Match play demands of 11 versus 11 professional football using Global Positioning, System tracking: Variations across common playing formations

This study aimed to examine Global Positioning System (GPS) determined movement patterns across the 5 most common playing formations (4-4-2; 4-3-3; 3-5-2; 3-4-3; 4-2-3-1) employed in 11 versus 11 football match play in England. Elite male footballers (n = 46) were monitored over the course of a season; total distance (TD), high speed running (HSR), high metabolic load distance (HMLD), high speed accelerations (Acc) and decelerations (Dec) data was collected for analysis. It was found that 3-5-2 formation elicited higher TD (10528 565 m, p = 0.05), HSR (642 215 m, p = 0.001), and HMLD (2025 304 m, p = 0.001) than all other formations and above average Acc and Dec (34 7, p = 0.036 and 57 10, p =.0.006), with 4-2-3-1 eliciting the highest Acc and Dec (38 8 and 61 12). Positional data showed that CM in 4-3-3 covered >11% TD than in 4-4-2,(p = 0.012). FW in 3-5-2 covered >45% HSR than in 4-2-3-1 (p = 0.004). CM in 4-3-3 covered >14% HMLD than in 4-4-2 (p = 0.367). FW in 4-3-3 performed >49% accelerations than in 4-2-3-1 (p = 0.293). WD in 3-5-2 performed >20% more decelerations than in 4-4-2 (p = 0.161). This study is important for coaches understanding, that positional physical characteristics are influenced by the demands of playing in different formations duting match play. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.