Technical Report : Game Analysis

Interchangeability of Sprinting Profiles by Setting Speed
Threshold of 25 km/h Using Global Navigation Satellite
System in the Japanese Professional Football League
Makoto Ayabe*, Satoki Murai**, Takashi Oyama*, Shunsuke Sunami***,
Hideaki Kumahara**** and Satoshi Ishizaki******Faculty of Computer Science and Systems Engineering, Okayama Prefectural University

ayabe@ss.oka-pu.ac.jp**Graduate School of Computer Science and System Engineering, Okayama Prefectural University***Faculty of Economics, Toyo University****Faculty of Nutritional Sciences, Nakamura Gakuen University*****College of Engineering, Shibaura Institute of Technology[Received June 8, 2023; Accepted September 14, 2023]

At the beginning of the 2023 season, the Japanese Professional Football League (J-League) changed
the speed criterion of sprinting from > 24 km/h to > 25 km/h (SP24 and SP25). This study aimed todetermine the interchangeability of the SP24 and SP25 in a professional football match using 10Hz positioning information from a global navigation satellite system. Of the 70 match files thatwere randomly selected, 66 satisfied the inclusion criteria for the final study. SP24 and SP25 were
defined as running for > 1 s with a speed of at least 24 and 25 km/h, respectively. The number of
instances of SP25 was significantly lesser than that of SP24 (p < 0.01), and the relative deviation was-25.68 ± 20.74 %. The lower and upper agreement limits were -5.32 and 1.64 n/match, respectively.
A significant relationship was observed between the deviation and average value (r = -0.681, p <0.01). Additionally, SP25 was significantly shorter in time and distance than was SP24 (p < 0.001).
Our findings suggest that the SP profiles from the 2023 season (SP25) were not interchangeable withthose from previous seasons of the J-League (SP24).
Keywords: global positioning system, tracking, soccer, game analysis, fatigue[Football Science Vol. 20, 47-52, 2023]

1. Introduction
Sprint running (SP) profiles are key elementsof running performance during a football game.
A previous study reported that the outfield players
covered longer sprint distances in games won than ingames lost (Andrzejewski et al., 2018). Furthermore,
SP performances appeared to be maintained oversuccessive matches regardless of the playing position,
whereas the reductions in other match-runningcategories varied between positions (Varley et al.,2018). Moreover, the SP activities were considered
to be key determinants for successful performance(Carling et al., 2012). Therefore, the ability to sustain
SP can be considered a key characteristic for football
players to compete at the professional level (Chmura
et al., 2017; Gualtieri et al., 2023).
SP is defined as running for > 1 s at the highest
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speed an individual can run, based on the highfrequency observation of the positioning information(Gualtieri et al., 2023; Sweeting et al., 2017). Recent
technological advances have enabled the provisionof the total number or bout length of SP for eachplayer during matches in real time. There are several
definitions of an SP. A recent review suggested that
there is no consensus on the absolute thresholds
defining high-speed and sprint running in adult soccer
players, and a rate of 20.0–25.0 km/h was used forspeed threshold setting (Gualtieri et al., 2023). In theJapanese Football League (J-League), SP was definedas running at a speed of at least 24 km/h for ≥ 1 s(J-League, 2022); the speed threshold was altered
to 25 km/h from the 2023 season (J-League, 2023),
in consistency with the definition of the Federation
International Football Association (FIFA) World Cup(FIFA, 2023). Thus, the SP profiles of the J-League
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Ayabe, M. et al.

from 2023 can be compared with international data.
In contrast, the new speed threshold would make it
difficult to compare the current data with previous
ones. Our preliminary analysis concerning thecomparison of the first 10 matches between 2022 and2023 (J-League, 2022) demonstrated that the numberof instances of SP dramatically decreased from 195± 19 n/match/team to 140 ± 22 n/match/team. The
difference achieved was -28.0 ± 12 %, whereas thedeviation of the total distance covered was only 1.5 ±22.4 % (116 ± 5 vs 118 ± 6 km/match/team). As thisresult was based on the analysis of different matches,
there was no evidence regarding the SP profiles
detected at 24 and 25 km/h in the same match.
Therefore, the changes in the number of instances of
SP remain unclear by increasing the speed thresholdfrom 24.0 to 25.0 km/h. Although it is clear that afaster speed threshold leads to a lower SP based on amathematical theory, the magnitude of the differenceis vital information for the coaching staff to compare
the SP values of the current season (2023) with thoseof past seasons (before 2022).
Thu s, th e p rimary purpose of the present
investigation was to determine the interchangeabilityof the SP detected by speed threshold settings of 24km/h and 25 km/h (SP24 and SP25) in a professional
football match using 10-Hz positioning informationfrom a global navigation satellite system (GNSS).

