PUBBLICAZIONE PERIODICA MENSILE - POSTE ITALIANE S.P.A. - SPED. IN A. P. D.L. 353/2003 (CONV. IN L. 27/02/2004 N° 46) ART.

1, COMMA 1, DCB/CN - ISSN 0022-4707 TAXE PERÇUE

ISSUE
SPECIAL
AND
GAMES
SUMMER
2020
OLYMPIC
PARALYMPIC

P U B L I S H E D B Y M I N E RVA M E D I C A
VO L U M E 6 1 - N o. 8 - A U G U S T 2 0 2 1
© 2021 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness 2021 August;61(8):1081-90
Online version at http://www.minervamedica.it DOI: 10.23736/S0022-4707.21.12811-7

ORIGINAL ARTICLE
P E R F O R M A N C E A N D S P E C I A LT I E S

Physical workload and fatigue pattern characterization

in a top-class women’s football national team:
a case study of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup
Farzad YOUSEFIAN 1, Hannah HÜTTEMANN 2, Mats BORJESSON 3, 4 ,
Pontus EKBLOM 2, Magni MOHR 5, 6 Dan FRANSSON 2 *

1Research Center in Sports Sciences, Health Sciences and Human Development (CIDESD), Department of Sports Sciences, University of
Beira Interior, Covilhã, Portugal; 2Center for Health and Performance, Department of Food and Nutrition and Sports Science, University
of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; 3Center for Health and Performance, Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Sahlgrenska
Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; 4Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Region of Western Sweden, Gothenburg,
Sweden; 5Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, SDU Sport and Health Sciences Cluster (SHSC), University of
Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark; 6Center of Health Science, Faculty of Health, University of the Faroe Islands, Tórshavn, Faroe
Islands
*Corresponding author: Dan Fransson, Center for Health and Performance, Department of Food and Nutrition, and Sport Science, University of Gothenburg,
Skanegatan 14B, 411 40 Gothenburg, Sweden. E-mail: dan.fransson@gu.se

A B S T RAC T
BACKGROUND: With the growing scientific interest in women’s football it is critical to understand the match demands and fatigue patterns
during a top-class women’s competition.
METHODS: Physical characteristics and performance of top-class women football matches during the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup was
investigated from data collected using global positioning system for 21 outfield players during the tournament.
RESULTS: Relative total distance (TD; m·min-1) was moderately lower (P≤0.05, ES:0.6) in the final match (96.1±5.0 m·min-1) compared to
the first (104.1±5.9 m·min-1) match. Performance in relative total high-speed running (THSR; m·min-1) declined -27.5% (P≥0.05) through-
out the tournament following peak performance in the third match (M3) (5.3±1.7 m·min-1). Match performance between halves was reduced
-25.4±0.13% (P≤0.05, ES:1.2-2.3) across all measures in M3. Relative high-intensity running (HIR; 25.9±3.5 m·min-1) and THSR (9.8±1.5
m·min-1) were greater (P≤0.05, ES:0.2-0.7) for forwards, while midfielders performed greater (P≤0.05, ES:0.6) relative total distance (102.0±5.5
m·min-1), compared to central defenders (HIR: 16.1±3.7 m·min-1; THSR: 3.1±1.6 m·min-1; TD: 92.5±5.7 m·min-1). Reductions in relative HIR
between halves (-10.9%), within the first half (-31.0%), and the start and end of the match (-36.9%) were most pronounced for midfielders
(P≤0.05, ES:0.6-2.3). Across all matches, relative THSR performance was reduced, with moderate to large differences (P≤0.001, ES: 0.7-0.8)
observed between halves, within the first half, and throughout the match.
CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, specific fatigue patterns observed within and between matches throughout the women’s World Cup, may be
influenced by playing positions, the rank of the opposition, as well as the stage of the tournament.
(Cite this article as: Yousefian F, Hüttemann H, Borjesson M, Ekblom P, Mohr M, Fransson D. Physical workload and fatigue pattern characterization
in a top-class women’s football national team: a case study of the 2019 FIFA women’s world cup. J Sports Med Phys Fitness 2021;61:1081-90. DOI:
10.23736/S0022-4707.21.12811-7)
Key words: Soccer; Muscle fatigue; Athletic performance.

W omen’s football has developed rapidly over the last

two decades (see for example Datson et al., 20141
and Davis and Brewer., 19932). Also, the number of play-
ers has increased markedly with 13.4 million active play-
ers worldwide (FIFA, 2019). The international interest in
the women’s game has also accelerated sport science in the
area with an increasing number of scientific publications.
The physical demands have been expanded as total game
distance has risen from 8.52 to 10-11 km3, 4 with around 2.0
km covered as high-speed running.4, 5 Moreover, studies

