Workload Quantification in Women's Soccer: Does the Starting Status Classification Matter?

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Exercise Physiology
• Soccer Performance Analysis

Background:

• Accurate workload assessment is crucial for optimizing training and preventing injuries in professional athletes.
• Different methods for classifying player status (starter vs. non-starter) can influence workload calculations.
• Understanding these methodological differences is key for consistent data interpretation in women's soccer.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore methodological considerations in comparing accumulated workload across different starting status classification methods.
• To describe best-fit classification criteria for player status in professional women's soccer.
• To compare accumulated workload data using methods based on previous match exposure.

Main Methods:

• Collected workload data (GPS, heart rate, RPE) from 36 players in the Mexican Women's League over 3 seasons.
• Classified players as starters or non-starters using three criteria: seasonal available playing time (SAPT), weekly playing time of the last match (WPTLM), and weekly match started (WMS).
• Compared player classifications and accumulated workload metrics across the different methods.

Main Results:

• High agreement (90%) between WPTLM and WMS for player classification, moderate agreement (71.4%) between SAPT and WPTLM.
• The SAPT method (60-min cutoff) best predicted starting status (R² = .52).
• Accumulated workload differed significantly across classification methods for both starters and non-starters (P < .05).

Conclusions:

• Classifying players by WPTLM or WMS provides similar, suitable workload outcomes for week-to-week training management in women's soccer.
• The SAPT method is more appropriate for retrospective analysis, such as previous seasons or research studies.
• Methodological choices in player classification significantly impact workload data interpretation.