2. Methods
Match activity data were collected from 10
matches in the second division of the Japanese soccer
league in 2021. The matches were randomly selectedfrom the all-match files of the 2021 season usinga random number table. On the basis of previous
studies (Di Salvo et al., 2007; Di Salvo et al., 2013),
the selected data were limited to outfield players. To
analyze the effect of the number of instances of SP
on the relationship between the two algorithms, thedata were not limited to those obtained from fulltime players. Of the 12–15 match outfield player files,
seven player files were randomly selected using arandom number table for each match, independent of
the actual playing time. As SP could not be detectedin four of 70 files, 66 match player files were includedin the final analysis. The number of participants wasverified using G-Power (University of Dusseldorf,
Dusseldorf, Germany) analysis to obtain statisticalsignificance (Faul et al., 2007). This study was48

conducted in accordance with the principles of the
Declaration of Helsinki, and all procedures wereapproved by the Ethics Committee of Okayama
Prefectural University.
Match activity data were determined using a global
position-tracking system (Catapult OptimEye X4;
Catapult Sports, Melbourne, Australia). This small
device (96 × 52 mm) was placed in the back pocketof each player’s undershirt during the match. The
data were analyzed after each match using a specificdata program (Openfield, Catapult Sports). This
device obtained location information at a sampling
rate of 10 Hz. The validity of the 10-Hz GNSS has
been reported as follows: the 10-Hz GNSS showed asufficient level of accuracy for the quantification of
distance covered at high speeds or time spent while
intensively running (Johnston et al., 2014; Rampinini
et al., 2015; Taberner et al., 2019) and has been usedin previous investigations (Bishop et al., 2020; Slater
et al., 2018). The movement distance and speed
were obtained based on the changes in location. The
SP was defined in two different ways: 1) the speed
maintained at least 24.0 km/h lasting > 1 s, which is
the traditional algorithm in the J-League (Ayabe etal., 2021; Ayabe et al., 2022; J-League, 2022); and2) the speed maintained at least 25.0 km/h lasting> 1 s, which is the current algorithm in the J-league
from 2023 (J-League, 2023). The number, duration,and distance of instances of SP according to the two
definitions were measured.
Data are presented as means and standard
deviations. To examine the interchangeability
between SP24 and SP25, a Bland–Altman plot andregression analysis was performed, while the effectsize (ES) and kappa statistics (k) were also measured
according to previous investigations (Ellens et al.,2022) (Buchheit et al., 2014; Taberner et al., 2019).
Differences between the two variables were tested
using paired t-tests. Besides, the ES for the post hoc
paired comparisons was calculated using Cohen dz(0.2–0.5, 0.5–0.8, and > 0.8 are considered small,medium, and large, respectively) (Lakens, 2013).
The relationship between the two variables wasanalyzed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r).
The limit of agreement between the two variables
was demonstrated using Bland–Altman plots (Bland& Altman, 1986). Furthermore, intraclass correlation
coefficients (ICC, 2.1) (Koo & Li, 2016) and kvalues (Landis & Koch, 1977) were used to analyze
the reliability of the two variables. The ICC was
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Interchangeability of Sprinting Profiles of > 25 km/h

evaluated according to the previous investigations (<0.5: poor reliability; 0.5–0.75: moderate reliability;
0.75–0.9: good reliability; and > 0.90: excellent
reliability). The k values were evaluated according
to the previous investigations (k ≤ 0.2: poor; 0.2–0.4:
fair; 0.4–0.6: moderate; 0.6–0.8: good; 0.8–1.0: verygood). All the statistical analyses were performed
using SPSS version 29.0 (IBM SPSS Statistics, IBM
Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). The post-hoc sample size
(statistical power:1–β) was calculated using the study
data with the G-Power software v.3.1.9.4 (Universityof Dusseldorf) to determine the statistical power ofthe study (Faul et al., 2007). Values of p < 0.05 (twotailed) were considered significant, unless otherwise
noted.