Vol. 61 - No. 8 The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness 1081
YOUSEFIANPHYSICAL DEMANDS OF A WOMEN’S FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT
have shown markedly higher demands at the highest in-
ternational standard of play compared to domestic league
competitions.3, 6
In a study by Bradley et al. tracking data from UEFA
Champions League games for both women and men were
used to examine gender differences in match performance.
Beside large gender differences in distance covered in the
high intense running categories where male top-class play-
ers outperformed their women counterparts, women also
appeared to fatigue more than men in the second half of a
game. Moreover, these gender differences were most pro-
nounced in the most demanding playing positions.7 Indeed,
both temporary fatigue during the game and at the end of a
game are well established in elite women football.6, 8 Thus,
at the highest level of play women football players may
experience very high physiological loading, however, this
has not been investigated within the context of a single
tournament in top-class women football players.
Physiological loading during a women’s football game
has been described in several studies. Overall, both oxi-
dative and glycolytic energy systems appear to be highly
taxed during a match.8-10 Recently, muscle metabolism was
studied in elite women players during a game. It was dem-
onstrated that muscle glycogen breakdown is significant
during an elite women football game, and that several fast
and slow twitch fibers are being nearly depleted of gly-
cogen, which may cause fatigue during a game. Indeed, a
correlation was observed between the drop in muscle gly-
cogen and repeated sprint performance,11 which confirms
findings in men’s football.12 In addition, anaerobic energy
production was shown to be elevated during intense peri-
ods of a women’s football game but appears to be lower
than in males. As physiological loading is high during elite
football games, this may compromise performance during
repeated match-play, such as during tournaments. How-
ever, this needs to be further studied in top-class women
football players, as previous studies have only investigated
such effects in sub-elite players.13
Recovery after a football game has been shown to be
long in both men14, 15 and women.16, 17 For example, in
trained male players it has been demonstrated that high
intensity exercise performance, the degree of muscle dam-
age, oxidative stress and inflammatory response is mark-
edly elevated during a week with three games,18 which
resembles the competitive scenario during international
tournaments in women’s football, such as the World Cup.
This may affect recovery between matches in tournaments
with many games in close proximity. Increased knowledge
of this in the highest level of women’s football is needed.
1082 The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness August 2021
Thus, the objectives of the present study were to test the
hypothesis that (a) players experience differences in per-
formance measures between matches, as well as according
to different positions, and (b) reductions in performance
between halves and throughout the match indicate specific
fatigue patterns that are dependent on the performance
measure and influenced by player position.
Materials and methods
Participants
Twenty-one outfield players in the national women’s foot-
ball team participated in the study (age [yrs]: 26.8±3.7,
weight [kg]: 64.6±3.7, height [cm]: 172±5.1). The play-
ers represented the following positions central defenders
(CD), wide defenders (WD), midfielders (MF), and for-
wards (FW). Goalkeepers were excluded from the analy-
sis. Playing positions were selected based on FIFA match
documents and the 4-3-3 formation of the team during the
2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup (WWC 2019). Data were
collected during the tournament, where the reference team
reached a third place. Before the start of the study, all play-
ers were informed verbally of the details of the study and
their consent for participation in the study was obtained.
The study was conducted with institutional approval and
followed the guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki.
Tournament characteristics
The first phase of the tournament included 3 matches and
then followed 4 further matches in the final stage of the
tournament. Details of the tournament structure, including
the stages of the matches, days between matches, match
results and duration, as well as the ambient temperature,
relative humidity, and team rankings are presented in Fig-
ure 1. Between all matches there were a minimum of 2
days and a maximum of 3 days of recovery. Based on the
FIFA Women’s World Ranking (29-03-2019), the refer-
ence team rank was 9. The study period lasted for four
weeks in total (9th of June to 6th of July in 2019). Dur-
ing the tournament physical characteristics of competitive
matches were analyzed with global position system (GPS)
and accelerometer technology.
Physical characteristics
All competitive matches and training sessions were per-
formed outdoor on natural grass during the 2019 FIFA
Women’s World Cup. Using GPS and accelerometer tech-
nology (10 Hz, S5, Catapult Innovation, Melbourne, Aus-
PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF A WOMEN’S FOOTBALL TOURNAMENTYOUSEFIAN

15 °C 25 °C 17 °C 24 °C 32 °C 29 °C 29 °C
2019-06-11 2019-06-16 2019-06-20 2019-06-24 2019-06-29 2019-07-03 2019-07-06

Match 1 Match 2 Match 3 Match 4 Match 5 Match 6 Match 7

2-0 5-1 0-2 1-0 2-1 0-1 2-1

Days

115 h 100 h 91 h 119 h 97 h 67 h

Start 18:00 15:00 21:00 18:00 18:30 21:00 17:00

Match
duration 100 98 99 101 98 136 100
(min)

FIFA
39 34 1 5 2 8 3
rank

Figure 1.—2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup tournament details for match date, temperature and relative humidity, match start time, match duration
(min), time from the end of the last match (hours), score in favor of the reference team, and FIFA rank of the opponent.

