{"paper_id":"25673bbe-5f96-49c5-aff5-8c86d54dcd54","body_text":"Contextual factors affect on external load of a soccer team from the Persian Gulf Pro League | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Contextual factors affect on external load of a soccer team from the Persian Gulf Pro League Hadi Nobari, Francisco Tomás González-Fernández, Roghayyeh Gholizadeh, and 2 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6322474/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The study aims to compare global positioning systems variables of a first Iranian league team among different match results and the opponent's team level considering the match location. Nineteen wins, three losses, and eight draws, in which 15 matches played at home and 15 away matches against four top-level, six medium-level, and six bottom-level teams were analysed. Duration of the training session, total distance (TD), acceleration zone 1 (AccZ1) (<2 m/s 2 ), AccZ2 (2 to 4 m/s 2 ), and AccZ3 (>4 m/s 2 ), deceleration zone1 (DecZ1) (<−2 m/s 2 ), DecZ2 (−2 to −4 m/s 2 ), and DecZ3 (>−4 m/s 2 ), new body load (NBL), running symmetries footstrikes (RSF), metabolic power average, high-metabolic-power distance (HMPD), repeated sprints (RS), sprint maximal acceleration, sprint total distance (STD), work rate interval count (WRIC), duration (WRID), and distance (WRIDis) were collected from 21 players. The dataset showed lower values of RS in draw matches than in the winning matches in RS. Also, lower values of RS in loss matches than in the winning matches were found. The results showed that when playing with top-level teams TD, AccZ1, AccZ2, DecZ1, DecZ2, NBL, STD, DecZ2, HMPD, WRIC, WRID, and WRID were significantly higher than against middle-level teams. It was also shown that when playing with top-level teams, RSF, and RS data was significantly higher compared to bottom-level teams, in the game with top-level teams. Coaches should consider that some variables, such as NBL and SR, are more sensitive than others and directly relate to the team's competition success rate. football team sports exercise sports medicine sports science situational variables Introduction Soccer is a global match with several contexts that can influence match running performance. In this regard, several options exist to track players' performance, including using electronic tracking systems such as semi-automatic multiple camera systems and/or global positioning systems (GPS). 1 Such technologies provide knowledge of external load that includes objective training variables or matches revealing the work produced by players. 2 Considering the different contexts of soccer, a systematic review of Trewin et al. 1 summarized the soccer studies on other contextual variables such as match results/outcome (win, draw and loss), competition level (high, medium, bottom), and match location/venue (home and away). Specifically, the authors found different kinds of results but highlighted as crucial findings that end-of-season rankings indicated a higher total distance by less successful teams while higher high-speed running was performed in possession by more successful teams. 1 However, no other than running-based variables were used, while other possibilities may include accelerometry-based variables. 3 Furthermore, the results presented, not only in the previous systematic review, 1 but in other studies 4–7 are contradictory or in small numbers and generally include small sample sizes, which suggests more investigation in this field. Specifically, data from Spanish second division showed that match location could impact external load 8 but in opposition, data from Portuguese championship at the regional level showed no difference when match location was considered. 7 An identical study with under-17 (U-17) and U20 Brazilian soccer players also supported that location impact the external load and concluded that older players showed higher values in home matches. 4 Lately, this was analysed with data from first-league Iranian players where external load variables were more elevated in home matches except for high-speed running, which was higher in away matches. 9 Recently, a study conducted by with data from English Premier Development League matches showed that match location interfere with the number of accelerations and deceletation by showing higher values when playing at home while quality of opponents did not affect this type of actions. 10 Taking into account the match results, the previous data from the Spanish second division also showed that the match's outcome (win) could increasee external load, 8 which was reinforced by data from Germany Bundesliga. 5 Data from Iranian first league players showed higher running-based variables and body load in won matches than other results, which was also corroborated for acceleration and deceleration variables. At the same time, higher metabolic power showed higher values in drawn matches than other results. 11 Regarding the opponents' level, a previous pre-season study with Portuguese first-league players showed a higher external load when playing against first-league teams in opposition to lower-level teams. 6 Nonetheless, general external load data from Iranian first league players showed similar and higher values for both matches against the top and medium-level teams than bottom-level ones. Although, sprint variable was an exception because it revealed the lowest value against top-level teams compared to medium or bottom-level teams. 12,13 Again, recent research showed a minor influence of opponent’s quality during matches of English Premier Development League when using accelerations and decelerations. 10 Despite the previous information, there are still an insufficient number of studies with data from Iran 9–11 that presented some limitations, such as the separate analysis of each contextual variables. In the present study, match results and opponents' quality were analysed, and each match's location was considered to produce more knowledge on this topic. The primary objective of this study is to compare the GPS-based variables of a first Iranian league football team across different match outcomes (e.g., win, draw, and loss) and the opponent's team level (top, medium, and bottom) while taking into account the location of the matches. The study hypothesizes that the matches' results and the opponents' quality would significantly impact the players' external load throughout the competitive season. By analyzing and comparing the GPS-based variables collected from 21 players during 30 matches, the study aims to provide insights into the impact of various performance metrics on the team's success rate against different-level teams. The results of this study could be of great value for coaches and trainers to design more effective training programs for football teams and improve their chances of winning matches. Method Experimental approach to the problem The data was collected during a competitive season in 40 weeks in 2020–2021. The number of 222 training sessions and 39 official matches have been held during this competitive season, of which 30 are related to the Persian Gulf League, three are related to the Hazfi Cup, and six are related to the Asian Champions League being held during the season. Based on the results obtained at the end of the season (Table 1 ), Sepahan ranked second in the Persian Gulf League table with 19 wins, 8 draws and three losses. From the total number of