3. Results
The number, duration, and distance of SP according

to the two definitions are presented in Table 1. The
number of SP25 instances was significantly lower
than that of SP24 instances (p < 0.001). Furthermore,
the duration and distance of SP25 were significantly
shorter than those of SP24 (p < 0.001). The ES(Cohen d) of the speed criteria was large (> 0.80) for
the number and distance of the SP and small for theduration of the SP. The G-power (1-β) for the number
and distance of SP was > 0.80.
The absolute deviations of SP25 from those of
SP24 are listed in Table 1. The relative deviationof SP25 from SP24 was -25.68 ± 20.74 % in thenumber of SP instances, -13.18 ± 10.41 % in the
duration of SP, and -10.59 ± 10.81 % in the distanceof SP (Figure 1). There was a significant correlation
between the numbers of SP24 and SP25 (r = 0.938,
p < 0.001; Figure 2). The Bland–Atman plots
are presented in Figure 2. The lower and upper
agreement was -5.32 to 1.638 n/match. There wasTable 1 Number, duration, and distance of sprinting in a setting of 24 and 25 km/h of the speed threshold
Speed criteria

Deviation

t, p

d

1-β

> 24 km/h> 25 km/h

Number (bouts/match)

6.50 ± 4.29

4.73 ± 3.22

-1.84 ± 1.74

T = 8.477, p < 0.001

1.699

0.955

Duration (sec/bout)

2.06 ± 0.60

1.77 ± 0.48

-0.13 ± 0.33

T = 9.351, p < 0.001

0.255

0.532

Distance (m/bout)

16.47 ± 4.23

14.66 ± 3.74

-0.52 ± 1.65

T = 7.574, p < 0.001

1.949

0.989

Data are expressed as means with standard deviations

Figure 1 Deviations in sprint running profiles between > 24 km/h and > 25 km/h
The deviation was calculated as follows: the value was obtained by subtracting SP24 from SP25, divided by SP24, and multiplied by 100.
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Ayabe, M. et al.

Figure 2 R elationship of the number of instances of sprint
running between > 24 km/h and > 25 km/h
The left illustration shows the scatterplots and the dashed line
indicates the identity line (y = x). The right illustration shows
Bland–Altman plots, while the solid and dashed lines indicate themean and range of agreement of the deviation, respectively.

a significant relationship between the deviation
and average value (r = -0.681, p < 0.01). The ICC
between the number of instances of SP24 and of
SP25 was ICC (2.1) = 0.813 (0.232–0.931) and wasconsidered to indicate good reliability. The k value ofthe number of instances of SP was 0.586, which wasconsidered to indicate moderate reliability.

4. Discussion
To our knowledge, the present investigation is
the first to demonstrate the effects of the new SP
criterion used in the J-League, which is defined as
running with a speed > 25 km/h for > 1 s. Althoughseveral investigations have demonstrated runningprofiles by dividing them into speed categories, thepresent investigation is the first to reveal SP profiles
using two-speed criteria. The number, duration, anddistance of the SP decreased when the speed criterion
increased from 24 km/h to 25 km/h. Although astrong relationship was found between SP24 andSP25, a deviation of approximately 25 % was
observed between the two SP profiles. The results ofthe present investigation showed that SP25 was lessfrequent, of shorter duration, and shorter distancethan SP24 in the J-League. Due to the large deviation50