tralia), data was collected during all competitive matches.
This type of GPS has been validated for different types
of activities in team sports19, 20 and able to detect fluctua-
tions during football matches.21 GPS units were switched
on 30 minutes before the start of match and were placed in
a vest between the shoulder blades of the participants. Be-
fore the analysis data set was verified for number of satel-
lites connected (> 12) and horizontal dilution of precision
(mean <1.2). To avoid inter-unit error of measurement the
same GPS unit was worn by the same player throughout
the study period.22
Physical data analysis
Following the tournament, all data was downloaded using
Catapult software and analyzed in the following catego-
ries, based on a previous study,23 total distance (TD) (>0
km·h-1), high-intensity running distance (HIR) (12.5-18.9
km·h-1), high-speed running distance (HSR) (19.0-22.4
km·h-1) and sprinting (SPR) (>22.5 km·h-1). Furthermore,
accumulated changes of velocity from a 3-dimension ac-
celerometer were analyzed as a parameter called total
player load (TPL). The parameter collected with the ac-
celerometer used in the present study has been shown to be
reliable (CV<0.9%).24 Finally, the number of changes of
directions and accelerations and decelerations above 3 m/
s2 was analyzed and defined as explosive efforts (EE). The
physical category for total high-speed running (THSR)
consisted of the sum of high-speed running distance and
sprinting. Minimum time for effort duration was set to
0.45 for all investigated categories.
The activity categories were also analyzed as 6 depen-
dent variables, presented as relative measures to the dura-
tion of match exposure. Dependent variables included rela-
tive TPL (AU·min-1), TD (m·min-1), HIR (m·min-1), THSR
(m·min-1), and EE (count (n)·min-1). Performance measures
for the entire match were analyzed for differences accord-
ing to the matches and playing positions and included only
players who completed the match (N.=14 players; N.=47
observations; CD, N.=13; WD, N.=13; MF, N.=11; FW,
N.=10). Only 14 out of the 21 outfield players completed
matches and were included in the analysis, and not all play-
ers participated in every match. Match data was divided into
15-minute (15-min) and 45-min intervals, with the exclu-
sion of additional time for each half and the match, only for
players who completed 90-min of a match (N.=15 players;
N.=51 observations; CD, N.=13; WD, N.=14; MF, N.=11;
FW, N.=13). Performance within halves were assessed by
comparing changes between the first and third 15-minute
interval (first half), and differences between the fourth and
final 15-min interval (second half). Changes in performance
throughout a match were determined by comparing differ-
ences between the first and final 15-minute intervals.
Statistical analysis
Normal distribution of the data was confirmed using the
Shapiro-Wilk Test. Linear mixed models were used to

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YOUSEFIANPHYSICAL DEMANDS OF A WOMEN’S FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT

due to the robustness of the statistical method surround-
ing unbalanced repeated measures data, as not all players
participated in every match. Differences between matches
and positions were determined, with ‘match’ and ‘posi-
tion’ included as fixed effects, and a covariance structure
pattern model was selected for repeated measures for
matches. Fixed effects and their interaction included re-
peated 15-min intervals and halves and playing positions,
with subjects included as random effects. In the event of
a significant effect, Bonferroni post-hoc tests were used to
identify differences between means. Effect size (ES) was
calculated, from the difference in means divided by the
standardized pooled standard deviation (SD) and adjusted
for differences in sample size, to determine the magnitude
of differences using Cohen’s d. Effect size was interpreted
based on the following criteria: ≥0.2-0.5 small, ≥0.5-.08
moderate, and ≥0.8 large effect size.25 Data are presented
as means±SD, unless otherwise stated. Significance level
was set at P≤0.05. Statistical analyses were performed us-
ing IBM SPSS for Windows statistics version 25.0 (IBM
Corp., Armonk, NY, USA).
Results
Match performance and performance between halves
Performance during each match and between halves through-
out the tournament data are presented in Table I. Overall
average match demands for relative TPL, TD, HIR, THSR
and EE were 8.4±0.5 AU·min-1, 99.5±5.9 m·min-1, 22.1±3.5
m·min-1, 5.4±2.1 m·min-1, and 0.20±0.1 m·min-1, respec-
tively. The highest relative TPL was observed in M3, while
the lowest relative TPL was observed in M6, with small
to moderate (P≤0.05; ES: 0.3-0.7) and moderate to large
(P≤0.05; ES: 0.5-0.9) differences when compared to other
matches, respectively. The lowest relative TD was observed
in M2, which was 9.6-11.0% lower (P≤0.05, ES: 0.5-0.6)
when compared to M1, M3, and M4. Relative TD in the final
match, M7, was significantly lower (P≤0.05, ES: 0.6-0.9)
when compared to M1(-7.7%, 95%CI: 0.2-15.9 m·min-1), M4
(-6.3%, 95%CI: 4.0-9.0 m·min-1), and M5 (-5.1%, 95%CI:
2.1-8.2 m·min-1). The highest relative HIR was observed
in M4 (26±3.9 m·min-1), which was significantly (P≤0.01,
ES: 0.3-1.0) greater compared to all other matches, except
for M1 and M3. Conversely, relative HIR was significantly
(P≤0.001, ES: 0.3-0.6) lower in M2 (19.2±3.3 m·min-1) and
M6 (17.3±1.7 m·min-1), with small and moderate differenc-
es when compared to both M1 (25.3±4.1 m·min-1) and M3
(24.2±2.5 m·min-1), respectively. While relative EE perfor-
mance was -48.2% lower in M2 than in M3, the effect of the
difference was small (P≤0.05, ES: 0.3).
Overall, throughout the World Cup, moderate to large
differences (P<0.001, ES:0.6-1.2) between halves were
observed for all performance measures, except for relative
EE (Table I). The greatest difference between halves was
observed for THSR (-26.9%; first half: 4.5±1.8 m·min-1;
second half: 3.3±1.5 m·min-1). Performance in the sec-
ond half was reduced -8.3% for relative TPL (first half:
9.0±0.9 AU·min-1; second half: 8.3±0.8 AU·min-1), -7.5%
for relative TD (first half: 103.4±6.1 m·min-1; second half:
95.6±6.6 m·min-1), and -11.4% for relative HIR (first half:
22.9±4.7 m·min-1; second half: 20.3±4.8 m·min-1).

