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Substitutions play a key role in modern football and can substantially affect the physical and overall performance of a team, and the recent substitution rule changes are worth investigating. This study explored the characteristics of substitutions, including different substitution rules, game results, sex, competition stages, tournaments and penalty shoot-outs success rates. We analysed data from a total of 3,738 substitutions from the last 10 years (2013–2023) of European Championships and World Cups, both men’s and women’s games. Nonparametric tests and chi-square tests were used for statistical analysis with the significance level set at p < 0.05. With the 5-substitution rule, 48% more substitutions occurred compared to the 3-substitution rule (4.26±1.07 vs. 2.87±0.43, p < 0.05) with a slight increase in the average substitution time (70.6±14.3 vs. 69.2±14.6 min, p < 0.05), and 10% more substitutions in the men’s game compared to the women’s game ( p < 0.05). The timing of the firstsubstitution wasslightly different in the knock-outstage compared to group stage (59.8±14.7 vs. 57.2±13.3 min, p < 0.05), and the timing for the winning team and drawing team was later than for the losing team ( p < 0.05). A total of 13.2% goals were scored by substitutes, with no significant difference between the 5-substitution rule (15.9%) vs the 3 substition rule (12.5%) ( p > 0.05). Interestingly, substitute players had a lower success rate in penalty shoot-out compared to starters (61 vs. 74%, p < 0.05). Additionally, substitute player goal scorers entered the pitch later ( p < 0.05) in male games compared to female games and in knock-out stage games compared to group games. This study highlights the importance of substitution rules and timing in modern elite football matches. The timing of the first substitution, introduction of substitutes in knock-out stages, and a lower success rate of substitute players in penalty shoot-outs are crucial factors to consider. Coaches can use this information to make strategic substitution decisions to improve team performance.

This study aimed to examine the independent effect of different match-related factors on match running performance (MRP) in elite soccer. Players’ MRPs (n = 244) were collected during UEFA Champions League (UCL) group stage matches in the 2020–21 season. All MRP data were collected by the semi-automatic optical system InStat Fitness (InStat Limited, Limerick, Republic of Ireland). Match-related factors included match outcome, team quality, match location, opponent quality and difference in team quality, while MRP included cumulative and relative measures of total distance (TD and R-TD), low-intensity running (LIR and R-LIR) (≤ 4 m/s), moderate-intensity running (MIR and R-MIR) (4–5.5 m/s) and high-intensity running (HIR and R-HIR) (≥ 5.5 m/s). Linear mixed models were used to examine the collective effect of match-related factors on MRPs when controlling for between-player, between-playing position and between-team variation. The main findings were that match outcome was associated with reduced HIR (d = -0.38, p = 0.04), match location was associated with increased TD, R-TD, LIR and R-LIR (d = 0.54–0.87, all p < 0.01), while team quality, opponent quality and difference in team quality were not associated with MRP. These results show that (i) winning UCL matches was not strongly influenced by players’ physical performance, (ii) away UCL matches were characterized by a slower match pace and greater match volume, and (iii) players’ physical performance was similar irrespective of playing either in or against high- or low-quality teams. The findings from this study may help soccer coaches to ensure optimal physical preparation of players in elite soccer.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the pandemic lockdown, which included training cessation and home-based training, on physical performance in professional soccer players from the Polish Ekstraklasa according to their playing position. The research was based on 3137 players’ individual match performance observations during the 2019/2020 season divided into before (26 matchdays) and after (11 matchdays) lockdown periods. The data were collected using the computerised multiple-camera optical tracking system TRACAB (ChryronHego VID, New York, NY) with a sampling frequency of 25 Hz. Independently of playing position, a significant (p < 0.001) reduction in season resumption metrics of total distance (-0.9%), jogging (-1.6%), running (-3.4%) and high-speed running (-2.5%), with a contemporaneous increase in walking distance (1.4%), was noted in relation to pre-lockdown performance. A reduction in high-speed running was observed in central defenders (p < 0.05), central midfielders (p < 0.01) and forwards (p < 0.05). No significant decrease in sprinting or maximal running velocity was observed. The COVID-19 lockdown negatively influenced the physical performance in professional soccer players.

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the effect of playing three consecutive matches with extra time (ET) on the physical performance of selected Croatian players in their subsequent match, the final of the 2018 Men’s World Cup in Russia. The case study consisted of 4 players on the Croatian national team (16 observations) who had played in all three matches up to 120 min. The consecutive full time matches (90 minutes) and extra time (30 minutes) were compared. The analysis was conducted using data collected by an advanced motion analysis system known as STATS and from interviews with the strength and conditioning coach of the Croatian national team. The recorded variables used were: total distance covered [m], distances covered [m] at intensity ranges of 20–25 km/h and above 25 km/h, and number of sprints performed. All the studied parameters systematically increased in each match up to 90 minutes of play, reached their maximum values in the semi-final and then decreased in the final match. Compared to the first extra time period, in the third extra time period the players covered twice as much distance with an intensity of 20–25 km/h and above 25 km/h, and recorded twice as many sprints. This investigation shows that players in central positions on the pitch are able to maintain or even increase high and very high intensity activity in three consecutive matches with extra time. These data complement the developing body of literature relating to the influence of accumulation of match play with extra time periods on high level players.

The study presented below aimed to examine the position-specific evolution of technical activity among soccer players and how it is related to match outcomes over three consecutive domestic seasons in Germany’s Bundesliga. The research was based on a sample of 13,032 individual match observations of 556 soccer players during the 2014/2015, 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 seasons. These players were classified into five positional roles: central defenders (CD), full-backs (FB), central midfielders (CM), wide midfielders (WM) and forwards (F). The activity of the players was analysed using the Impire AG motion analysis system. Our study indicates that over the course of the three seasons: 1) the total numbers of shots by CMs decreased in the case of won or drawn matches; 2) the number of passes by CD players increased in matches won, and by CM and WM players in matches won, drawn and lost, whereas percentage pass accuracy increased at the CM position in won and drawn matches; 3) players at each position engaged in a substantially smaller number of duels, no matter what the match outcome, while the percentage of encounters won in subsequent seasons decreased among CD, and increased among WM in matches won and at F positions in both won and drawn matches. This research clearly shows that the evolution of technique among professional soccer players is heading in the direction of increased accuracy, with a simultaneous stabilisation of, or even a decline in, the number of activities engaged in.