between the two speed thresholds (> 25 %) and thelarge ES, regardless of the strong relationship, it canbe concluded that the SP profiles of the J-League
from the 2023 season would not be interchangeablewith those from previous seasons. Furthermore,
all J-League associates, including catching staff,
scientists, players, and supporters, should pay special
attention to improving the SP profiles of the J-League
in 2023, particularly when comparing them to thecorresponding ones of past seasons.
The results of the present investigation are notambiguous because fewer SP based on the fasterspeed criteria are mathematically apparent. Although
the present investigation first adopted two-speed
criteria for the same players in a football match, a
recent review also demonstrated that faster-speed
criteria resulted in a lower number of instances of
SP (Gualtieri et al., 2023; Sweeting et al., 2017).
The ES of the present investigation between the
two algorithms is consistent with that of a previous
study (Varley et al., 2017). Finally, the results of
the G-power analysis demonstrated that the present
investigation has enough statistical power; thedeviations in the number of instances of SP between
the two algorithms was indicated by 1-β = 0.989.
Therefore, the results of the present investigation
can be considered reliable and applicable to futurestudies.
An interesting finding of the present investigationis that the magnitude of the difference between SP24
and SP25 was significantly associated with the total
number of SP instances. This relationship suggeststhat the magnitude of the decrease in the number of
SP instances between 2022 and 2023 will be greaterfor players with a larger number of instances of
SP24. Although the present investigation completelydemonstrates the background of this phenomenon,
it can be speculated that a large number of instancesof SP have a larger variability in average speed
associated with fatigue. Thereafter, slower speeds
ranging from 24.0 to 25.0 km/h were not defined by
SP25. Further investigation is required to determine
the inter-player variability of the effects of the
speed threshold on the magnitude of the differences,whereas it is apparent that a faster threshold detects
fewer number of SP instances.
The present study had some limitations. First, we
obtained tracking data from the second division of
the J-League. As the present investigation did not
limit the included players to “full-time” players,
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Interchangeability of Sprinting Profiles of > 25 km/h

the number of SP instances was limited to 6.50 ±4.29 n/match, and was apparently fewer than thecorresponding one in a previous investigation where
the average number of SP instances was almost 15 n/match over 1,645 official J-League matches (Ayabe
et al., 2022). Furthermore, the magnitude of deviation
between the two algorithms is associated with thetotal frequency of the SP. Therefore, the absoluteeffects of the new speed criteria (25 km/h) should
be reconfirmed in the first division of the J-League,
whereas the setting of > 25 km/h results in an SP
lower than that of > 24 km/h, regardless of the player
categories, study sample, and tactical–technicalsituations. Second, this investigation used validated
GNSS devices. Although the findings of the present
investigation are reliable and inter-changeable,
analysis using a different device, such as a 10-Hz
GNSS device and/or multi-camera technology, resultsin minor inconsistencies.
In conclusion, the results of the present
investigation suggest that the SP profiles from the2023 season are not interchangeable with those fromprevious seasons of the J-League. Furthermore,
all J-League associates, including catching staff,
scientists, players, and supporters, should pay special
attention to improving the SP profiles of the J-League
in 2023, particularly when comparing them to thecorresponding ones of past seasons.
Acknowledgments

This study was partially supported by JSPS
KAKENHI Grant Number JP 19K11493.
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Name:
Makoto Ayabe
Affiliation:
Faculty of Computer Science and Systems
Engineering, Okayama Prefectural
University

Address:
111 Kuboki, Soja 719-1112 Okayama, Japan
Brief Biography:
Juntendo University (BS)Fukuoka University (MS)Hokkaido University (PhD)
Main Publications:•Ayabe, M., Sunami, S., Kumahara, H., and Ishizaki, S. (2022).
Effects of substitute allowance on match activity characteristics
in Japanese professional football across 2019, 2020, and 2021
seasons. J. Sports Sci., 40(23), 2654-2660.
•Ayabe, M., Kamo, H., Ishihara, Y., Sunami, S., and Ishizaki,
S. (2022). Determinants for duration of drink breaks in
J-League in 2021: Special references for COVID-19 temporary
amendment. Football Science, 19: 85-89.
•Ayabe, M., Murai, S., Oyama, T., Kumahara, H., Sunami,S., and Ishizaki, S. (2021). Match activity characteristics insecond division of japanese professional football: Three yearsof full-season analyses using global navigation satellite system,
Football Science, 18: 81-91.
•Ayabe, M., Okita, Y., Higashino, Y., Morimura, K., Kumahara,
H., and Ishizaki, S. (2020). Cardiorespiratory responses torecreational small-sided walking soccer in community-dwelling
middle-aged to older adults with mild metabolic disorders.
Football Science, 17: 11-15.
Membership in Learned Societies:• Japanese Society of Science and Football• Japanese Society of Physical Fitness and Sports Medicine• International Society for the Measurement of Physical Behavior

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