Does player unavailability affect football teams' match physical outputs? A two-season study of the UEFA champions league.

Windt, J; Ekstrand, J; Khan, KM; McCall, A; Zumbo, BD

Does player unavailability affect football teams' match physical outputs? A two-season study of the UEFA champions league.

Windt, J Ekstrand, J Khan, KM McCall, A

Zumbo, BD

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Publisher:: Elsevier BV
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: J Sci Med Sport, 2018, 21, (5), pp. 525-532
Issue Date:: 2018-05

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Windt, J
dc.contributor.author	Ekstrand, J
dc.contributor.author	Khan, KM
dc.contributor.author	McCall, A https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3780-8153
dc.contributor.author	Zumbo, BD
dc.date.accessioned	2022-09-11T21:27:34Z
dc.date.available	2017-08-13
dc.date.available	2022-09-11T21:27:34Z
dc.date.issued	2018-05
dc.identifier.citation	J Sci Med Sport, 2018, 21, (5), pp. 525-532
dc.identifier.issn	1440-2440
dc.identifier.issn	1878-1861
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/161689
dc.description.abstract	OBJECTIVES: Player unavailability negatively affects team performance in elite football. However, whether player unavailability and its concomitant performance decrement is mediated by any changes in teams' match physical outputs is unknown. We examined whether the number of players injured (i.e. unavailable for match selection) was associated with any changes in teams' physical outputs. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. METHODS: Between-team variation was calculated by correlating average team availability with average physical outputs. Within-team variation was quantified using linear mixed modelling, using physical outputs - total distance, sprint count (efforts over 20km/h), and percent of distance covered at high speeds (>14km/h) - as outcome variables, and player unavailability as the independent variable of interest. To control for other factors that may influence match physical outputs, stage (group stage/knockout), venue (home/away), score differential, ball possession (%), team ranking (UEFA Club Coefficient), and average team age were all included as covariates. RESULTS: Teams' average player unavailability was positively associated with the average number of sprints they performed in matches across two seasons. Multilevel models similarly demonstrated that having 4 unavailable players was associated with 20.8 more sprints during matches in 2015/2016, and with an estimated 0.60-0.77% increase in the proportion of total distance run above 14km/h in both seasons. Player unavailability had a possibly positive and likely positive association with total match distances in the two respective seasons. CONCLUSIONS: Having more players injured and unavailable for match selection was associated with an increase in teams' match physical outputs.
dc.format	Print-Electronic
dc.language	eng
dc.publisher	Elsevier BV
dc.relation.ispartof	J Sci Med Sport
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1016/j.jsams.2017.08.007
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
dc.subject	1106 Human Movement and Sports Sciences, 1116 Medical Physiology, 1117 Public Health and Health Services
dc.subject.classification	Sport Sciences
dc.subject.mesh	Adult
dc.subject.mesh	Athletic Performance
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Linear Models
dc.subject.mesh	Male
dc.subject.mesh	Prospective Studies
dc.subject.mesh	Running
dc.subject.mesh	Soccer
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Linear Models
dc.subject.mesh	Prospective Studies
dc.subject.mesh	Running
dc.subject.mesh	Soccer
dc.subject.mesh	Adult
dc.subject.mesh	Male
dc.subject.mesh	Athletic Performance
dc.title	Does player unavailability affect football teams' match physical outputs? A two-season study of the UEFA champions league.
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	21
utslib.location.activity	Australia
utslib.for	1106 Human Movement and Sports Sciences
utslib.for	1116 Medical Physiology
utslib.for	1117 Public Health and Health Services
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access	*
dc.date.updated	2022-09-11T21:27:33Z
pubs.issue	5
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	21
utslib.citation.issue	5

Abstract:

OBJECTIVES: Player unavailability negatively affects team performance in elite football. However, whether player unavailability and its concomitant performance decrement is mediated by any changes in teams' match physical outputs is unknown. We examined whether the number of players injured (i.e. unavailable for match selection) was associated with any changes in teams' physical outputs. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. METHODS: Between-team variation was calculated by correlating average team availability with average physical outputs. Within-team variation was quantified using linear mixed modelling, using physical outputs - total distance, sprint count (efforts over 20km/h), and percent of distance covered at high speeds (>14km/h) - as outcome variables, and player unavailability as the independent variable of interest. To control for other factors that may influence match physical outputs, stage (group stage/knockout), venue (home/away), score differential, ball possession (%), team ranking (UEFA Club Coefficient), and average team age were all included as covariates. RESULTS: Teams' average player unavailability was positively associated with the average number of sprints they performed in matches across two seasons. Multilevel models similarly demonstrated that having 4 unavailable players was associated with 20.8 more sprints during matches in 2015/2016, and with an estimated 0.60-0.77% increase in the proportion of total distance run above 14km/h in both seasons. Player unavailability had a possibly positive and likely positive association with total match distances in the two respective seasons. CONCLUSIONS: Having more players injured and unavailable for match selection was associated with an increase in teams' match physical outputs.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/161689