official matches, 15 have been played indoors and 15 away. In all matches, four systems are used. In most league matches, the 4-1-4-1 system is used. Moreover, one or two matches per week and 4 to 6 training sessions were considered for the analysis of a week. Participants The inclusion criteria required players to attend at least three training sessions per week. Also, players had to participate in three full matches in a row. The exclusion criteria included long-term injury or non-participation in training for at least two consecutive weeks. In thi sense, all professional player that perform the training session were added. However, were excluded the professional players: i) that have suffered injury at that time, ii) that performed the training session separately or iii) that performed a training sessions with a duration of less than ten minutes or not have register. In addition, goalkeepers were excluded from the study due to differences in load during training and matches compared to field players. Twenty-one professional players (age, 28.20 ± 12.10 years; height, 180.70 ± 1.50 cm; BMI, 22.90 ± 4.20 kg/m 2 ) participated in this study. These players have played in four main positions that include back (5 players), midfielder (7 players), winger (6 players) and central forward (3 players). Before data collection, the club, coaches, and participants were fully informed of the study design and signed an informed consent form. The study was conducted according to the requirements of the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the local Research Ethics Committee of (University of Mohaghegh Ardabili's Ethics Committee approved the study with the IR code ARUMS.REC.1399.546), and the club from which the participants volunteered. To ensure confidentiality, all data were anonymised before analysis.\" Monitoring external load Model SPI HPU GPS-based tracking systems for professional athletes were used to keep track of all matches and workouts throughout the season. These systems offer 15 Hz position GPS and a triaxial accelerometer as the data source. According to a prior study, this device has high validity and reliability. 14 High sprinting velocities were accurately measured by this device (coefficient of variation = 0.90%). 15 No adverse weather conditions that might have hampered data collection were reported. The GPS units were attached to the players' chest and shoulders with belts before the matches began. The belts were taken from the players after each cool-down period of training. All belts were checked by the team’s GPS manager and then entered into the dock system to download the information, which was then stored on a computer with the Team AMS software. Following download, the data from each session was automatically removed from the belt memory. Prior to the next session, the belts were placed in an electric charge station. The SPI IQ Absolutes were adjusted for GPS default zone throughout the season. Additionally, each player's height, weight, and personal information were entered into the software, and their names were registered in a belt given to them specifically until the end of the season. The following variables were then selected: 16 duration (D) of the training session, total distance (TD), distance Z1 distance covered between 16 and 23 km/h (DZ1), distance Z2 distance covered 23 and 30 km/h km/h (DZ2), distance Z6 distance covered > 30 km/h (DZ3), acceleration Z1 (AccZ1) (< 2 m/s 2 ), acceleration Z2 (AccZ2) (2 to 4 m/s 2 ), and acceleration Z3 (AccZ3) (> 4 m/s 2 ), Deceleration Z1 (DecZ1) ( < − 2 m/s 2 ), Deceleration Z2 (DecZ2) (− 2 to − 4 m/s 2 ), and Deceleration Z3 (DecZ3) ( > − 4 m/s 2 ), 3, New Body Load (NBL). Moreover, to provide a a comprehensive data analysis, the following measures were also considered: Running Symmetries footstrikes (RSF), Metabolic Power Average (MPA), High-Metabolic-Power Distance (HMPD), Repeated Sprints (RS), Sprint Maximal Acceleration (SMA), Sprint Total Distance (STD), Work Rate Interval Count (WRIC), Work Rate Interval Duration (WRID) and Work Rate Interval Distance (WRIDis)] GPS-derived. The GPS manufacturer's instructions state that the metabolic power calculation was based on earlier studies demonstrating a strong correlation between running distances. All the competitions' weeks are presented to collect information in Table 2 . Statistical Analysis Data are presented as team mean values and standard deviation (SD) and confidence intervals (95%). First, the data normality assumption was verified with Kolmogorov–Smirnov and the homogeinity was confirmed through Levene test. Afterwards, a one-way analysis of variance was performed to study the effect of results (loss, draw and win) in the match running performance variables: D, TD, DZ1, DZ2, DZ3, MS; AccZ1, AccZ2, AccZ3, DecZ1, DecZ2, DecZ3, NBL, RSF, MPA, HMPD, RS, SMA, STD, WRIC, WRID and WRIDis throughout the season (Week1 to Week30). Second, a one-way analysis of variance was performed to explore the comparison between Sepahan Sport Club and among team-level of opponents [top (ranking group, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th ), medium (ranking group, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 11th ) and bottom (12th, 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th )] in the match running performance variables above mentioned. The alpha level was set at p < .05 and the eta squared (η2) was used as the effect size where the following interpretation was given: η2 = .01 indicates a small effect; η2 = .06 indicates a medium effect; η2 = .14 indicates a large effect 17 . The data were analyzed using the software Statistics (version 13.1; Statsoft, Inc., Tulsa, OK, USA). Results Descriptive statistics were calculated to match running performance variables (D, TD, DZ1, DZ2, DZ3, MS, AccZ1, AccZ2, AccZ3, DecZ1, DecZ2, DecZ3, NBL, RSF, MPA, HMPD, RS, SMA, STD, WRIC, WRID, and WRIDis) considering the match results (loss, draw, and win), match locations (away matches - Table 3 and home matches - Table 4 ) and ranking group (top-level teams, middle-level teams and bottom-level teams). Subsequently, Table 5 presents the comparisons for match running performance variables considering the overall match results (loss, draw and win). Finally, Table 6 presents the comparisons for match running performance variables considering the overall the team-level of opponents [top (ranking group, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th), medium (ranking group, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th and 11th) and bottom (12th, 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th)] and the results obtained (loss, draw and win). Discussion The study aims were to compare GPS-based variables throughout a first Iranian league season team among different match results (win, draw and loss) and the opponents' team level (top, medium and bottom) considering the location of the matches. Based on the observed differences in external load variables such as NBL and SR, the study confirms the hypothesis that the results and opponents' quality influence the players' external load throughout a competitive season. The findings suggest that coaches should carefully monitor the external load variables and adjust the training load based on the opponent's level and match result to avoid team failure. The study's results also highlight the importance of monitoring training in soccer and adopting appropriate strategies for choosing the playing system in the home and away matches. In the first part of the analysis, which was related to match running performance variables considering the overall match results, differences were observed in D, NBL and RS. The analysis revealed that the \"D\" variable had a higher value in matches the team won than those that ended in a draw. However, there was no significant difference in the \"D\" variable between matches the team lost and those that ended in a draw. This means that the team's performance in matches that resulted in a draw was similar to their performance in matches that they lost, regarding the length of time that certain physical activities were performed 18 . It seems that in draw matches, the uniformity and flow of the match in the middle of the field and lack of special events such as goals, checking VAR, cooling break, etc., in the absence of extra time for the match are effective. 