Soccer players are known for their movement on the field, which requires high levels of endurance as well as powerful bursts of speed. Recent technology has changed the way sports data is gathered, and it has allowed data such as the speed and distance run by soccer players to be much more easily and accurately collected. This data has a growing variety of uses in the sport.
Average Distance
According to research compiled and studied by Don Kirkendall, co-author of the book ""Exercise and Sport Science," the average soccer player runs 10,000 m a game. Research shows that this distance was recorded as 8,800 in the 1970s. The growth is explained by evolution of game play and growing training and intensity of the players. 10,000 m, or about 6 miles, works out to be an average speed of 4 mph.
Measurement
Modern measurement of player run distance is accomplished by the same system that tracks ball speed and trajectory. Sixteen cameras are placed around the football stadium, each filming a portion of pitch. The cameras send their data back to computers, which extract the velocity data and compile it into useful statistics. Before this system, figuring out how far a player ran required watching a video of an entire football match and carefully following a player individually, using the length of the field itself to judge speed and distance.
Variation In Intensity
Distance run by the average soccer player of course, fluctuates widely in intensity throughout a match. According to the book "Exercise and Sport Science," two-thirds of a player's distance covered is either walking or jogging. The remaining distance is covered mostly in "cruising" or running, and about 800 m by sprinting, usually in 10 to 40 m bursts. Different positions on the field cover different distances. Midfielders cover the most distance while defenders cover much less. The goalie runs hardly at all.
Usefulness
The data on how far players run can be used several ways. Total distance run can be correlated to success or failure of a player's overall performance. As a sports statistic, it can show a player's overall fitness compared to others of his type, which can be useful in sports betting or fantasy leagues, for example. The statistic can also be useful to coaches who wish to adapt new plays, drills and workout routines for their players.
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