# Global Position Analysis during Official Elite Female Beach Volleyball Competition: A Pilot Study
## 4 Discussion  
With GPS technology, this research aimed to quantify the external workload of elite female BV players during competition matches with reference to player position and performance outcome. This technology is becoming quite popular in sports, although in BV, only a few studies have used this [9, 16, 17]. In fact, some of the variables used in other sports are not so useful to BV. For example, in most of the sports [14, 20], total distance covered and Player Load express total work performed in a limited period of time. However, BV competition is not limited by time, but by points, which can run fast or slowly, thus influencing the total distance covered and Player Load in each set and match. Moreover, the third set finished at 15 th point, so the displacement re-duce. Furthermore, the higher difference between team levels may dictate a lower distance covered if each rally could be shorter and sequenced [21]. The standard deviation observed in the distance covered in our study might reflect sets debated between more unbalanced teams [7]. Female BV is characterized by longer rallies than for male BV [22, 23], which could highlight the total distance covered and Player Load. Addition-ally, variables that \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{l c c c} \hline \hline
**Defenders** & **SC** &
\begin{tabular}{c} **Blockers** \\ **Variables** \\ \end{tabular} & **SC** \\ \hline Deceleration High & 0.55 * & Acceleration Higher & \(-\)0.66 * \\ Velocity Medium & 0.50 * & Deceleration Higher & \(-\)0.61 * \\ Velocity High & 0.49 * & Acceleration Medium & \(-\)0.51 * \\ Acceleration High & 0.48 * & Maximum Velocity & 0.49 * \\ Peak Player Load & 0.45 * & Jump Higher & 0.30 * \\ Acceleration Medium & 0.42 * & Velocity Higher & 0.22 \\ Acceleration Low & 0.37 * & Acceleration Lower & \(-\)0.22 \\ Deceleration Medium & 0.30 * & Jump Medium & 0.21 \\ Velocity Low & \(-\)0.26 & Meterage per Min & 0.17 \\ Deceleration Low & 0.25 & Jump Lower & 0.16 \\ Player Load & 0.18 & Deceleration Medium & \(-\)0.13 \\ Meterage per Min & \(-\)0.13 & Velocity Lower & 0.10 \\ Jump Medium & \(-\)0.05 & Distance Covered & 0.10 \\ Maximum Velocity & 0.03 & Deceleration Lower & \(-\)0.03 \\ Jump High & \(-\)0.01 & Velocity Medium & 0.02 \\ Distance Covered & 0.01 & Peak Player Load & 0.01 \\ Jump Low & 0.00 & Player Load & \(-\)0.01 \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular} \({}^{*}\)SC \(\geq\) 0.30.  
\end{table} 
Table 4: Discriminant function structure coefficients and tests of statistical significance of GPS variables that impact match outcome (victory and defeat) according to player position (Defender vs. Blocker) in female beach volleyball. depend on total distance to express different levels of intensity (displacement walking, jogging and running, acceleration, deceleration, and jumps) should not be used to compare players, sets or studies unless they are expressed by the percentage of the total distance, acceleration, deceleration, and fly-time (jumps). Regarding the obtained results, differences between players' positions were found in most of the variables, being higher in Defenders (Peak Player Load, meters covered jogging and quick running, deceleration of medium- and high-intensity, and jump in medium-high zone) than in Blockers. These players only had higher values in meters covered in walking, and they had medium acceleration, low deceleration, and high jumps. These results may reflect the tactical system adopted by most BV teams. In this tactical system, Blockers try to make an impact through the block so they jump high, while Defenders have to perform several explosive movements that require multiple bouts of rapid accelerations and decelerations to avoid opponent points. This tactical strategy may be required to change as the opposing team may serve to the Defender, which force the Blocker to make the second touch, a pass. Overall, these results show that Defenders perform matches at higher intensity than Blockers, which is not consistent with the case study performed by [PERSON] et al. [9].