@Article{Lampre-Ezquerra2026,
journal="Biology of Sport",
issn="0860-021X",
year="2026",
title="Influence of competitive level and playing position on the physical and technical demands of professional men’s football",
abstract="This	study	investigated	the	differences	in	physical	and	technical	performance	between	players	in	Spain’s	First	and	Second	Division	professional	men’s	football	leagues,	with	a specific	focus	on	playing	positions	and	phases	of	play	(in	and	out	of	possession).	Drawing	on	data	from	1,608 official	matches	across	the	2021/22 and	2022/23 seasons,	involving	44 teams,	the	research	employed	advanced	tracking	technologies	(TRACAB	and	Mediacoach)	and	technical	event	analysis	(OPTA)	to	provide	a comprehensive	assessment	of	physical	demands	and	technical	actions.	In	possession	phases,	First	Division	central	midfielders	(CM)	and	forwards	(FW)	covered	significantly	more	distance	at	high	speeds	(p =	0.010 and	0.027;	ES =	-0.49)	and	during	sprints	(p =	0.041 and	0.025;	ES =	-0.45 and	-0.59),	whereas	wide	defenders	(WD)	demonstrated	greater	high-intensity	efforts	in	both	possession	and	defensive	phases	(p =	0.002–0.009;	ES =	-0.50 to	-0.59).	Conversely,	central	defenders (CD)	and	wide	midfielders	(WM)	did	not	show	significant	differences	in	physical	demands	between	divisions.	Technically,	FW	in	the	First	Division	recorded	higher	values	in	total	passes,	forward	passes,	attacking	zone	passes,	successful	dribbles,	and	crosses,	while	WM	showed	significantly	greater	totals	in	passes,	forward	passes,	and	attacking	zone	passes	compared	to	their	counterparts	in	the	Second	Division.	In	contrast,	Second	Division	players,	particularly	CD	and	WD,	executed	longer	passes	(p =	0.025 and	0.001;	ES =	0.29 and	0.20),	suggesting	a more	direct	style	of	play.	In	conclusion,	the	study	demonstrated	that	competitive	level	and	playing	position	significantly	influence	the	physical	and	technical	demands	of	professional	football.	The	findings	suggest	that	technical	proficiency,	particularly	in	offensive	play,	complements	position-specific	physical	demands	in	highintensity	actions	as	a key	differentiator	between	divisions.",
author="Lampre-Ezquerra, Miguel
and Arjol-Serrano, José Luis
and López-Del Campo, Roberto
and Resta, Ricardo
and Mainer-Pardos, Elena
and Lozano, Demetrio",
pages="711--720",
doi="10.5114/biolsport.2026.156233",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.5114/biolsport.2026.156233"
}