Table I.—Performance measures between matches and between halves across matches.
M1 M2 M3 M4 M5 M6 M7
TPL (AU/min) 8.6±0.5 8.2±0.6 9.2±0.5 ß, Δ, e, &, λ, # 8.3±0.5 8.4±0.5 7.8±0.4 a, €, &, g, $ 8.4±0.7
TD (m/min) 104.1±5.9 92.7±7.0 a, c, d, & 102.8±6.2 102.6±4.6 101.3±4.5 97.3±7.5 96.1±5.0 a, d, e, &
HIR (m/min) 25.3±4.1 ß, & 19.2±3.3 §, &, Δ, # 24.2±2.5 26±3.9 22.5±3.8 Δ, $ 17.3±1.7 α, §, Δ, #, €, & 19.8±4.7 Δ, &
THSR (m/min) 4.1±1.4 4.7±1.5 5.3±1.7 4.4±1.1 4.3±1.2 4.1±1.1 3.9±1.3
EE (n/min) 0.18±0.08 0.13±0.02 0.25±0.05 b, # 0.18±0.04 0.18±0.04 0.20±0.1 0.17±0.06

TPL (AU/min) 1stH 9.0±0.9 9.2±0.9 10.2±0.8 9.1±0.9 8.7±0.9 8.7±0.9 8.3±0.8
2ndH 8.7±0.8 *, # 8.1±0.8 **, $ 8.9±0.8 **, $ 8.2±0.8 **, $ 8.2±0.8 **, & 7.6±0.8 **, $ 8.4±0.8
TD (m/min) 1stH 103±5.6 102.1±6.1 110±6.1 107.1±6.1 104.1±6.1 104.2±6.1 93.1±5.9
2ndH 101.7±6.1 91±5.8 **, $ 95.3±5.8 **, $ 97.6±6.3 **, $ 97.5±6.3 **, $ 93.5±6.3 **, $ 92.8±6.3
HIR (m/min) 1stH 23±4.7 18.4±4.7 27.7±4.7 27.3±4.7 24.4±4.7 20.6±4.7 18.8±4.7
2ndH 23.9±4.8 19.3±4.8 21.6±4.8 **, $ 23.3±4.8 **, & 22.3±4.8 15.3±4.8 **, $ 16±4.6 *, &
THSR (m/min) 1stH 3.8±1.8 4.2±1.8 5.7±1.8 4.6±1.8 5.6±1.8 3.4±1.8 4.7±1.8
2ndH 2.9±1.5 3.9±1.5 3.3±1.5 **, $ 3.1±1.5 2.8±1.5 **, $ 4.8±1.5 2.5±1.5 **, $
Data are presented as mean±SD.
aDifferent compared to M1 (P≤0.05; αP≤0.001); bdifferent compared to M2 (P≤0.05; ßP≤0.001); cdifferent compared to M3 (P≤0.05; §P≤0.001); ddifferent compared to
M4 (P≤0.05; ΔP≤0.001); edifferent compared to M5 (P≤0.05; €P≤0.001); fdifferent compared to M6 (P≤0.05; λP≤0.001); *different compared to the first half (P≤0.05,
**P≤0.001); #small effect size (0.2-0.5); &medium effect size (0.5-0.8);$large effect size (≥0.8).

1084 The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness August 2021
PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF A WOMEN’S FOOTBALL TOURNAMENTYOUSEFIAN

When accounting for differences between halves for
each match, there was an average reduction of -25.4±0.13%
(P≤0.05, ES: 1.2-2.3) across all performance measures in
M3. Relative TPL was reduced by -9.7±0.04% (P≤0.05, ES:
0.3-1.5) in the second half compared to the first half across
M1-M6, while relative TD was reduced by -9.9±0.03%
(P≤0.001, ES: 0.2-2.3) in the second half across M2-M6
(Table I). Relative HIR decreased -19.2±0.06% (P≤0.05,
ES: 0.6-1.2) between halves across M3, M4, M6 and
M7, with the largest difference observed in M6 (-25.7%,
P≤0.001, ES:1.0). Relative THSR was reduced by an av-
erage of -45.4±0.04% (P≤0.05; ES:1.2-1.3) across M3,
M5, and M7, with the greatest reduction between halves
observed in M5 (-49.5% (P≤0.01; ES:1.5). Significantly
large (P≤0.05; ES:1.2-1.5) differences between halves for
relative EE were observed only for M3 and M4.
Position specific match performance and performance be-
tween halves
Throughout the tournament, CD performed significantly
(P≤0.05; ES:0.4-0.7) lower relative TPL, TD, and HIR
when compared to other positions (Table II). Small to
moderate differences (P≤0.001; ES:0.2-0.5) were ob-
served between FW and other positions for relative THSR
(9.8±1.5 m·min-1) and EE (0.25±0.04 n·min-1). The high-
est relative TPL (8.9±0.52 AU·min-1) and TD (102.0±5.5
m·min-1) performances were observed in MF.
Moderate to large reductions of -8.0±0.003% and
-7.6±0.005% for relative TPL (P≤0.001; ES:0.8-0.9) and
TD (P≤0.001; ES:1.2-1.5), respectively, were observed
between halves across all positions, with the largest reduc-
tions observed in FW (-8.4%). Relative HIR was reduced
by an average of -11.7±0.02% (P≤0.05; ES:0.5-0.7) be-
tween halves for all positions, except for WD. However,
WD and FW performed -28.3% and -29.3%, respectively,
less relative EE in the second half compared to the first
half (Table II).
Within match and within halves performance
Changes in relative HIR performance throughout the match
and within halves in 15-min intervals were assessed for
playing positions (Table III). Relative HIR performance

Table II.—Performance measures across playing positions and between halves.

