Activity monitoring in men's college soccer: a single season longitudinal study

Performance in soccer has been characterized previously using time-motion analyses; however, it is unclear if men's college soccer shares performance characteristics with women's college or men's professional soccer. The purpose of this study was to compare proportions of matches spent walking, jogging, running, and sprinting in men's college soccer. Twenty-two male college soccer players wore global positioning system units during matches. Proportions of walking, jogging, running, high-speed running, and sprinting were calculated for each player based on time period (first half, second half, extra time) and outcome (win, loss, tie). Multivariate analyses of variance were run for each time period to compare positions. Means, 95% confidence intervals, and effect sizes were calculated for each position based on time period and match outcome. There were differences in low-speed and high-speed activities based on position, with forwards and midfielders demonstrating increased high-speed activities. Positional differences may require different physiological profiles and should be a consideration during training.