11 Consequently, the reduction of the match time compared to the matches won is impressive. These results align with the findings of Nobari et al. 9 , who pointed out the short time of the whole match and the first half in the draw matches compared to the won matches. Their factors, such as stoppages in the matches and score line and the match being more uniform in the middle, have influenced these results 19 . Conversely, the changes of the NBL parameter (reflects both the volume and intensity of accelerations) 20 and the changes of the D section were more in the matches that ended with a win than in the matches that ended with a loss. Also, RS changes in the matches that the team won compared to the matches that the team lost or draw reported a higher amount. It seems that in the matches where the volume and intensity of accelerations and the players have experienced more sprints and have made more efforts to win duels to get the ball and retrieve the ball, the team has won, and the amount of increased or decreased of NBL and RS has a direct relationship with the win or loss of the team in competitions. In the second part of the analysis, which was related to the variables of the team's average performance according to the team-level of opponents in the table, differences were observed in D, TD, Accz1, Accz2, Decz1, Decz2, NBL, STD, RSF, HMPD. When comparing the results observed regarding the mentioned variables in the match with top and medium-level teams and also in comparing the effects observed in the match with medium-level teams compared to the match with bottom-level teams, there was a significant difference in D, TD, Accz1, Accz2, Decz1, Decz2, NBL, STD. It was observed that higher values were reported in matches with top-level teams than medium-level teams, and higher values were observed in matches with medium-level teams than those with bottom-level teams. According to the observed results, the higher the level of the opponent's team in the competition, the more running and running at high speeds, the number of Accs and Decs increases, and the players bear more external load during training and matches. This could be associated with the coach strategy during the training who designs more intensity in competition with high-ranking teams 21 . Due to the sensitivity of the matches with the higher-ranking teams, the players put in more effort to get good results during the competition. On the other hand, according to a previous study, 22 when losing, professional soccer players' TD also increased. This could imply that soccer players increased their physical exertion to the maximum possible level to increase the match's score. Even so, according to Table 2 , it can be seen that most of the team's losses and draws in the matches were against the bottom and medium-level teams of the table. This shows the match sensitivity is effective in the running performance, players efforts and external load applied to them. In the matches where the opponent team was one of the teams at the bottom of the table, they have made less effort to win and lost in some matches with the teams at the bottom. The team had played away in all three matches they have lost during the league and have used a 3-3-4 formation. According to a previous study that looked at both match demands and training load, when preparing for away matches versus home matches, the volume of acceleration activities tended to be higher. 23 In general, wins and losses tend to be correlated only with distance-related factors, whereas draw matches typically demand less physical effort 23 . However, there is a lack of consistency among studies because the relationship between match outcome and the external load profile depends significantly on other contextual factors like opponent level, sufficient playing time, and team style of play. 22–25 To our knowledge, this is the first study to identify a representative external load profile of professional soccer match-play and match-running performance variables considering the overall match results and the team's average performance variables. GPS provides coaches with good information about various external load factors during matches and training but does not provide coaches with information about tactical needs. 26,27 However, there are some restrictions, such as the use of GPS technology, whose accuracy may decline when running at higher speeds involving rapid changes in direction, 28 as well as the sample's restriction to players from a single team who play professional soccer. As a result, playing position was not considered for the analysis. Future research could account for these constraints, incorporate additional contextual factors (e.g., adequate playing time, playing position, and match status) or investigate the connection between training and the match's external load profile. Some limitations to this study need to be considered when interpreting the results. Firstly, the study was conducted only on one football team (with only 21 players), limiting the statistical power and generalization of the results to other football teams. Secondly, the study only analyzed GPS-based variables and did not consider other factors affecting the team's performance, such as psychological and tactical aspects. Thirdly, the study did not consider the impact of environmental factors, such as temperature, humidity, and altitude, on the players' performance. Fourthly, the study did not examine the influence of players' characteristics, such as age, height, weight, and experience, on the GPS-based variables. Lastly, the study only considered one team season, and the findings may not apply to other seasons due to changes in team composition, coaching staff, and other factors. Conclusions The weekly changes of the training load based on the values of variables based on running distance, running distance at different speeds, accelerations and decelerations and other external load variables during an entire season in an Iranian first-league team based on match results and the level of the opposing teams were provided in this study. The present study highlights the importance of monitoring training in soccer, thus providing information that coaches can use to design training from the perspective of the opposing team's sensitivity and adopt appropriate strategies for choosing the playing system in the home and away matches. According to the observed differences in external load variables such as NBL and SR during the season, the external load indicators should be increased during the pre-match training program with the bottom-level teams in the tournament table to avoid team failure. Declarations Ethics approval and consent to participate The study was conducted according to the guidelines of theDeclaration of Helsinki. The project was approved with the ethical code IR.ARUMS.REC.1399.546 bythe Ardabil University of Medical Sciences. Consent for publication Not applicable. Data availability The data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author. Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests. Funding This research received no funding. Author Contributions Conceptualization, H.N., R.G., F.T.G.T and R.O.; methodology, H.N. and R.G.; data collection, H.N. and F.T.G.T.; analysis, H.N. and R.O.; writing—original draft preparation, F.T.G.T., N.A. and R.O.; writing—review and editing, R.G., R.O., F.T.G.T., H.N. and N.A. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. Acknowledgements The authors would like to express their gratitude to the club and soccer players who participated in the study. Conflict of interest The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. References Trewin J, Meylan C, Varley MC, et al. The influence of situational and environmental factors on match-running in soccer : a systematic review The influence of situational and environmental factors on match-running in soccer: a systematic review. Sci Med Footb 2017; 1: 183–194. Bourdon PC, Cardinale M, Murray A, et al. 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Training/match external load ratios in professional soccer players: A full-season study. Int J Environ Res Public Health ; 16. Epub ahead of print 2019. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16173057. Clemente FM, Owen A, Serra-Olivares J, et al. Characterization of the Weekly External Load Profile of Professional Soccer Teams from Portugal and the Netherlands. J Hum Kinet 2019; 66: 155–164. Cummins C, Orr R, O’Connor H, et al. Global positioning systems ({GPS}) and microtechnology sensors in team sports: a systematic review. Sports Med 2013; 43: 1025–1042. Tables Tables 1 to 6 are available in the Supplementary Files section Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files Tables.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {\"props\":{\"pageProps\":{\"initialData\":{\"identity\":\"rs-6322474\",\"acceptedTermsAndConditions\":true,\"allowDirectSubmit\":true,\"archivedVersions\":[],\"articleType\":\"Research Article\",\"associatedPublications\":[],\"authors\":[{\"id\":450575247,\"identity\":\"e76cbc42-53fc-469a-b198-9ebc065b285b\",\"order_by\":0,\"name\":\"Hadi Nobari\",\"email\":\"\",\"orcid\":\"\",\"institution\":\"Universidad Politécnica de Madrid\",\"correspondingAuthor\":false,\"prefix\":\"\",\"firstName\":\"Hadi\",\"middleName\":\"\",\"lastName\":\"Nobari\",\"suffix\":\"\"},{\"id\":450575248,\"identity\":\"9c066961-0c6a-4915-9f37-c268d2180d67\",\"order_by\":1,\"name\":\"Francisco Tomás González-Fernández\",\"email\":\"\",\"orcid\":\"\",\"institution\":\"University of Granada\",\"correspondingAuthor\":false,\"prefix\":\"\",\"firstName\":\"Francisco\",\"middleName\":\"Tomás\",\"lastName\":\"González-Fernández\",\"suffix\":\"\"},{\"id\":450575249,\"identity\":\"3fd55dd6-18aa-4094-ae5d-c7037e38797a\",\"order_by\":2,\"name\":\"Roghayyeh Gholizadeh\",\"email\":\"\",\"orcid\":\"\",\"institution\":\"University of Mohaghegh\",\"correspondingAuthor\":false,\"prefix\":\"\",\"firstName\":\"Roghayyeh\",\"middleName\":\"\",\"lastName\":\"Gholizadeh\",\"suffix\":\"\"},{\"id\":450575250,\"identity\":\"76a64d7e-8051-4d1a-9fa1-f3d7298e217b\",\"order_by\":3,\"name\":\"Nader Alijanpour\",\"email\":\"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA4klEQVRIiWNgGAWjYHACxgMJPFDmBwaGBKL0wLUwziBaC4zBzEOMFnMG5gcHHsjY5Zmz95h9tm2zy+Nnb2D88DEHtxbLBjYDoMOSiy17zhjPzm1LLpbsOcAsOXMbbi0GBxhAWpgTN9zIMWbObQMxEtiYefFqYf8A1FIP0WLZVk+MFh6QLYchWhjbDhOh5TBPAVDL8cSdPceKGXvOHU+c2XOwGb9fjrdvfPizpzpxO3vzZoYfZdWJ/ezNBz98xKOFgRmIGXuAekEcRjYw2YBHPQz8gGph+EOE4lEwCkbBKBhxAABjwFT+/kxh1gAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==\",\"orcid\":\"\",\"institution\":\"University of Mohaghegh\",\"correspondingAuthor\":true,\"prefix\":\"\",\"firstName\":\"Nader\",\"middleName\":\"\",\"lastName\":\"Alijanpour\",\"suffix\":\"\"},{\"id\":450575251,\"identity\":\"5d71db78-72fb-4af4-9184-ed03ef331cd5\",\"order_by\":4,\"name\":\"Rafael Oliveira\",\"email\":\"\",\"orcid\":\"\",\"institution\":\"Sports Science School of Rio Maior - Polytechnic Institute of Santarém\",\"correspondingAuthor\":false,\"prefix\":\"\",\"firstName\":\"Rafael\",\"middleName\":\"\",\"lastName\":\"Oliveira\",\"suffix\":\"\"}],\"badges\":[],\"createdAt\":\"2025-03-27 17:23:08\",\"currentVersionCode\":1,\"declarations\":\"\",\"doi\":\"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6322474/v1\",\"doiUrl\":\"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6322474/v1\",\"draftVersion\":[],\"editorialEvents\":[],\"editorialNote\":\"\",\"failedWorkflow\":false,\"files\":[{\"id\":109761994,\"identity\":\"0d9999b1-7249-4d1a-8c47-7d190fa161a9\",\"added_by\":\"auto\",\"created_at\":\"2026-05-22 07:30:43\",\"extension\":\"pdf\",\"order_by\":0,\"title\":\"\",\"display\":\"\",\"copyAsset\":false,\"role\":\"manuscript-pdf\",\"size\":169871,\"visible\":true,\"origin\":\"\",\"legend\":\"\",\"description\":\"\",\"filename\":\"manuscript.pdf\",\"url\":\"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6322474/v1/b84046aa-0453-47ac-aaa1-f8d4eb796a60.pdf\"},{\"id\":81947815,\"identity\":\"31cbf689-7e37-44bb-9b9f-f11aff0e4c4f\",\"added_by\":\"auto\",\"created_at\":\"2025-05-05 08:35:27\",\"extension\":\"docx\",\"order_by\":1,\"title\":\"\",\"display\":\"\",\"copyAsset\":false,\"role\":\"supplement\",\"size\":75107,\"visible\":true,\"origin\":\"\",\"legend\":\"\",\"description\":\"\",\"filename\":\"Tables.docx\",\"url\":\"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6322474/v1/90b92e4387a5fe7c219165a7.docx\"}],\"financialInterests\":\"No competing interests reported.\",\"formattedTitle\":\"\\u003cp\\u003eContextual factors affect on external load of a soccer team from the Persian Gulf Pro League \\u003c/p\\u003e\",\"fulltext\":[{\"header\":\"Introduction\",\"content\":\"\\u003cp\\u003eSoccer is a global match with several contexts that can influence match running performance. In this regard, several options exist to track players' performance, including using electronic tracking systems such as semi-automatic multiple camera systems and/or global positioning systems (GPS).\\u003csup\\u003e1\\u003c/sup\\u003e Such technologies provide knowledge of external load that includes objective training variables or matches revealing the work produced by players.\\u003csup\\u003e2\\u003c/sup\\u003e\\u003c/p\\u003e \\u003cp\\u003eConsidering the different contexts of soccer, a systematic review of Trewin et al.\\u003csup\\u003e1\\u003c/sup\\u003e summarized the soccer studies on other contextual variables such as match results/outcome (win, draw and loss), competition level (high, medium, bottom), and match location/venue (home and away). Specifically, the authors found different kinds of results but highlighted as crucial findings that end-of-season rankings indicated a higher total distance by less successful teams while higher high-speed running was performed in possession by more successful teams.\\u003csup\\u003e1\\u003c/sup\\u003e However, no other than running-based variables were used, while other possibilities may include accelerometry-based variables.