Physical and perceptual demands of youth international team match-play in traditional and aged-matched future teams for biologically late maturing soccer players

BACKGROUND: Given the rapidly increasing interest in national futures programmes, and the associated significant increased resource investment, there is a pressing need for data specific to futures programmes to inform practice across world football. AIM: To investigate the differences in the physical and perceptual demands of match-play using Global Positioning Software technology and Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) in traditional youth international team and age-matched international future teams for biologically late-maturing players over one in-season period. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 18 U15 future team (FT) players and 21 national team (NT) players were examined. CONCLUSION: We conclude that while several physical performance metrics differ significantly between FT and NT match-play, the most robust differences after controlling for maturation are in sprint performance and high-intensity accelerations.