Physical Activity of the Right- and Left-Footed Professional Soccer Players from Symmetrical Defensive Positions

The main purpose of this study was to compare the physical match performance of right- and left-footed external defenders during official matches of Polish Ekstraklasa. The sample comprised 991 individual observations from 296 matches during the 2019/2020 season. Variables such as total distance, distance covered in high-speed running and sprinting, and number of high-intensity runs were analysed. Additionally, the data were presented in relation to match duration and effective playing time. Right external defenders (right ED) covered significantly longer total distance (p < 0.001, 1.5%), high-speed running distance (p < 0.001, 5.6%) and sprinting distance (p < 0.001, 11.4%) compared to left external defenders (left ED). The number of high-intensity runs was greater for right RD as well (p < 0.001, 6.4%). Physical match activity for left ED who are left-footed was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in comparison with right-footed left ED. The number of offensive actions played on the right side of the pitch was significantly (p < 0.001) higher than those performed on the left side. Players whose dominant foot is in accordance with the side of the pitch cover longer distances during the match. Moreover, the number of offensive actions played through the wings could affect the physical performance of external defenders.

[1]  J. Chmura,et al.  Is there meaningful influence from situational and environmental factors on the physical and technical activity of elite football players? Evidence from the data of 5 consecutive seasons of the German Bundesliga , 2021, PloS one.

[2]  Damian J. Harper,et al.  High-Intensity Acceleration and Deceleration Demands in Elite Team Sports Competitive Match Play: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies , 2019, Sports Medicine.

[3]  P. Krustrup,et al.  High-intensity running in English FA Premier League soccer matches , 2009, Journal of sports sciences.

[4]  M. Kukla,et al.  Effects of the performance parameters of a wheelchair on the changes in the position of the centre of gravity of the human body in dynamic condition , 2019, PloS one.

[5]  J. Shepherd,et al.  The bi-pedal ape: Plasticity and asymmetry in footedness , 2009, Cortex.

[6]  A. Redwood-Brown,et al.  Effects of playing position, pitch location, opposition ability and team ability on the technical performance of elite soccer players in different score line states , 2019, PloS one.

[7]  Rodrigo Aquino,et al.  Influence of Situational Variables, Team Formation, and Playing Position on Match Running Performance and Social Network Analysis in Brazilian Professional Soccer Players. , 2020, Journal of strength and conditioning research.

[8]  J. Chmura,et al.  ANALYSIS OF MATCH PERFORMANCE OF FULL-BACKS FROM SELECTED EUROPEAN SOCCER LEAGUES , 2015 .

[9]  Alexandre Dellal,et al.  ISMJ International SportMed Journal Physical and technical activity of soccer players in the French First League - with special reference to their playing position , 2010 .

[10]  Bartosz Wieczorek,et al.  Impact of a Hybrid Assisted Wheelchair Propulsion System on Motion Kinematics during Climbing Up a Slope , 2020 .

[11]  J. Chmura,et al.  A New Approach to the Analysis of Pitch-Positions in Professional Soccer , 2019, Journal of human kinetics.

[12]  J. Chmura,et al.  Match outcome and sprinting activities in match play by elite German soccer players. , 2018, The Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness.

[13]  P. Krustrup,et al.  Match performance of high-standard soccer players with special reference to development of fatigue , 2003, Journal of sports sciences.

[14]  H. Sarmento,et al.  Modeling of relationships between physical and technical activities and match outcome in elite German soccer players. , 2019, The Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness.

[15]  C. Castagna,et al.  Variation in top level soccer match performance. , 2007, International journal of sports medicine.

[16]  J. Chmura,et al.  Match outcome and running performance in different intensity ranges among elite soccer players , 2018, Biology of sport.

[17]  Hugo Sarmento,et al.  Match analysis in football: a systematic review , 2014, Journal of sports sciences.

[18]  F. Esposito,et al.  Effect of formation, ball in play and ball possession on peak demands in elite soccer , 2020, Biology of sport.