\\u003csup\\u003e3\\u003c/sup\\u003e Furthermore, the results presented, not only in the previous systematic review,\\u003csup\\u003e1\\u003c/sup\\u003e but in other studies\\u003csup\\u003e4\\u0026ndash;7\\u003c/sup\\u003e are contradictory or in small numbers and generally include small sample sizes, which suggests more investigation in this field.\\u003c/p\\u003e \\u003cp\\u003eSpecifically, data from Spanish second division showed that match location could impact external load \\u003csup\\u003e8\\u003c/sup\\u003e but in opposition, data from Portuguese championship at the regional level showed no difference when match location was considered.\\u003csup\\u003e7\\u003c/sup\\u003e An identical study with under-17 (U-17) and U20 Brazilian soccer players also supported that location impact the external load and concluded that older players showed higher values in home matches.\\u003csup\\u003e4\\u003c/sup\\u003e Lately, this was analysed with data from first-league Iranian players where external load variables were more elevated in home matches except for high-speed running, which was higher in away matches.\\u003csup\\u003e9\\u003c/sup\\u003e Recently, a study conducted by with data from English Premier Development League matches showed that match location interfere with the number of accelerations and deceletation by showing higher values when playing at home while quality of opponents did not affect this type of actions.\\u003csup\\u003e10\\u003c/sup\\u003e\\u003c/p\\u003e \\u003cp\\u003eTaking into account the match results, the previous data from the Spanish second division also showed that the match's outcome (win) could increasee external load,\\u003csup\\u003e8\\u003c/sup\\u003e which was reinforced by data from Germany Bundesliga. \\u003csup\\u003e5\\u003c/sup\\u003e Data from Iranian first league players showed higher running-based variables and body load in won matches than other results, which was also corroborated for acceleration and deceleration variables. At the same time, higher metabolic power showed higher values in drawn matches than other results.\\u003csup\\u003e11\\u003c/sup\\u003e\\u003c/p\\u003e \\u003cp\\u003eRegarding the opponents' level, a previous pre-season study with Portuguese first-league players showed a higher external load when playing against first-league teams in opposition to lower-level teams.\\u003csup\\u003e6\\u003c/sup\\u003e Nonetheless, general external load data from Iranian first league players showed similar and higher values for both matches against the top and medium-level teams than bottom-level ones. Although, sprint variable was an exception because it revealed the lowest value against top-level teams compared to medium or bottom-level teams.\\u003csup\\u003e12,13\\u003c/sup\\u003e\\u003c/p\\u003e \\u003cp\\u003eAgain, recent research showed a minor influence of opponent\\u0026rsquo;s quality during matches of English Premier Development League when using accelerations and decelerations.\\u003csup\\u003e10\\u003c/sup\\u003e\\u003c/p\\u003e \\u003cp\\u003eDespite the previous information, there are still an insufficient number of studies with data from Iran \\u003csup\\u003e9\\u0026ndash;11\\u003c/sup\\u003e that presented some limitations, such as the separate analysis of each contextual variables. In the present study, match results and opponents' quality were analysed, and each match's location was considered to produce more knowledge on this topic.\\u003c/p\\u003e \\u003cp\\u003eThe primary objective of this study is to compare the GPS-based variables of a first Iranian league football team across different match outcomes (e.g., win, draw, and loss) and the opponent's team level (top, medium, and bottom) while taking into account the location of the matches. The study hypothesizes that the matches' results and the opponents' quality would significantly impact the players' external load throughout the competitive season. By analyzing and comparing the GPS-based variables collected from 21 players during 30 matches, the study aims to provide insights into the impact of various performance metrics on the team's success rate against different-level teams. The results of this study could be of great value for coaches and trainers to design more effective training programs for football teams and improve their chances of winning matches.\\u003c/p\\u003e\"},{\"header\":\"Method\",\"content\":\"\\u003cdiv id=\\\"Sec3\\\" class=\\\"Section2\\\"\\u003e\\n \\u003ch2\\u003eExperimental approach to the problem\\u003c/h2\\u003e\\n \\u003cp\\u003eThe data was collected during a competitive season in 40 weeks in 2020\\u0026ndash;2021. The number of 222 training sessions and 39 official matches have been held during this competitive season, of which 30 are related to the Persian Gulf League, three are related to the Hazfi Cup, and six are related to the Asian Champions League being held during the season. Based on the results obtained at the end of the season (Table \\u003cspan class=\\\"InternalRef\\\"\\u003e1\\u003c/span\\u003e), Sepahan ranked second in the Persian Gulf League table with 19 wins, 8 draws and three losses. From the total number of official matches, 15 have been played indoors and 15 away. In all matches, four systems are used. In most league matches, the 4-1-4-1 system is used. Moreover, one or two matches per week and 4 to 6 training sessions were considered for the analysis of a week.\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003c/div\\u003e\\n\\u003ch3\\u003eParticipants\\u003c/h3\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003eThe inclusion criteria required players to attend at least three training sessions per week. Also, players had to participate in three full matches in a row. The exclusion criteria included long-term injury or non-participation in training for at least two consecutive weeks. In thi sense, all professional player that perform the training session were added. However, were excluded the professional players: i) that have suffered injury at that time, ii) that performed the training session separately or iii) that performed a training sessions with a duration of less than ten minutes or not have register. In addition, goalkeepers were excluded from the study due to differences in load during training and matches compared to field players.\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003eTwenty-one professional players (age, 28.20\\u0026thinsp;\\u0026plusmn;\\u0026thinsp;12.10 years; height, 180.70\\u0026thinsp;\\u0026plusmn;\\u0026thinsp;1.50 cm; BMI, 22.90\\u0026thinsp;\\u0026plusmn;\\u0026thinsp;4.20 kg/m\\u003csup\\u003e2\\u003c/sup\\u003e) participated in this study. These players have played in four main positions that include back (5 players), midfielder (7 players), winger (6 players) and central forward (3 players). Before data collection, the club, coaches, and participants were fully informed of the study design and signed an informed consent form. The study was conducted according to the requirements of the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the local Research Ethics Committee of (University of Mohaghegh Ardabili\\u0026apos;s Ethics Committee approved the study with the IR code ARUMS.REC.1399.546), and the club from which the participants volunteered. To ensure confidentiality, all data were anonymised before analysis.