Physiological Characteristics of Projected Starters and Non-Starters in the Field Positions from a Division I Women’s Soccer Team

NCAA soccer features different substitution rules compared to FIFA-sanctioned matches, with a greater availability of players who can enter the game. This could influence the physiological characteristics of the field position starters (ST) and non-starters (NST) within a collegiate women’s team, which has not been previously analyzed. Thus, 22 field players from the same Division I women’s soccer squad completed: vertical and standing broad jumps; 30-meter (m) sprint (0–5, 0–10, 0–30 m intervals); pro-agility and 60-yard shuttle; and the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test Level 1. Players were defined into ST (n=10) and NST (n=12) by the coaching staff. A one-way ANOVA derived any significant (p≤0.05) between-group differences, and effect sizes were used for a magnitude-based inference analysis. Z-scores were also calculated to document worthwhile differences above or below the squad mean for the groups. The results showed no significant between-group differences for any of the performance tests. ST did have a worthwhile difference above the squad mean in the 0–10 and 0–30 m sprint intervals, while NST had a worthwhile difference below the squad mean in the 0–30 m interval. Physiological characteristics between ST and NST from the analyzed Division I squad were similar, although ST were generally faster. The similarities between ST and NST may be a function of the team’s training, in that all players may complete the same workouts. Nonetheless, if all players exhibit similar physiological capacities, with appropriate substitutions by the coach a collegiate team should be able to maintain a high work-rate throughout a match.