What question did this study set out to answer?

The aim is to analyze running performance across different player positions during matches and the variation between matches.

March 19, 2026

Positional and Temporal Variability of Match Running Performance in Elite Women’s Soccer

Key Points

The aim is to analyze running performance across different player positions during matches and the variation between matches.
Data collected via GPS and accelerometry from four professional teams
Assessment of 67 elite female players across 345 match observations
Comparison of physical outputs based on playing position and match halves
Statistical analysis of performance metrics during matches
Players covered an average of 9138 meters per match.
High-speed running and sprinting made up approximately 4% of total distance.
Central midfielders and external defenders recorded the highest total distances.
Match-to-match variability was greatest in high-speed running and sprinting among defenders.
Physical outputs generally declined from the first to the second half of matches.

Abstract

The aims were to: 1) characterize players' physical output during the matches; 2) compare match running performance across four qualification phases according to playing position; 3) compare position-specific running demands; 4) assess match-to-match variability; and 5) compare physical performance between halves. Data were collected via GPS and accelerometry from four professional teams during the 2024 season of the Brazilian Women's First Division League. Sixty-seven elite female players who completed full matches were included (n = 345 individual observations), representing central and external defenders, central midfielders, and forwards. On average, players covered 9138 meters per match, with high-speed running and sprinting comprising ≈4% of total distance. Total distance, high-speed running, top speed, and deceleration efforts peaked during the pre-break phase (p p p p < .001-0.047), except for sprinting. These findings support individualized training and context-specific periodization in elite women's soccer.

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