Analysis of the linear sprint speed of soccer players using two assessment methods

Resumen

The aim of this study was to analyze the performance of soccer players in a 40-m sprint test using two different assessment methods. A total of 154 professional soccer players from the 1st Division of Paraná State were studied between 2002 and 2006. Sprint speed was measured with a set of photocells positioned on the start line (0 m) and at 10, 20, 30 and 40 m. The athletes were divided into three subgroups according to performance (final time) in the 40-m sprint test and were classified as fast (4.877-5.17 s), intermediate fast (5.175-5.474 s), and slow (5.475-5.766 s). The same 154 athletes were divided according to their field positions into center back, back side, defensive midfielder, offensive midfielder, and forward. In both methods, ANOVA (one-way) was used for the comparison of average time between subgroups at the different distances. For the method classifying athletes according to performance, the Tukey post-hoc test showed a significant difference between all subgroups. Differences, although not significant, were observed between subgroups classified according to field position during the match. In conclusion, the two methods for the analysis of linear sprint speed in soccer players permit the identification of relevant aspects that could be applied to the prescription of training velocity for each subgroup according to their field position during the match.