Validity of simple field tests as indicators of match-related physical performance in top-level professional soccer players

The aim of this study was to examine the construct validity of selected field tests as indicators of match-related physical performance. During the competitive season, eighteen professional soccer players (age 26.2 +/- 4.5 yrs, mass 80.8 +/- 7.8 kg, and height 181.9 +/- 3.7 cm) completed an incremental running field test to exhaustion, a vertical-jump and a repeated-sprint ability (RSA) test. Match physical performance was quantified during official matches using a video-computerized, semi-automatic, match analysis image recognition system, (ProZone (R), Leeds, UK). The selected measures of match physical performance were: total distance covered (TD), high intensity running (HIR: > 14.4 km h(-1)), very high intensity running (VHIR: > 19.8 km (.) h-1), sprinting ( > 25.2 km (.) h(-1)) and top running speed. Significant correlations were found between peak speed reached during the incremental field test and TD (r = 0.58, R-2 = 0.34; p < 0.05), HIR (r = 0.65, R-2 = 0.42; p < 0.01) and VHIR (r = 0.64, R-2 = 0.41; p < 0.01). Significant correlations were also found between RSA mean time and VHIR (r = -0.60, R-2 = 0.36; p < 0.01) and sprinting distance (r = -0.65, R-2 = 0.42; p < 0.01). Significant differences were found between the best and worst group as defined by the median split technique for peak speed (TD = 12 011 +/- 747 m vs. 10712 +/- 669, HIR 3192 +/- 482 m vs. 2314 +/- 347 m, and VHIR = 1014 +/- 120 vs. 779 +/- 122 m, respectively; p < 0.05) and RSA mean time (VHIR 974 +/- 162 m vs. 819 +/- 144 m, and sprinting = 235 +/- 56 vs. 164 +/- 58 m, respectively; p < 0.05). In conclusion, this study gives empirical support to the construct validity of RSA and incremental running tests as measures of match-related physical performance in top-level professional soccer players.