The Physical Demands of NCAA Division I Women’s College Soccer

Abstract

Extensive research into women's collegiate soccer is scarce, leaving gaps in the literature with little information available detailing the physical demands at different standards of play. Our purpose was to elucidate the physical demands of the Division I collegiate level and identify differences between playing positions. Twenty-three field players were observed during four competitive seasons using 10-Hz GPS units (Catapult Sports, Melbourne, Australia). Descriptive statistics and 95% confidence intervals were used to determine group and position-specific physical demands. Linear mixed modelling (LMM) was used to compare attacker, midfielder, and defender position groups. Total distance, high-speed distance, and sprint distance were 9486 ± 300 m, 1014 ± 118 m, and 428 ± 70 m, respectively. Furthermore, attackers were observed to cover the greatest distance at all speeds compared to midfielders and defenders. Our findings suggest that the physical demands of Division I women's soccer differ by position and appear lower compared to higher standards of play. Therefore, coaches and sports scientists responsible for the physical training of Division I collegiate players should consider the specific physical demands of the collegiate level and playing position when prescribing training, as well as in the development of their annual training programs.

Match Demands of Women’s Collegiate Soccer

“…Similarly, Krustrup et al [ 9 ] noted average distances of 10,300 m (range of 9700–11,300 m) and 1300 m covered with high-intensity running in elite female soccer players yielding an average HR of 87% of HR max (167 bpm) and peak HR values of 97% of HR max. As noted by Sausaman et al [ 12 ], the differences in match demands between the college and elite international level suggest that it may be a difficult transition from college to higher level play. It is recommended that caution be exercised when comparing movement profiles across studies as different technologies may utilize different thresholds for locomotor classification and may have varying degrees of accuracy when assessing movement.…”

“…Generally, when compared to the elite level of the same sex, differences in match play result in shorter distances covered total, shorter distances at high speeds, and lower velocities at the collegiate level [ 9 , 10 ]. Notable differences in movement characteristics and training load have also been reported regarding the match demands of collegiate play compared to elite levels of competition, particularly across certain position groups [ 5 , 9 , 10 , 12 ]. Despite the growing popularity of women’s soccer, information in regard to the physiological demands and movement kinematics of match play at the collegiate level is limited within the literature.…”

“…The authors [ 13 ] concluded that differences in the style of play between sexes are likely a result of logical and strategic adaptations to account for the notable anthropometric and physiological differences between sexes. Recently, researchers quantified the match demands of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men’s and women’s soccer [ 5 , 12 ] and found similar total and high speed distances during match play with differences mostly limited to peak and mean velocities between sexes. Previous research at the collegiate level has also examined accumulated training loads throughout the season and reported that starters accumulated greater total distances covered, training impulses, and number of accelerations throughout the season compared to reserves [ 14 ].…”

Athlete Workloads During Collegiate Women's Soccer Practice: Implications for Return to Play

“…The results of this study highlight several important characteristics of the drill structure and female soccer player load that sports medicine clinicians, sports scientists, and coaches may consider in future practice. Given that past athlete monitoring investigations in women's college soccer players have largely focused on cumulative practice and game data, [15][16][17]20,22 this current study adds valuable insights into practice-specific demands by drill structure. Clinicians may use this information to facilitate rehabilitation and return to play decision-making, while coaches and sport scientists may consider this information in regard to training demands across female soccer athletes.…”

“…Soccer, as a field sport, imposes unique physiologic demands on athletes such as endurance to cover 10-kilometers or more in a single game, 14 sprint speed to beat opponents to a ball during play, 15 and technical and tactical skills to obtain and maintain ball possession. 11 There are only a handful of studies to date that have explored external load measures assessed with wearable technology among women's soccer players across competitive seasons, [16][17][18][19] however there is limited information on individual player demands during practices that capture the nuances of the workload demands of the sport.…”