[19]  Christopher Carling,et al.  Are declines in physical performance associated with a reduction in skill-related performance during professional soccer match-play? , 2011, Journal of sports sciences.

[20]  A. Kubayi,et al.  Match Performance Indicators that Discriminated Between Winning, Drawing and Losing Teams in the 2017 AFCON Soccer Championship , 2020, Journal of human kinetics.

[21]  Paul S. Bradley,et al.  Evaluation of Research Using Computerised Tracking Systems (Amisco® and Prozone®) to Analyse Physical Performance in Elite Soccer: A Systematic Review , 2014, Sports Medicine.

[22]  P. Krustrup,et al.  The effect of playing formation on high-intensity running and technical profiles in English FA Premier League soccer matches , 2011, Journal of sports sciences.

[23]  A. Tessitore,et al.  The Impact of Match Location and Players’ Physical and Technical Activities on Winning in the German Bundesliga , 2020, Frontiers in Psychology.

[24]  Paulino Granero-Gil,et al.  Influence of playing position and laterality in centripetal force and changes of direction in elite soccer players , 2020, PloS one.

[25]  Martin Lames,et al.  Football-specific validity of TRACAB’s optical video tracking systems , 2020, PloS one.

[26]  Will G. Hopkins,et al.  Inter-operator reliability of live football match statistics from OPTA Sportsdata , 2013 .

[27]  M. Waldron,et al.  A Comparison of Match Demands Using Ball-In-Play versus Whole Match Data in Professional Soccer Players of the English Championship , 2021, Sports.

[28]  Del P. Wong,et al.  Comparison of physical and technical performance in European soccer match-play: FA Premier League and La Liga , 2011 .

[29]  J. Chmura,et al.  Match outcome and distances covered at various speeds in match play by elite German soccer players , 2016 .

[30]  Perry F. Stewart,et al.  A comparison of match demands using ball-in-play vs. whole match data in elite male youth soccer players , 2020, Science and Medicine in Football.

[31]  C. Carling,et al.  Analysis of physical activity profiles when running with the ball in a professional soccer team , 2010, Journal of sports sciences.

[32]  C. Castagna,et al.  Physiology of Soccer , 2005, Sports medicine.

[33]  R. van den Tillaar,et al.  Characteristics of Very High Intensity Runs of Soccer Players in Relation to their Playing Position and Playing Half in the 2013-14 Spanish La Liga Season , 2019, Journal of human kinetics.

[34]  S. Pettersen,et al.  Position specific player load during match-play in a professional football club , 2018, PloS one.

[35]  Ian Jeffreys,et al.  Change-of direction deficit in elite young soccer players , 2018 .

[36]  Carlos Lago-Peñas,et al.  Game location and team quality effects on performance profiles in professional soccer. , 2011, Journal of sports science & medicine.

[37]  Carlos González-Haro,et al.  Sprinting analysis of elite soccer players during European Champions League and UEFA Cup matches , 2010, Journal of sports sciences.

[38]  J. Castellano,et al.  Contextual Variables and Time-Motion Analysis in Soccer , 2011, International journal of sports medicine.

[39]  H. Sarmento,et al.  The Effect of Contextual Variables on Match Performance across Different Playing Positions in Professional Portuguese Soccer Players , 2021, International journal of environmental research and public health.

[40]  R. van den Tillaar,et al.  Influence of different soccer-specific maximal actions on physiological, perceptual and accelerometer measurement loads , 2018, Open access journal of sports medicine.

[41]  Stefano D’Ottavio,et al.  A Study of Relationships among Technical, Tactical, Physical Parameters and Final Outcomes in Elite Soccer Matches as Analyzed by a Semiautomatic Video Tracking System , 2017, Perceptual and motor skills.

[42]  Silvester Lipošek,et al.  Analysis of the Association between Running Performance and Game Performance Indicators in Professional Soccer Players , 2019, International journal of environmental research and public health.