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®, 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, R2 = 0.34; p < 0.05), HIR (r = 0.65, R2 = 0.42; p < 0.01) and VHIR (r = 0.64, R2 = 0.41; p < 0.01). Significant correlations were also found between RSA mean time and VHIR (r = -0.60, R2 = 0.36; p < 0.01) and sprinting distance (r = - 0.65, R2 = 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 = 12011 ± 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. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart.