Physical characteristics and match performances in women's international versus domestic-level football players : a 2-year, league-wide study

Objective: This study examined the role of physical qualities and physical match performances in distinguishing between elite performance levels in women's football. Methods: Over a two-season period (2016-2017), a league-wide study was conducted in which physical qualities and match external loads were collected in all players (n = 220) competing in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) in the USA. During the first week of each pre-season, the standing broad jump, 30 m sprint, and the 30-15 intermittent fitness test were conducted under standardized conditions. In each competitive league fixture (3,268 individual match observations), 10 Hz GPS data were collected in all players who completed full matches and playing position was categorized. Total distance, and the distances covered above high (≥12.5 km h-1), very-high (≥19.0 km h-1), and sprinting velocities (≥22.5 km h-1) were used to quantity match physical performances. Players were further categorized as international (INT) or domestic-level (DOM) players according to their country's squad selections during each season. Results: There were few meaningful differences between INT and DOM players for either physical qualities or physical match performances. Conclusion: Whilst physical qualities and match performances may impact upon performance outcomes, they generally do not distinguish between performance levels in elite women's football.