Stats behind the beautiful game
STUDY: Researchers track female players
What can Canadians expect to see at the Women’s World Cup of soccer, which wraps up in Vancouver July 5?
Today’s female soccer players are fitter, faster, more skilled and have more international experience than was on display during the last World Cup four years ago.
They cover about 10 kilometres over the course of a match, which is comparable to the 10 to 12 kilometres elite men travel during a game.
The main difference between genders is the distance travelled during high-intensity runs. Men’s greater speed and power allow them to cover more distance over the same amount of time.
GPS data indicate soccer players spend the majority of the game walking and jogging. And while most of the statistics have been obtained from male professional ranks, more attention is starting to be paid to the women’s game.
An Australian research team monitored movements of 15 players on the Australian women’s team in 13 international games.
They reported a quarter of the distance covered during a match is spent running, with 3.5 per cent spent sprinting.
César Meylan, an exercise physiologist who works full time with the Canadian women’s team, agrees with the Australian data, but warns tracking has its limitations.
Time spent walking, running and sprinting varies considerably based on team tactics, the score, the opponent and stage of the game. And it also depends on the player’s position.
The Canadian women’s team has used GPS tracking for several years in an effort to find out the physical demands of the women’s game. The more the staff knows about its team, the better they can design training and tactics to maximize results.
“I have a forward who will cover about 9.5 to 10 kilometres a game,” said Meylan. “She’ll spend up to 600 metres (a game) sprinting above 20 kilometres per hour.”
It’s typical for strikers and midfielders to spend more time running at high speeds than the defensive squad, who dial up the pace only about half the time of their quicker teammates.
Midfielders predictably accumulate the most mileage: about 10.2 kilometres per game, according to the Australian data. Strikers aren’t far behind, logging 9.4 kilometres.
The Australian research team evaluated the game in 15-minute increments, noting not just the distance covered but also the pace at which the game was played.
Not surprisingly, the opening 15 minutes resulted in the most field coverage, with players averaging about 1.7 kilometres.