Kinematic analysis of activity profile in Under 15 players with GPS technology

Abstract

The physical and physiological demands of high-level male soccer have been widely studied, at the same time that a few studies have researched into the demands on female players during matches. However, it has not been made any study about the heart rate and activity pattern of young female soccer players during matches. A wider knowledge of the demands in the initial stages of this sport would allow the making of training programs more appropriate to the somatic characteristics of young female soccer players. The present study aimed to quantify the physical demands of young female soccer players during a match. The players were observed during a friendly competition match (7 vs 7) over the two 25-min halves. The match activities were assessed with Global Position System technology (1Hz). Results showed that the young female soccer is an intermittent sports speciality, which alternates high intensity activities with game situations that allow the players’ recuperation while standing, walking or running at very low speed. The work-rest ratio was 1:2.6, and the average distance covered per minute of game was about 80 m. Nevertheless, this distance changed in the course of the match, so there were significant differences between the first and second halves. Likewise, the physical load (total covered distance and distance with a speed >13 km/h) turned out to be lesser than the one reported for young soccer players and female professional soccer players. As a result, the gender and the different competition level seem to be the factors determining the physical performance during a young female soccer match. We propose a new classification of the physical demand categories that we consider more appropriate to the somatic development of the young female soccer players and to the space of game.