Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess the measurement properties of external training load measures across three formats of standardised training games. Eighty-eight players from two English professional soccer clubs participated in the study spanning three consecutive seasons. External training load data was collected from three types of standardised game format drills (11v11, 10v10, 7v7+6) using Global Positioning Systems. For each external training load metric in each game format, the following measurement properties were calculated; coefficient of variation (CV%) to determine between- and within-subject reliability, intraclass coefficient correlation (ICC) to determine test-retest reliability, and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) to determine sensitivity. Total distance (TD) and PlayerLoad™ (PL) demonstrated good sensitivity (TD SNR = 1.6–4.6; PL SNR = 1.2–4.3) on a group level. However, a wide variety of within-subject reliability was demonstrated for these variables (TD CV% = 1.7–36.3%; PL CV% = 4.3–39.5%) and corresponding intensity measures calculated per minute. The percentage contribution of individual planes to PL showed the lowest between-subject CV% (CV% = 2–7%), although sensitivity varied across formats (SNR = 0.3–1.4). High speed running demonstrated poor reliability across all three formats of SSG (CV% = 51–103%, ICC = 0.03–0.53). Given the measurement properties of external training load measures observed in this study, specifically the within-subject variation, reliability across trials of standardised training games should be calculated on an individual level. This will allow practitioners to detect worthwhile changes across trials of standardised game format drills. Such information is important for the appropriate implementation of training and monitoring strategies in soccer.
Highlights
Training games are used extensively in soccer training with a variety of formats, with the aim to develop players’ technical ability and tactical awareness, while concurrently targeting physiological capacities [1–3]
Given the poor reliability results, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) analysis for both high-speed running (HSR) measures returned errors so this data is omitted from Table 2
Good reliability was observed for Total distance (TD), m/ min, PL, and PL/min on a group level but high within-subject variation was demonstrated for Measurement properties in standardised soccer games these variables
Summary
Training games are used extensively in soccer training with a variety of formats, with the aim to develop players’ technical ability and tactical awareness, while concurrently targeting physiological capacities [1–3]. Practitioners must have an understanding of how these constraints may be manipulated to target technical, perceptual and physical outcomes, relative to player development and match-play performance [3] In soccer these constraints can include the number of players, pitch size, training prescription (sets, repetitions and work: rest ratios), technical rules (limited touches, position on pitch to score), the inclusion of goalkeepers and coach encouragement [1,8,9]. While such training games may aim to develop physical capacities due to the stochastic nature of this training, it may be difficult to precisely prescribe and periodise the external training load undertaken [10]. Further understanding of the measurement properties of such metrics within standardised training games is required, in order to determine the potential noise that might be associated with such formats, especially if they are to be used as an assessment of fatigue status
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