Contextual factors affect match sprinting demands and effective playing time in Spanish professional football

Sprinting demands are a key factor in football. While effective playing time seems to affect them, there is a lack of information related to contextual factors. The present study aimed to compare effective playing time according to the level of the opponent and competition division, and to compare sprinting distance and the number of sprints, accounting for effective playing time, in relation to contextual variables such as match location, match final outcome, and match difficulty across the First and Second Spanish Divisions. All matches from the 2021/22 season in the First (n = 380) and the Second (n = 462) Spanish Divisions were analysed. Two variables were used to determine the physical performance: the total distance covered at speeds above 24 km/h and the number of efforts made at speeds above 24 km/h relative to effective playing time (m · min−1 and sprints · min−1). Difficulty-4 matches (teams qualified 1st to 5th) exhibited higher effective playing time than all other difficulty levels in both the First (p < 0.001; ES > 0.71) and the Second Division (p < 0.004; ES > 0.30). The sprint demands showed a significant effect of difficulty (p < 0.001), with lower sprint activity recorded in level-4 matches, a significant effect of match outcome (p < 0.001), with winning teams performing a greater sprint activity and a significant effect of location (p < 0.001), with teams performing a greater sprint activity in home matches. Effective playing time and sprinting demands show variation according to when top-tier teams (1st to 5th) are involved. Finally, winning and playing at home may be related to slightly superior sprinting demands.