\\u0026quot;\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003ch3\\u003eMonitoring external load\\u003c/h3\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003eModel SPI HPU GPS-based tracking systems for professional athletes were used to keep track of all matches and workouts throughout the season. These systems offer 15 Hz position GPS and a triaxial accelerometer as the data source. According to a prior study, this device has high validity and reliability.\\u003csup\\u003e14\\u003c/sup\\u003e High sprinting velocities were accurately measured by this device (coefficient of variation\\u0026thinsp;=\\u0026thinsp;0.90%).\\u003csup\\u003e15\\u003c/sup\\u003e No adverse weather conditions that might have hampered data collection were reported. The GPS units were attached to the players\\u0026apos; chest and shoulders with belts before the matches began. The belts were taken from the players after each cool-down period of training. All belts were checked by the team\\u0026rsquo;s GPS manager and then entered into the dock system to download the information, which was then stored on a computer with the Team AMS software. Following download, the data from each session was automatically removed from the belt memory. Prior to the next session, the belts were placed in an electric charge station. The SPI IQ Absolutes were adjusted for GPS default zone throughout the season.\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003eAdditionally, each player\\u0026apos;s height, weight, and personal information were entered into the software, and their names were registered in a belt given to them specifically until the end of the season. The following variables were then selected:\\u003csup\\u003e16\\u003c/sup\\u003e duration (D) of the training session, total distance (TD), distance Z1 distance covered between 16 and 23 km/h (DZ1), distance Z2 distance covered 23 and 30 km/h km/h (DZ2), distance Z6 distance covered\\u0026thinsp;\\u0026gt;\\u0026thinsp;30 km/h (DZ3), acceleration Z1 (AccZ1) (\\u0026lt;\\u0026thinsp;2 m/s\\u003csup\\u003e2\\u003c/sup\\u003e), acceleration Z2 (AccZ2) (2 to 4 m/s\\u003csup\\u003e2\\u003c/sup\\u003e), and acceleration Z3 (AccZ3) (\\u0026gt;\\u0026thinsp;4 m/s\\u003csup\\u003e2\\u003c/sup\\u003e), Deceleration Z1 (DecZ1) (\\u0026thinsp;\\u0026lt;\\u0026thinsp;\\u0026minus;\\u0026thinsp;2 m/s\\u003csup\\u003e2\\u003c/sup\\u003e), Deceleration Z2 (DecZ2) (\\u0026minus;\\u0026thinsp;2 to \\u0026minus;\\u0026thinsp;4 m/s\\u003csup\\u003e2\\u003c/sup\\u003e), and Deceleration Z3 (DecZ3) (\\u0026thinsp;\\u0026gt;\\u0026thinsp;\\u0026minus;\\u0026thinsp;4 m/s\\u003csup\\u003e2\\u003c/sup\\u003e), 3, New Body Load (NBL). Moreover, to provide a a comprehensive data analysis, the following measures were also considered: Running Symmetries footstrikes (RSF), Metabolic Power Average (MPA), High-Metabolic-Power Distance (HMPD), Repeated Sprints (RS), Sprint Maximal Acceleration (SMA), Sprint Total Distance (STD), Work Rate Interval Count (WRIC), Work Rate Interval Duration (WRID) and Work Rate Interval Distance (WRIDis)] GPS-derived. The GPS manufacturer\\u0026apos;s instructions state that the metabolic power calculation was based on earlier studies demonstrating a strong correlation between running distances. All the competitions\\u0026apos; weeks are presented to collect information in Table \\u003cspan class=\\\"InternalRef\\\"\\u003e2\\u003c/span\\u003e.\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cdiv id=\\\"Sec6\\\" class=\\\"Section2\\\"\\u003e\\n \\u003ch2\\u003eStatistical Analysis\\u003c/h2\\u003e\\n \\u003cdiv class=\\\"BlockQuote\\\"\\u003e\\n \\u003cp\\u003eData are presented as team mean values and standard deviation (SD) and confidence intervals (95%). First, the data normality assumption was verified with Kolmogorov\\u0026ndash;Smirnov and the homogeinity was confirmed through Levene test. Afterwards, a one-way analysis of variance was performed to study the effect of results (loss, draw and win) in the match running performance variables: D, TD, DZ1, DZ2, DZ3, MS; AccZ1, AccZ2, AccZ3, DecZ1, DecZ2, DecZ3, NBL, RSF, MPA, HMPD, RS, SMA, STD, WRIC, WRID and WRIDis throughout the season (Week1 to Week30). Second, a one-way analysis of variance was performed to explore the comparison between Sepahan Sport Club and among team-level of opponents [top (ranking group, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th ), medium (ranking group, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 11th ) and bottom (12th, 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th )] in the match running performance variables above mentioned.\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n \\u003cp\\u003eThe alpha level was set at p\\u0026thinsp;\\u0026lt;\\u0026thinsp;.05 and the eta squared (\\u0026eta;2) was used as the effect size where the following interpretation was given: \\u0026eta;2\\u0026thinsp;=\\u0026thinsp;.01 indicates a small effect; \\u0026eta;2\\u0026thinsp;=\\u0026thinsp;.06 indicates a medium effect; \\u0026eta;2\\u0026thinsp;=\\u0026thinsp;.14 indicates a large effect \\u003csup\\u003e17\\u003c/sup\\u003e. The data were analyzed using the software Statistics (version 13.1; Statsoft, Inc., Tulsa, OK, USA).\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n \\u003c/div\\u003e\\n\\u003c/div\\u003e\"},{\"header\":\"Results\",\"content\":\"\\u003cdiv class=\\\"BlockQuote\\\"\\u003e\\n \\u003cp\\u003eDescriptive statistics were calculated to match running performance variables (D, TD, DZ1, DZ2, DZ3, MS, AccZ1, AccZ2, AccZ3, DecZ1, DecZ2, DecZ3, NBL, RSF, MPA, HMPD, RS, SMA, STD, WRIC, WRID, and WRIDis) considering the match results (loss, draw, and win), match locations (away matches - Table \\u003cspan class=\\\"InternalRef\\\"\\u003e3\\u003c/span\\u003e and home matches - Table \\u003cspan class=\\\"InternalRef\\\"\\u003e4\\u003c/span\\u003e) and ranking group (top-level teams, middle-level teams and bottom-level teams).\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003c/div\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003eSubsequently, Table \\u003cspan class=\\\"InternalRef\\\"\\u003e5\\u003c/span\\u003e presents the comparisons for match running performance variables considering the overall match results (loss, draw and win).\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cdiv class=\\\"gridtable\\\"\\u003e\\n \\u003cdiv align=\\\"left\\\" class=\\\"colspec\\\"\\u003eFinally, Table \\u003cspan class=\\\"InternalRef\\\"\\u003e6\\u003c/span\\u003e presents the comparisons for match running performance variables considering the overall the team-level of opponents [top (ranking group, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th), medium (ranking group, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th and 11th) and bottom (12th, 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th)] and the results obtained (loss, draw and win).\\u003c/div\\u003e\\n\\u003c/div\\u003e\"},{\"header\":\"Discussion\",\"content\":\"\\u003cp\\u003eThe study aims were to compare GPS-based variables throughout a first Iranian league season team among different match results (win, draw and loss) and the opponents' team level (top, medium and bottom) considering the location of the matches. Based on the observed differences in external load variables such as NBL and SR, the study confirms the hypothesis that the results and opponents' quality influence the players' external load throughout a competitive season. The findings suggest that coaches should carefully monitor the external load variables and adjust the training load based on the opponent's level and match result to avoid team failure. The study's results also highlight the importance of monitoring training in soccer and adopting appropriate strategies for choosing the playing system in the home and away matches.