@Article{Trapletti2026,
journal="Biology of Sport",
issn="0860-021X",
year="2026",
title="Match-to-match variability during whole and peak official match locomotor demands in top-class football players across sexes and age-categories",
abstract=" This study aimed to quantify match-to-match variability (CV%) during whole-match (90-minAvg) and one-minute peak (1-minpeak) locomotor demands across sexes and different age-categories (U15 to PRO) in top-class football players. A total of 252 outfield players were monitored across a full competitive season, encompassing 385 official matches (male: n = 267, female: n = 118) and 2317 individual observations (male: n = 1720, female: n = 617). Total distance (TD), high-speed running (HSR, 14.4–19.8 km·h−1), very highspeed running (VHSR, 19.9–25.2 km · h−1), sprint (Sprint, \> 25.2 km · h−1), accelerations (\> 3 m ·s 2 ) and decelerations (\< −3 m·s 2 ) (Acc+Dec) distances and the distance covered \> 85% of the individual maximum speed (S85%Vmax) were monitored. Individual profiles were determined for 90-minAvg and 1-minpeak, using rolling moving-average analysis. CV% was determined for each metric in both 90 minavg and 1-minpeak. In men, the variability for 90 minavg was S85%Vmax \> sprint \> VHSR \> Acc+Dec \> HSR \> TD, while in women was Sprint \> S85%Vmax \> VHSR \> Acc+Dec \> HSR \> TD. For both 90-minAvg and 1-minPeak, TD and HSR showed similar variability between men and women; VHSR, Sprint, Acc+Dec and S85%Vmax exhibited lower variability in men (range: ~30/179%) than women (range: ~41/209%). Additionally, PRO players showed lower variability than younger players across both sexes. Moderately-to-largely higher variability for highintensity metrics in women vs men and in youth vs PRO across both sexes were found. Sprint variability was lower in 1-minPeak than 90-minAvg in both men and women. Practitioners involved in performance development should consider that match-to-match variability is higher in women than men and in youth than PRO. ",
author="Trapletti, Michele
and Mazzoni, Stefano
and Trecroci, Athos
and Bazzoni, Mattia
and Esposito, Fabio
and Riboli, Andrea",
pages="247--258",
doi="10.5114/biolsport.2027.165697",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.5114/biolsport.2027.165697"
}