Goalkeeper horizontal accelerations and decelerations during soccer training: varying exercises could be the best option

Abstract

The demands placed on goalkeepers are often neglected in scientific research. This study seeks to evaluate the acceleration and deceleration requirements across various exercise categories: 'Complementary' (tailored training for goalkeepers separated from team drills), 'Integrated' (team-based drills not position-specific), and 'Specific' (exercises targeting position-specific tactical, technical, and physical skills). Data were collected from 52 observations during nineteen training sessions across three highly trained goalkeepers from a Portuguese U23 team. Acceleration and deceleration demands were retrieved through GPS 10 Hz technology, including the effort starting speed (< 5 km.h-1, 5-10 km.h-1, 10-15 km.h-1, 15-20 km.h-1, 20-25 km.h-1 and > 25 km.h-1). Efforts intensities were classified relatively and individually (low: 25-50%; moderate: 50-75%; high: > 75%). Mean ± SD were calculated to the number of efforts per minute, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) assessed potential differences between the players and t-test assessed differences between exercise’ categories. No differences between players were found regarding acceleration (p=0.918) or deceleration (p=0.685) efforts. ‘Integrated’ category elicited less low-intensity accelerations and decelerations than ‘Complementary’ and ‘Specific’ categories (p<.05); and ‘Specific’ category elicited more moderate-intensity decelerations than ‘Integrated’ (p<.01) and ‘Complementary’ (p<.05). Goalkeeping is a singular position in soccer requiring different exercise categories to provide different resources to players: from simulating match demands, such as the ‘integrated’ exercises with outfield players, to improving goalkeepers’ capabilities with ‘specific’ and ‘complementary’ exercises. Due to the uniqueness of the position, practitioners should consider varying training exercises of goalkeepers to provide different acceleration and deceleration stimuli.