CD WD MF FW
TPL (AU min-1) 8.0±0.54 8.3±0.54 8.9±0.52 α, & 8.8±0.52 α, &
TD (m min-1) 92.5±5.7 99.0±5.7 102.0±5.5 α, & 100.8±5.5 α, &
HIR (m min-1) 16.1±3.7 21±3.7 α, &, Δ, # 23.6±3.6 α, # 25.9±3.5 α, #
THSR (m min-1) 3.1±1.6 b(&) 5.1±1.6 4.0±1.5 9.8±1.5 αߧ(#)
EE (n min-1) 0.16±0.04 0.13±0.04 0.21±0.04 b, & 0.25±0.04 α, &, ß, #
TPL (AU min-1) 1stH 8.4±0.9 8.9±0.9 9.6±0.8 9.1±0.9
2ndH 7.8±0.8 **, & 8.2±0.8 **, & 8.9±0.8 *, $ 8.4±0.8 **, $
TD (m min-1) 1stH 97.4±6.3 103.7±6.4 108.8±6.3 106.2±6.3
2ndH 90.1±5.4 *, $ 96.1±5.5 **, $ 100.8±5.4 *, $ 97.3±5.4 **, $
HIR (m min-1) 1stH 17.8±4.4 21.9±4.4 25.1±4.4 27.6±4.4
2ndH 15.4±4.5 *, & 19.8±4.5 22.4±4.5 *, & 24.7±4.5 *, &
THSR (m min-1) 1stH 3.6±2.2 5.2±2.2 4.8±2.2 9.3±2.2
2ndH 2.7±1.9 4.5±1.9 3.2±1.9 10.0±1.9
EE (n min-1) 1stH 0.16±0.06 0.17±0.06 0.19±0.06 0.28±0.06
2ndH 0.15±0.06 0.12±0.06 *, & 0.22±0.06 0.2±0.07 *, $
Data are presented as mean±SD. adifferent compared to CD (P≤0.05; αP≤0.001); bdifferent compared to WD (P≤0.05; ßP≤0.001); cdifferent compared to MF (P≤0.05;
§P≤0.001); ddifferent compared to FW (P≤0.05; ΔP≤0.001); *different compared to the first half (P≤0.05; **P≤0.001); #small effect size (0.2-0.5); &medium effect size
(0.5-0.8); $large effect size (≥0.8).

Table III.—Relative HIR (m·min-1) performance across 15-min intervals for playing positions
0’-15’ 15’-30’ 30’-45’ 45’-60’ 60’-75’ 75’-90’
HIR (m/min) CD 20.2±5.2 b *, $ 18.0±4.9 15.1±5.1 15.9±5.2 14.8±5.2 14.6±4.8
WD 24.3±5.2 b *, $ 21.7±4.9 19.7±5.1 20.9±5.2 16.8±5.1 18.9±4.7
MF 32.0±5.2 ß, Δ, **, $ 25.7±4.8 22.1±5.0 23.5±5.2 23.6±5.0 20.2±4.8
FW 31.5±5.2 ß, d, **, $ 26.7±4.7 24.4±5.1 26.7±5.2 21.7±5.1 24.0±4.7
Data are presented as mean±SD. CD: central defender; WD: wide defender; MF: midfield; FW: forward.
bdifferent compared to INT3 (30’-45’) (P≤0.05, ßP≤0.001); ddifferent compared to INT4 (P≤0.05, ΔP≤0.001); *different compared to INT6 (75’-90’) (P≤0.05,
**P≤0.001); $large effect size (≥0.8).

