The present study investigated the position-specific match demands and heart rate response of female elite footballers, with special focus on the full-game, end-game, and peak-intensity periods. In total, 217 match observations were performed in 94 players from all eight teams of the best Danish Women's League, that is, goalkeepers (GK, n = 10), central defenders (CD, n = 23), full-backs (FB, n = 18), central midfielders (CM, n = 28), external midfielders (EM, n = 18), and forwards (FW, n = 11). Positional data (GPS; 10 Hz Polar Team Pro) and HR responses were collected. HR mean and HR peak were 87%-89% and 98%-99% of HR max , for outfield players, with no positional differences. CM, EM, and FB covered 8%-14% greater (P < .001) match distances than CD. EM, FW, FB, and CM performed 40%-64% more (P < .05) high-speed running and 41%-95% more (P < .01) very-high-speed running (VHSR) than CD. From the first to the last 15-minute period, total distance, except for FW, number of VHSR, except FB, peak speed and sum of accelerations and sum of decelerations decreased (P < .05) for all outfield positions. In the most intense 5-minute period, EM, FB, and CM performed 25%-34% more (P < .01) HSR than CD, whereas EM, FW, and FB performed 36%-49% more (P < .01) VHSR than CD. In conclusion, competitive elite female matches impose high physical demands on all outfield playing positions, with high aerobic loading throughout matches and marked declines in high-speed running and intense accelerations and decelerations toward the end of games. Overall physical match demands are much lower for central defenders than for the other outfield playing positions, albeit this difference is minimized in peak-intensity periods.

Differences in body composition and performance were investigated between elite and U20 male ice hockey players of two different national standards. 179 players were recruited from the highest Finnish (n=82) and Danish (n=61) national level. In addition, one U20 team from Finland (n=19) and Denmark (n=17) participated. Body composition and countermovement jump performance (CMJ) were measured off-ice in addition to on-ice assessments of agility, 10 and 30-m sprint performance and endurance capacity (the maximal Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Level 1 Ice Hockey Test, Yo-Yo IR1-IHmax). Large differences in on-ice performances were demonstrated between Finnish and Danish elite players for agility, 10 and 30-m sprint performance (2-3%, P≤0.05) and Yo-Yo-IR1-IHmax performance (15%, P≤0.05).In contrast, no differences (P>0.05) were present between elite players for CMJ ability or body composition. However, elite players possessed more body and muscle mass than U20 players.Finally, the Finnish U20 cohort had a similar performance level as the Danish elite players and superior 10-m sprint performance, whereas the Danish U20 level was inferior to the other groups in every performance assessment (P≤0.05). In conclusion, on-ice speed and endurance differ markedly between elite players of two national standards with no difference in body composition or CMJ ability. Moreover, the most consistent difference between U20 and senior elite players was related to body and muscle mass. These results highlight the usefulness of on-ice assessments and suggests the importance of on-ice high-intensity training in elite players in addition to training targeted the development of lean body mass in youth prospects.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, physical inactivity has increased, and a wide range of sporting activities locked down, with possible long-term implications for public health. Football is the most popular sport worldwide, and recreational football training leads to broad-spectrum health effects. Football is, however, deemed a contact sport with frequent close contact important to consider during COVID-19 pandemic.ObjectivesThis study investigated time spent with close contact (danger zone (DZ) within 1.5 m), number of contacts and time per contact, and compared game formats in recreational small-sided football games for young and adult male football players.MethodsMovement analyses were performed on 10 Hz Global Positioning System (GPS) data collected during various small-sided football games prior to the COVID-19 outbreak.ResultsTime spent in the DZ was 4.3–7.9 s/h per per cent infected players, corresponding to 34.3–114.8 s/h if one player was infected. Number of contacts with one infected player was 23.5–87.7 per hour, with an average contact time of 1.1–1.4 s, and a total number of contacts of 311–691 per hour with all players. 53%–65% of all contacts were shorter than 1 s and 77%–85% shorter than 2 s. Trivial to small effects were found for number of participants and area per player, whereas standard of play and playing with/without boards had no effect.ConclusionThis study demonstrated that during small-sided football limited time is spent within DZ and that player contacts are brief. Recreational football may therefore more appropriately be deemed as sporting activity with brief, sporadic contact.

Funding informationDanish FA (DBU) Elite football can make players feel nervous, and personality characteristics, as well as experience, affect how well pressure is handled before important games.Studying the psychological characteristics of female football players can provide information on how well psychological pressure is handled and generate knowledge on how to support players in order to improve performance. Based on a sample of 128 female elite football players from 8 top-level teams, the present study investigates whether psychological characteristics and football experience/player stus in elite female football players can predict state anxiety before important matches. Our results outline that high age and national team experience negatively predicted most of the trait anxiety subscales. In line with previous research, no psychological differences were found between goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders, and strikers while starting players revealed to have significantly lower trait anxiety. When measuring before important matches, we found that somatic state anxiety was negatively associated with senior national team experience and positively associated with worry trait anxiety and fear of failure. Cognitive state anxiety was negatively associated with hope for success and positively associated with somatic and worry trait anxiety.Self-confidence was positively associated with youth national team experience and negatively associated with worry trait anxiety. It can be concluded that psychological characteristics and national team experience are both important for optimal state anxiety before important matches in elite-level women's football. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

We determined player-to-player distance, body-to-ball contact, and exercise intensity during three training modalities in various football populations. 213 participants were recruited, ranging from 9-year-old boys to young men and 11-year-old girls to middle-aged women. All groups were analysed with video-filming and GPS-based Polar Pro monitors during three types of football training for 20 min, i.e., COVID-19-modified training (CMT) with >2-metre player-to-player distance, small-sided games (SSG), and simulated match-play with normal rules (SMP), in randomised order. Time spent in a danger zone (1.5 m) per-percent-infected-player (DZ PPIP) ranged from 0.015 to 0.279% of playing time. DZ PPIP for SSG was higher ( P < 0.05 ) than CMT and SMP. The average number of contacts (within 1.5 m) with a potentially infected player ranged from 12 to 73 contacts/hour. SSG had more ( P < 0.05 ) contacts than CMT and SMP, with SMP having a higher ( P < 0.05 ) number of contacts than CMT. Time/contact ranged from 0.87 to 3.00 seconds for the groups. No player-to-player and body-to-ball touches were registered for CMT. Total player-to-player contacts were 264% higher ( P < 0.05 ) in SSG than SMP, ranging from 80 to 170 and 25 to 56 touches, respectively. In all groups, a greater total distance was covered during SMP compared to CMT (38–114%; P < 0.05 ). All groups performed more high-intensity running (33–54%; P < 0.05 ) and had higher heart rates during SMP compared to CMT. Different types of football training all appear to exert a minor COVID-19 infection risk; however, COVID-19-modified training may be safer than small-sided game training, but also match-play. In contrast, exercise intensity is lower during COVID-19-modified training than match-play.