{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,8]],"date-time":"2026-05-08T17:52:57Z","timestamp":1778262777397,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":43,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2019,12,23]],"date-time":"2019-12-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1577059200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Sports"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Quantification of training and match load is an important method to personalize the training stimulus\u2019 prescription to players according to their match demands. The present study used time-motion analysis and triaxial-accelerometer to quantify and compare: a) The most demanding passages of play in training sessions and matches (5-min peaks); b) and the accumulated load of typical microcycles and official matches, by playing position. Players performance data in 15 official home matches and 11 in-season microcycles were collected for analysis. Players were divided into four different playing positions: Centre-backs, wing-backs, centre midfielders, and centre forwards. The results show that match demands were overperformed for acceleration counts (acccounts) (131%\u2013166%) and deceleration counts (deccounts) (108%\u2013134%), by all positions. However, relative to match values, training values for sprint distance (sprintdist) and high-intensity run distance (HIRdist) were considerably lower (36%\u201361% and 57%\u201371%) than for accelerations and decelerations. The most pronounced difference on the 5-min peaks was observed in sprints (sprintpeak), with wing-backs achieving during the microcycle only 64% of the sprintpeak in matches, while centre backs, centre midfielders, and centre forwards levelled and overperformed the match values (107%, 100%, and 107%, respectively). Differences observed across playing positions in matches and microcycles underline the lack of position specificity of common training drills\/sessions adopted by coaches in elite football.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/sports8010001","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2019,12,23]],"date-time":"2019-12-23T03:15:01Z","timestamp":1577070901000},"page":"1","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":48,"title":["Positional Differences in Peak- and Accumulated- Training Load Relative to Match Load in Elite Football"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"8","author":[{"given":"Ivan","family":"Baptista","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Sport Sciences, University of Troms\u00f8\u2014The Arctic University of Norway, 9037 Troms\u00f8, Norway"}]},{"given":"Dag","family":"Johansen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Computer Science Department, University of Troms\u00f8\u2014The Arctic University of Norway, 9037 Troms\u00f8, Norway"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5515-3694","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Pedro","family":"Figueiredo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Portugal Football School, Portuguese Football Federation, 1495-433 Oeiras, Portugal"},{"name":"Research Center in Sports Sciences, Health Sciences and Human Development, CIDESD, University Institute of Maia, ISMAI, 4475-690 Maia, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9105-7421","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ant\u00f3nio","family":"Rebelo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Center of Research, Education, Innovation and Intervention in Sport, Faculty of Sports, University of Porto, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4700-0529","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Svein A.","family":"Pettersen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Sport Sciences, University of Troms\u00f8\u2014The Arctic University of Norway, 9037 Troms\u00f8, Norway"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2019,12,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2205","DOI":"10.1080\/02640414.2016.1217343","article-title":"High-intensity efforts in elite soccer matches and associated movement patterns, technical skills and tactical actions. 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