Vol. 61 - No. 8 The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness 1085
YOUSEFIANPHYSICAL DEMANDS OF A WOMEN’S FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT
was reduced (P≤0.05; ES:0.9-1.9) by -21.7±0.03% within
the first half across all positions. Within the match, relative
HIR performance in the final 15-min interval was reduced
by -27.6±0.07% (P≤0.001; ES:1.1-2.3) when compared
to the first 15-minute interval across all positions. The
largest reduction in relative HIR performance within the
first half was observed for MF (-31.0%, 95%CI:18.9-25.3
m·min-1) and the smallest for WD (-19.0%, 95%CI: 16.9-
22.4 m·min-1). Similarly, MF players performed -36.9%
(95%CI: 17.3-23.1 m·min-1) less relative HIR in the final
15-minute interval compared to the first 15-minute in-
terval, while WD performance was reduced the least, by
-22.1% (95%CI: 16.3-21.5 m·min-1) for the same period,
when compared to all other positions (Table III). Large dif-
ferences (P≤0.001; ES:0.9-1.6) were observed between the
initial 15-min intervals of the first and second half for MF
(-26.6%, 95%CI: 20.4-26.6 m·min-1) and FW (-15.1%,
95%CI: 23.8-29.6 m·min-1). The average 15-min HIR per-
formance for FW (25.8±9.4 m·min-1) and MF (24.5±9.3
m·min-1) players were greater (P≤0.001; ES:0.9-1.0) when
compared to CD (16.4±9.5 m·min-1), and higher (P≥0.05)
than WD (20.4±9.5 m·min-1).
Finally, within match relative TSHR performance in
15-min intervals across all matches in the World Cup was
reduced (P≤0.05; ES: 0.4-0.9) within the first half as well
as throughout the match (Figure 2). When compared to
the first 15-min interval (7.9±4.0 m·min-1), relative THSR
performance was reduced (P≤0.001; ES: 0.8) by -36.9% in
the third 15-min interval (5.0±3.3 m·min-1) and by -37.6%
in the fourth 15-min interval (4.9±3.4 m·min-1). The ref-
erence team performed -40.1% (95%CI: 1.6-4.7 m/min)
16
14
Relative distance (m min-1)
12
10
8 M2
6
4 M5
2
0 the playing style of the reference team29 and the context
0’-15’ 15’-30’ 30’-45’ 45’-60’ 60’-75’ 75’-90’
Figure 2.—Relative THSR (m·min-1) performance across 15-min inter-
vals.
Data are presented as mean±SEM.
*Significantly different than all other 15-min intervals (P≤0.05;
**P≤0.001). #Small effect size (0.2-0.5); &medium effect size (≥0.5-
0.8); $large effect size (≥0.8).
1086 The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness August 2021
less (p<0.001; ES: 0.8) relative THSR in the final 15-min
interval (4.7±3.5 m·min-1) when compared to the first 15-
min interval (Figure 2).
Discussion
The main aim of the study was to investigate physical
characteristics and fatigue indicators of top-class women
national team matches during the 2019 FIFA Women’s
World Cup tournament. The study is the first to report
such findings in a real-life setting such as an international
tournament in top-class women’s football. The following
major findings were observed: 1) relative total player load
(TPL) was reduced between the first and final match; 2)
differences between matches and changes within matches
are influenced by playing position, with greatest work-
loads observed in MF and high-intensity movements in
FW; and 3) specific patterns and fluctuations in perfor-
mance were observed for THSR performance within the
first half and throughout the match. The findings from our
study supports the development of position specific train-
ing programs as well as establishing team and player per-
formance monitoring platforms to implement effective re-
covery protocols during tournaments in top class women’s
football, with the overall aim to mitigate decrements in
overall performance.
Between matches and positions
The findings presented in this study for overall match de-
mands were lower than what has been previously reported
in elite female football players.3, 4, 6, 26, 27 Our findings pre-
sented overall average match demands of 8.6±0.98 AU
min-1, 98.2±6.96 m min-1, 21.3±5.3 m min-1, 5.3±2.9 m
min-1, and 0.19±0.07 n min-1, for relative TPL, TD, HIR,
THSR, and EE, respectively. However, in previous larger
Overall
sample size studies utilizing GPS analysis of match de-
M1 mands in international women’s football, considerable
higher values were reported.26, 27
M3 Reasons that may account for such discrepancies be-
M4
tween studies include the relatively low number of match-
M6
es and players analyzed, differences in selected velocity
M7 thresholds and analysis methodologies,28 differences in
of the tournament in the current study. Our analysis also
considered the full duration of player match exposure, for
example, the inclusion of M6, in which the match duration
was longer than 120 minutes. In previous studies veloc-
ity thresholds were based on those implemented in men’s
football using automated tracking systems,4 and individ-
PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF A WOMEN’S FOOTBALL TOURNAMENTYOUSEFIAN
ualized velocity thresholds using maximal speed bands
based on the 30-15 intermittent fitness test and MAS us-
ing GPS.27 However, despite our velocity thresholds be-
ing similar with a recent study by Scott et al., 202026 and
based on velocity thresholds suggested for female soccer
players,23 we observed lower overall match demands. The
study by Park et al., 2018 was based on observations of fe-
male soccer players during friendly matches, and may not
be suitable for the level of competition presented in this
study. Further, in our study, we analyzed a single team in a
7 match tournament, and thus the sample size in our study
was much lower in terms of matches and players when
compared to Scott et al., 2020, who conducted a 2-year
study with 63 international players over 1196 matches.26
Differences surrounding the context of our study may
have also influenced our reported values, such as the num-
ber of rest days between matches,16 as well as confounding
effects surrounding matches including environmental fac-
tors, and opposition strength and playing style.16 Previous
studies have demonstrated that sprint ability is markedly
reduced and markers of muscle damage are elevated for
more than 69 hours in international level players.16 How-
ever, Trewin et al., 2017 did not find any significant ef-
fects of congested schedules in their reported performance
measures.27 While there may have been more than 2 days
of rest between matches (Figure 2), players were involved
in training sessions which may have adversely affected
their complete recovery and contributed to accumulated
and residual fatigue throughout the tournament in subse-
quent matches due to the increased match intensity and
frequency thorughout the tournament.13
Environmental factors such as warm temperatures (≥21
°C) have also been reported to adversely affect high-
speed running performance in male players30 and moder-
ate decrease in maximal acceleration and trivial changes
in high-speed running in female players.27, 31 The effects
of the elevated temperatures may have adversely affected
player recovery and thus performance, as five of the seven
matches were played in temperatures ≥21 °C (Figure 1).
Further analysis of fluctuations in performance during
warm temperatures is warranted as it was not conducted