\\u003c/p\\u003e \\u003cp\\u003eIn the first part of the analysis, which was related to match running performance variables considering the overall match results, differences were observed in D, NBL and RS. The analysis revealed that the \\\"D\\\" variable had a higher value in matches the team won than those that ended in a draw. However, there was no significant difference in the \\\"D\\\" variable between matches the team lost and those that ended in a draw. This means that the team's performance in matches that resulted in a draw was similar to their performance in matches that they lost, regarding the length of time that certain physical activities were performed \\u003csup\\u003e18\\u003c/sup\\u003e. It seems that in draw matches, the uniformity and flow of the match in the middle of the field and lack of special events such as goals, checking VAR, cooling break, etc., in the absence of extra time for the match are effective.\\u003csup\\u003e11\\u003c/sup\\u003e\\u003c/p\\u003e \\u003cp\\u003eConsequently, the reduction of the match time compared to the matches won is impressive. These results align with the findings of Nobari et al.\\u003csup\\u003e9\\u003c/sup\\u003e, who pointed out the short time of the whole match and the first half in the draw matches compared to the won matches. Their factors, such as stoppages in the matches and score line and the match being more uniform in the middle, have influenced these results\\u003csup\\u003e19\\u003c/sup\\u003e. Conversely, the changes of the NBL parameter (reflects both the volume and intensity of accelerations) \\u003csup\\u003e20\\u003c/sup\\u003e and the changes of the D section were more in the matches that ended with a win than in the matches that ended with a loss. Also, RS changes in the matches that the team won compared to the matches that the team lost or draw reported a higher amount. It seems that in the matches where the volume and intensity of accelerations and the players have experienced more sprints and have made more efforts to win duels to get the ball and retrieve the ball, the team has won, and the amount of increased or decreased of NBL and RS has a direct relationship with the win or loss of the team in competitions.\\u003c/p\\u003e \\u003cp\\u003eIn the second part of the analysis, which was related to the variables of the team's average performance according to the team-level of opponents in the table, differences were observed in D, TD, Accz1, Accz2, Decz1, Decz2, NBL, STD, RSF, HMPD. When comparing the results observed regarding the mentioned variables in the match with top and medium-level teams and also in comparing the effects observed in the match with medium-level teams compared to the match with bottom-level teams, there was a significant difference in D, TD, Accz1, Accz2, Decz1, Decz2, NBL, STD. It was observed that higher values were reported in matches with top-level teams than medium-level teams, and higher values were observed in matches with medium-level teams than those with bottom-level teams. According to the observed results, the higher the level of the opponent's team in the competition, the more running and running at high speeds, the number of Accs and Decs increases, and the players bear more external load during training and matches. This could be associated with the coach strategy during the training who designs more intensity in competition with high-ranking teams\\u003csup\\u003e21\\u003c/sup\\u003e. Due to the sensitivity of the matches with the higher-ranking teams, the players put in more effort to get good results during the competition.\\u003c/p\\u003e \\u003cp\\u003eOn the other hand, according to a previous study,\\u003csup\\u003e22\\u003c/sup\\u003e when losing, professional soccer players' TD also increased. This could imply that soccer players increased their physical exertion to the maximum possible level to increase the match's score. Even so, according to Table \\u003cspan refid=\\\"Tab2\\\" class=\\\"InternalRef\\\"\\u003e2\\u003c/span\\u003e, it can be seen that most of the team's losses and draws in the matches were against the bottom and medium-level teams of the table. This shows the match sensitivity is effective in the running performance, players efforts and external load applied to them. In the matches where the opponent team was one of the teams at the bottom of the table, they have made less effort to win and lost in some matches with the teams at the bottom. The team had played away in all three matches they have lost during the league and have used a 3-3-4 formation. According to a previous study that looked at both match demands and training load, when preparing for away matches versus home matches, the volume of acceleration activities tended to be higher.\\u003csup\\u003e23\\u003c/sup\\u003e In general, wins and losses tend to be correlated only with distance-related factors, whereas draw matches typically demand less physical effort\\u003csup\\u003e23\\u003c/sup\\u003e. However, there is a lack of consistency among studies because the relationship between match outcome and the external load profile depends significantly on other contextual factors like opponent level, sufficient playing time, and team style of play.\\u003csup\\u003e22\\u0026ndash;25\\u003c/sup\\u003e\\u003c/p\\u003e \\u003cp\\u003eTo our knowledge, this is the first study to identify a representative external load profile of professional soccer match-play and match-running performance variables considering the overall match results and the team's average performance variables. GPS provides coaches with good information about various external load factors during matches and training but does not provide coaches with information about tactical needs.\\u003csup\\u003e26,27\\u003c/sup\\u003e However, there are some restrictions, such as the use of GPS technology, whose accuracy may decline when running at higher speeds involving rapid changes in direction,\\u003csup\\u003e28\\u003c/sup\\u003e as well as the sample's restriction to players from a single team who play professional soccer. As a result, playing position was not considered for the analysis. Future research could account for these constraints, incorporate additional contextual factors (e.g., adequate playing time, playing position, and match status) or investigate the connection between training and the match's external load profile.\\u003c/p\\u003e \\u003cp\\u003eSome limitations to this study need to be considered when interpreting the results. Firstly, the study was conducted only on one football team (with only 21 players), limiting the statistical power and generalization of the results to other football teams. Secondly, the study only analyzed GPS-based variables and did not consider other factors affecting the team's performance, such as psychological and tactical aspects. Thirdly, the study did not consider the impact of environmental factors, such as temperature, humidity, and altitude, on the players' performance. Fourthly, the study did not examine the influence of players' characteristics, such as age, height, weight, and experience, on the GPS-based variables. Lastly, the study only considered one team season, and the findings may not apply to other seasons due to changes in team composition, coaching staff, and other factors.