology allows assessment of physical, technical and tactical performance parameters in “realworld” conditions. However, physical testing performed either in laboratories or on the pitch is required for individual training prescription, and to develop performance benchmarks for playing standards and playing positions. Anaerobic actions precede the majority of goals, and a large number of linear or repeated sprint tests with or without direction changes have been used in order to assess soccer players’ ability to create or close a gap. To investigate the relationship between physical fitness and team success in soccer, and to test for differences in physical fitness between different player positions. Participants were 306 male soccer players from 17 teams in the two highest divisions in Iceland. Just before the start of the 1999 soccer season, the following variables were tested: height and weight, body composition, flexibility, leg extension power, jump height, and peak O2 uptake. Injuries and player participation in matches and training were recorded through the 4-month competitive season. Team average physical fitness was compared with team success (final league standing) using a linear regression model. Physical fitness was also compared between players in different playing positions. Coaches and medical support teams should pay more attention to jump and power training, as well as preventive measures and adequate rehabilitation of previous injuries to increase team success. Player activities in soccer matches are influenced by the match result and match venue. It is not known if injury rates are influenced by these factors. The odds of two or more injury occurrences in professional soccer was higher in matches lost and drawn compared with matches won, while the odds of injury occurrences was lower in matches played away compared with home matches. The rate of moderate and severe injuries increased with the importance of the match.