in the current study.
Tactical performance influences changes in player den-
sity and thus available space, whereby greater high-inten-
sity distances are covered, while restricted space may elicit
greater explosive efforts and lower high-intensity running
distances.32 Match status has been demonstrated to influ-
ence match running performance, with a winning status
against stronger opponents eliciting greater high-speed
Vol. 61 - No. 8 The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness 1087
running and high-speed efforts.27 Increased high-intensity
and total distance against stronger opponents compared to
weaker opponents has also been reported in male football
players.33
Our findings support previous findings, of physical
workload differentiating when playing against a stronger
or similarly ranked opponent, compared (M3-M5) to play-
ing lower ranked opponents (M1-M2).32 The overall aver-
age performances for relative TPL (8.6±0.52 AU·min-1),
TD (102.2±5.2 m·min-1), and HIR (24.2±3.4 m·min-1) per-
formances across M3-M5, played against teams of similar
or slightly higher rankings, were similar to each other and
greater when compared to M2 (TPL: 8.2±0.6 AU·min-1;
TD: 92.7±7.0 m·min-1; HIR: 19.2±3.3 m·min-1) which was
played against a lower ranked opponent. Higher perfor-
mances in M1, compared to M2, may be related to starting
the tournament with a relative high impact and in a rested
state. Similar observations were reported in sub-elite fe-
male football tournaments, with the highest performance
observed in M1 and marked reductions in performance
throughout the tournament.13 The strength of the oppo-
sition may have also manifested different playing styles
resulting in exertion of different performance measures
when comparing matches.27, 32, 34 Our findings support pre-
vious observations, whereby differences in relative EE and
HIR between M3 and M4 may be explained by differences
in player density and available space, resulting in greater
in greater relative EE performance in M3 and HIR in M4.
Previous research surrounding the influence of match
status on team and player strategies have suggested win-
ning situations against weaker opponents elicit significant-
ly lower high-intensity activity due to the adoption of a
more defensive style of play, in contrast to a more pressing
and offensive style of play where teams aim to regain or
maintain greater possession.27, 35, 36
Based on our findings, M3 was the most physically tax-
ing match of the tournament, with significant (P<0.05)
reductions in all performance measures between halves,
the highest relative THSR performance compared to other
matches, and the rank of the opposition. In M2, the refer-
ence team played against a lower ranked team (rank=34)
and was in a winning status (5-0) for >75 minutes of the
match, which preceded the match against the highest
ranked team in the tournament in M3 (rank=1). There-
fore, lower (P<0.05) relative TD and HIR performances
observed in M2 may be related to match status of the ref-
erence team and tactical decisions implemented to reduce
maximal physical output and intensity as a means to con-
trol the game as well as to conserve energy for subsequent
YOUSEFIANPHYSICAL DEMANDS OF A WOMEN’S FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT
matches.13, 27, 34, 36 Similar findings, suggestive of pacing
strategies, have also been reported in tournament settings
in male field hockey players.37 Conversely, players’ abili-
ties in maintaining a relatively constant workload, with-
out reductions between halves for relative TPL and TD in
M7, and increased physical performance in the second half
compared to the first half, could be related to the impor-
tance of M7 as a final bronze medal match and protecting
a winning status in the second half.13, 34
Similar to overall match demands, we observed lower
performance for specific positions when compared to oth-
er studies.3, 4, 6, 26, 27, 34 In our study we observed relative
TPL, TD, and HIR to be greatest in MF and FW, compared
to other positions. FW positions are also demonstrated
highest relative THSR, followed by WD, and relative EE,
followed by MF. Previous studies on international level
women football players also reported higher TD, HIR, and
sprint distances in MF compared to FW.3, 27
Despite the discrepancies in the match demands for
positions, compared to previous research, differences in
match demands between playing positions were similar,
whereby both MF and FW demonstrated greater relative
TPL, TD and high-speed running compared to CD.3, 4, 27
Based on our findings, we can conclude that high-intensity
activity and movements were greatest in FW and lowest
in CD, while MF demonstrated the greatest relative TPL
and TD compared to other positions. Our findings suggest
that MF players experience greater overall workload com-
pared to other positions, while FW players perform greater
high-intensity movements and running. These observa-
tions may be underpinned by the specific tactical role of
FW in the reference team which may have required a more
direct and pressing role elicited through greater explosive
efforts and high intensity running when compared to other
studies.27, 34 Mohr et al., 2008 highlighted the critical role
of high-intensity activity and movements in determining
match outcome through creating goal scoring opportuni-
ties.6 The comparatively lower match demands of WD,
presented in this study, suggests that most of the oppo-
sition offensive patterns may have been localized to the
center of the field or that the utilization of WD in attacking
phases was limited in the reference team.
Relative HIR performance across 15-min intervals was
influenced by position, whereby performance for FW and
MF were (P<0.05) greater when compared to WD and
CD. Potential development of fatigue towards the end of
the match was observed for all positions when compar-
ing the first and final 15-minute intervals. Both FW and
MF positions demonstrated differences (P<0.05, ES: 0.9-
1088 The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness August 2021
1.6) between the first 15-minute intervals of halves for
relative HIR. Collectively, our results demonstrate specific
fatigue indicators within each playing position, with MF
demonstrating the most pronounced differences in perfor-
mance within and between halves, as well as throughout
the match.
Analysis of within match performance in 15-minute in-
tervals was based on previous studies by Mohr et al., 2008,
where it was demonstrated that high-intensity running de-
creases towards the end of the match in high-level female
football players.6 Similarly, Datson et al., 2016 observed
significant reductions of 12-35% between the final and all
other 15-minute intervals for THSR distance, as well as
within each half.4 When considering mean relative THSR
performance throughout matches of the World Cup, we ob-
served reductions (P<0.05) between halves (-27%), within
the first half (-37%), between initial 15-minute intervals of
each half (-38%), and throughout the match (-40%). The
reduction in physical activity between halves and in the
last 15 minutes of the games may partly be associated with
