Evidence of Decreased Physical Performance During Playoff Matches: A 4-Season Study of a Liga MX Football Club

Purpose : To explore and compare physical performance across different match scheduling types, including noncongested, congested, and playoffs and considering contextual factors such as match outcomes, location, and player position of a Liga MX football club over a 4-season follow-up. Method : Thirty-seven players participated. Physical-performance metrics included total and relative distance, maximal velocity, maximal acceleration and deceleration, high-intensity break distance, explosive distance, high-speed running (HSR), number and distance of HSR actions, and number and distance of sprints. Linear mixed-model analysis was applied to compare interactions between variables using fixed factors and random factors. Results : Players showed a physical decrement during the playoffs compared with noncongested fixtures in total distance (Δ = −497 m, P = .007), relative distance (Δ = 9.10 m/min, P < .001), peak velocity (Δ = 0.54 km/h, P = .003), high-intensity break distance (Δ = 14 m, P < .001), explosive distance (Δ = 58 m, P < .001), HSR distance (Δ = 43 m, P < .001), number of HSR actions (Δ = 1.86, P < .001), sprint distance (Δ = 29 m, P < .001), and number of sprints (Δ = 1.17, P < .001). Furthermore, physical performance tended to decline during playoff matches that resulted in a loss, and this was more pronounced in winger player positions than in players with other roles such as center backs and forwards ( P ≤ .001). Conclusion : These findings highlight a physical-performance decrease during the playoffs, which can be a key determinant of match outcomes.