Author(s): RIBOLI, A., FRANCINI, L., MURATORE, S., CANDELA, S., BOLDRINI, L., MAZZONI, S., Institution: A.C. MILAN S.P.A., Country: ITALY, Abstract-ID: 2088

INTRODUCTION:
The management of the area-per-player (ApP, m2⋅player) helps to modulate the locomotor intensity up to official match demand using ball-drills (1-3). The current study aims to determine the ApP to replicate the official match locomotor demands using ball-drills in top-class women soccer players.
METHODS:
Twenty-four Italian Serie A players were monitored during both training and match across the season 2022-2023; only outfield players were included. Small-sided games with goalkeepers (SSGwith, n=62 different formats, n=4342 individual samples), ball possession games (POSSgame, n=16, n=621), technical-tactical drills (TTdrill, n=70, n=2789) and official match (n=32, range 4 to 31; n=420 individual samples) were monitored. Relative (m⋅min-1) total (TD), high-speed running (HSR, 14.4 to 19.8 km/h-1), very high-speed running (VHSR, 19.8 to 25.2 km/h-1), sprint (>25.2 km/h-1) and acceleration+deceleration (Acc+Dec, 3 m/s2) distance were collected. A linear mixed model analysis was used to calculate the individual relationship between m2⋅player and m⋅min-1 for each metric and drill; a correlation analysis was also calculated. The ApP for replicating official match demands was forecasted, as previously proposed (1-3).
RESULTS:
The ApP was moderately to very largely correlated (P<0.001) with locomotor demands in SSGwith (TD, r=0.401; HSR, r=0.617; VHSR, r=0.734; sprint, r=0.591), POSSgame (TD, r=0.446; HSR, r=0.795; VHSR, r=0.566; sprint, r=0.563) and TTdrill (TD, r=0.573; HSR, r=0.752; VHSR, r=0.697; sprint, r=0.241). For SSGwith, POSSgame and TTdrill, the ApP showed no correlations (P>0.05) with Acc+Dec. In POSSgame, the ApP to replicate the match demands was 90±16, 142±32, 257±47, 401±50 and 114±21 m2⋅player for TD, HSR, VHSR, sprint and Acc+Dec, respectively. In SSGwith, the ApP to replicate the match demands was 151±16, 192±34, 277±47, 384±47 and 170±35 m2⋅player for TD, HSR, VHSR, sprint and Acc+Dec, respectively. In TTdrill, the ApP to replicate the match demands was 126±16, 177±35, 249±41, 313±56 and 151±18 m2⋅player for TD, HSR, VHSR and Acc+Dec, respectively. For each drill, moderate to very large (ES: 0.65 to 21.7) differences in the ApP across metrics were observed. Trivial to very large (ES: 0.18 to 10.97) differences in ApP for the same metric across SSGwith, POSSgame and TTdrill were found, with SSGwith that required larger ApP than others.
CONCLUSION:
These findings may help coaches and performance scientists to recreate the desired external load outcomes using specific ApP during SSGwith, POSSgame and TTdrill in top-class women’s soccer. In SSGwith, POSSgame and TTdrill, to overload HSR similarly to official match demands an ApP of about 140 to 190 m2⋅player is required and an ApP larger than about 250 for VHSR. To replicate sprint, SSGwith and TTdrill should be prescribed with about 300/350 m2⋅player, while supplemental sprint exercises seem mandatory if POSSgame is a preferential choice for technical purposes.