depleted or partly depleted glycogen storage in different
muscle fiber types, found in previous studies.11, 12
Between match comparisons revealed that THSR per-
formance gradually decreased throughout the tournament.
When compared to the highest THSR performance in M3
(5.3±1.7 m/min), performance declined towards the final
match by -17% in M4, -20% in M5, -23% in M6, and -28%
in M7. Such performance patterns were not observed with
other performance measures. While no significant differ-
ences (P>0.05) were observed in overall THSR between
matches, reduction in THSR performance within the first
half (M3: -11%; M5: -52%; M7: -45%) and between halves
were greater (P<0.05; ES:1.2-1.5) in M5 when compared
to other matches.
Effects of residual fatigue may be related to observed
reductions of THSR performance measures related to the
stage of M5 and M7 matches during the competition. The
fewer number of matches preceding M3 were less physi-
cally taxing and against lower ranked opposition than
those preceding M5, and even more so preceding M7.
Overall THSR performance in M7 was -28% and -6% less
(P>0.05) when compared to M3 and M6, respectively. The
reduced performance in M7 may also be associated with
relatively low number of rest days (2 days) between M6
and M7, which in previous studies has been shown not to
be enough time for muscle damage, physical performance
and for inflammatory response, to return to baseline values
in male18 and female elite football players.16 The reduc-
tions in THSR may also be an effect of playing consecu-
PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF A WOMEN’S FOOTBALL TOURNAMENTYOUSEFIAN
tive matches in warm temperatures (29 °C) temperature
during M6 and M7, with M6 extending into extra time,
compared with other stages of the competition (Figure 1).
However, the lack of significant differences (P≥0.05) be-
tween matches for relative THSR may be due to the lim-
ited number of players analyzed and that not all players
participated in every match. Future studies should consid-
er a larger number of players and analysis of performance
across multiple tournaments. Such observations highlight
the importance of squad rotations, substitute management,
and effective recovery strategies when considering the ef-
fects of residual fatigue resulting from playing consecu-
tive matches in a relatively congested tournament such as
the World Cup.13, 37
Previous research has emphasized limitations associ-
ated with reporting average match demands,38 as such val-
ues negate the reporting of fluctuations in fatigue patterns.
Contemporary research has thus implemented analyzing
and identifying the most-demanding periods (MDP) of ac-
tivity to account for such effects.39 In the present study,
the resolution of 15-min intervals analysis has provided
critical insight into identifying different patterns of per-
formance which may be related to fatigue during matches.
It may be relevant for future studies to investigate the re-
lationship between the magnitude and timing of the MDP
of activity and how they may impact performance pat-
terns within and between halves, as well as throughout
the match. While there is limited research surrounding the
timing of the MDP in elite female football,6 the relation-
ship between MDP with overall performance within halves
were not assessed. Nevertheless, Bradley and Nokes40 did
demonstrate that activity in the first half does impact per-
formance in the second half, in elite male football. How-
ever, the categorization of players based on their activity
between halves was not performed in the current study.
Limitations of this study
There were several limitations associated with this study,
including the limited number of players and matches
analyzed. As such, caution must be taken when interpret-
ing the results, as the moderate to large effect sizes and
significant differences in treatments may be associated
with low statistical power. Further, repeated measures of
performance were limited to account for each individual
player in the overall performance between matches and
positions, as not all players participated in every match.
Thus limitations in sample size may have resulted in the
lower match demands reported in our study compared to
previous findings. However, with greater observations af-
Vol. 61 - No. 8 The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness 1089
forded with 15-minute interval analysis, such limitations
were circumvented. Nevertheless, this is the first study
to report on the performance of top-class women football
players during the World Cup. As such, practitioners must
take caution when interpreting the results and consider that
our findings are only applicable to the performance of the
reference team.
Conclusions
Taken together, our results demonstrate specific indicators
of fatigue development within halves as well as towards
the end of the match for specific measures in line with
previous reports in the literature. Such analyses therefore
provide insight for identifying different performance and
fatigue patterns within halves and throughout a match in
elite women football players. The identification of differ-
ent performance patterns underpins fluctuations in physi-
cal performance which may be related to match constraints
and contextual variables other than player physical capac-
ity or training status, as previously mentioned, includ-
ing opposition strength, phase of the tournament, tactical
performance, stoppages in play (effective playing time),
temperature, and number of rest days between matches.
Specific performance patterns could manifest differences
in intensities and therefore internal load effects (e.g. TPL)
as well as physiological effects (e.g., exercise-induced
muscle damage) based on their magnitude within matches.
Furthermore, different performance patterns could impact
and inform decisions surrounding recovery strategies at
half-time and following the match.
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Conflicts of interest.—The authors certify that there is no conflict of interest with any financial organization regarding the material discussed in the manuscript.
Funding.—The authors report no involvement in the research by the sponsor that could have influenced the outcome of this work.
Authors’ contributions.—Farzad Yousefian and Dan Fransson have given substantial contributions to the conception or the design of the manuscript, Farzad
Yousefian, Dan Fransson, Hannah Huttemann and Pontus Ekblom to acquisition, analysis and interpretation of the data. All authors have participated to draft-
ing the manuscript, Magni Mohr and Mats Borjesson revised it critically. All authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript. All authors read
and approved the final version of the manuscript.
Acknowledgements.—The authors would like to thank the participating players and the Swedish Women National Team coaching staff for their dedicated
collaboration.
History.—Article first published online: June 29, 2021. - Manuscript accepted: June 23, 2021. - Manuscript revised: June 21, 2021. - Manuscript received:
May 5, 2021.

1090 The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness August 2021