The Acceleration-Speed Profile in Professional Soccer Players: A Comparative Study According to Sex, the Sports Level and the Playing Position

This study aimed to compare maximum acceleration and speed capabilities in professional soccer players, both derived from the acceleration-speed (AS) profile (theoretical maximum acceleration [A₀] and speed [S₀]) and direct assessment (maximum acceleration [MaxAcc] and speed [MaxSpeed]), according to both (i) sex and the sports level, and (ii) the playing position. A total of 737 professional women and men soccer players were monitored during 5-10 official matches. Data were collected using 18-Hz GPS devices to derive AS profiles and directly measure acceleration and speed output. Across all playing levels, professional men soccer players demonstrated significantly (p < 0.01) higher values than female players for A₀ (d = 1.14-1.87), S₀ (d = 3.88-4.82), MaxAcc (d = 0.57-1.22), and MaxSpeed (d = 2.46-2.81). Likewise, players of higher sports levels showed superior output than their lower counterparts (First Men's Division > Second Men's Division > Under 20 Men's Division; p < 0.05). Position-specific analysis revealed that midfielders had significantly (p < 0.05) lower MaxSpeed values than other positions such as full-backs (d = 0.63-1.17), wide midfielders (d = 0.82), and forwards (d = 0.67-1.06) in both the First and Second Divisions. Conversely, wide midfielders in the Under 20 Men's Division exhibited significantly (p < 0.05) higher A₀ values than central defenders (d = 0.78). These findings highlight the importance of conducting sex- and position-specific analyses of the AS profile to effectively monitor acceleration and speed capacities across different sports levels in professional soccer.