\\u003c/p\\u003e\"},{\"header\":\"Conclusions\",\"content\":\"\\u003cp\\u003eThe weekly changes of the training load based on the values of variables based on running distance, running distance at different speeds, accelerations and decelerations and other external load variables during an entire season in an Iranian first-league team based on match results and the level of the opposing teams were provided in this study.\\u003c/p\\u003e \\u003cp\\u003eThe present study highlights the importance of monitoring training in soccer, thus providing information that coaches can use to design training from the perspective of the opposing team's sensitivity and adopt appropriate strategies for choosing the playing system in the home and away matches. According to the observed differences in external load variables such as NBL and SR during the season, the external load indicators should be increased during the pre-match training program with the bottom-level teams in the tournament table to avoid team failure.\\u003c/p\\u003e\"},{\"header\":\"Declarations\",\"content\":\"\\u003cp\\u003e\\u003cstrong\\u003eEthics approval and consent to participate\\u003c/strong\\u003e\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003eThe study was conducted according to the guidelines of theDeclaration of Helsinki. The project was approved with the ethical code IR.ARUMS.REC.1399.546 bythe Ardabil University of Medical Sciences.\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003e\\u003cstrong\\u003eConsent for publication\\u003c/strong\\u003e\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003eNot applicable.\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003e\\u003cstrong\\u003eData availability\\u003c/strong\\u003e\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003eThe data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author.\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003e\\u003cstrong\\u003eCompeting interests\\u003c/strong\\u003e\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003eThe authors declare no competing interests.\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003e\\u003cstrong\\u003eFunding\\u003c/strong\\u003e\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003eThis research received no funding.\\u0026nbsp;\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003e\\u003cstrong\\u003eAuthor Contributions\\u003c/strong\\u003e\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003eConceptualization, H.N., R.G., F.T.G.T and R.O.; methodology, H.N. and R.G.; data collection, H.N. and F.T.G.T.; analysis, H.N. and R.O.; writing—original draft preparation, F.T.G.T., N.A. and R.O.; writing—review and editing, R.G., R.O., F.T.G.T., H.N. and N.A. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003e\\u003cstrong\\u003eAcknowledgements\\u0026nbsp;\\u003c/strong\\u003e\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003eThe authors would like to express their gratitude to the club and soccer players who participated in the study.\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003e\\u003cstrong\\u003eConflict of interest\\u003c/strong\\u003e\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003eThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.\\u003c/p\\u003e\"},{\"header\":\"References\",\"content\":\"\\u003col\\u003e\\n \\u003cli\\u003eTrewin J, Meylan C, Varley MC, et al. 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Global positioning systems ({GPS}) and microtechnology sensors in team sports: a systematic review. \\u003cem\\u003eSports Med\\u003c/em\\u003e 2013; 43: 1025\\u0026ndash;1042.\\u003c/li\\u003e\\n\\u003c/ol\\u003e\"},{\"header\":\"Tables\",\"content\":\"\\u003cp\\u003eTables 1 to 6 are available in the Supplementary Files section\\u003c/p\\u003e\"}],\"fulltextSource\":\"\",\"fullText\":\"\",\"funders\":[],\"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow\":false,\"hasManuscriptDocX\":true,\"hasOptedInToPreprint\":true,\"hasPassedJournalQc\":\"\",\"hasAnyPriority\":false,\"hideJournal\":true,\"highlight\":\"\",\"institution\":\"\",\"isAcceptedByJournal\":false,\"isAuthorSuppliedPdf\":false,\"isDeskRejected\":\"\",\"isHiddenFromSearch\":false,\"isInQc\":false,\"isInWorkflow\":false,\"isPdf\":false,\"isPdfUpToDate\":true,\"isWithdrawnOrRetracted\":false,\"journal\":{\"display\":true,\"email\":\"info@researchsquare.com\",\"identity\":\"researchsquare\",\"isNatureJournal\":false,\"hasQc\":true,\"allowDirectSubmit\":true,\"externalIdentity\":\"\",\"sideBox\":\"\",\"snPcode\":\"\",\"submissionUrl\":\"/submission\",\"title\":\"Research Square\",\"twitterHandle\":\"researchsquare\",\"acdcEnabled\":true,\"dfaEnabled\":false,\"editorialSystem\":\"\",\"reportingPortfolio\":\"\",\"inReviewEnabled\":false,\"inReviewRevisionsEnabled\":true},\"keywords\":\"football, team sports, exercise, sports medicine, sports science, situational variables\",\"lastPublishedDoi\":\"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6322474/v1\",\"lastPublishedDoiUrl\":\"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6322474/v1\",\"license\":{\"name\":\"CC BY 4.0\",\"url\":\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/\"},\"manuscriptAbstract\":\"\\u003cp\\u003eThe study aims to compare global positioning systems variables of a first Iranian league team among different match results and the opponent's team level considering the match location. Nineteen wins, three losses, and eight draws, in which 15 matches played at home and 15 away matches against four top-level, six medium-level, and six bottom-level teams were analysed. Duration of the training session, total distance (TD), acceleration zone 1 (AccZ1) (\\u0026lt;2 m/s\\u003csup\\u003e2\\u003c/sup\\u003e), AccZ2 \\u0026nbsp;(2 to 4 m/s\\u003csup\\u003e2\\u003c/sup\\u003e), and AccZ3 (\\u0026gt;4 m/s\\u003csup\\u003e2\\u003c/sup\\u003e), deceleration zone1 (DecZ1) (\\u0026lt;−2 m/s\\u003csup\\u003e2\\u003c/sup\\u003e), DecZ2 (−2 to −4 m/s\\u003csup\\u003e2\\u003c/sup\\u003e), and DecZ3 (\\u0026gt;−4 m/s\\u003csup\\u003e2\\u003c/sup\\u003e), new body load (NBL), running symmetries footstrikes (RSF), metabolic power average, high-metabolic-power distance (HMPD), repeated sprints (RS), sprint maximal acceleration, sprint total distance (STD), work rate interval count (WRIC), duration (WRID), and distance (WRIDis) were collected from 21 players. The dataset showed lower values of RS in draw matches than in the winning matches in RS. Also, lower values of RS in loss matches than in the winning matches were found. The results showed that when playing with top-level teams TD, AccZ1, AccZ2, DecZ1, DecZ2, NBL, STD, DecZ2, HMPD, WRIC, WRID, and WRID were significantly higher than against middle-level teams. It was also shown that when playing with top-level teams, RSF, and RS data was significantly higher compared to bottom-level teams, in the game with top-level teams. Coaches should consider that some variables, such as NBL and SR, are more sensitive than others and directly relate to the team's competition success rate.\\u003c/p\\u003e\",\"manuscriptTitle\":\"Contextual factors affect on external load of a soccer team from the Persian Gulf Pro League\",\"msid\":\"\",\"msnumber\":\"\",\"nonDraftVersions\":[{\"code\":1,\"date\":\"2025-05-05 08:35:22\",\"doi\":\"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6322474/v1\",\"editorialEvents\":[{\"type\":\"communityComments\",\"content\":0}],\"status\":\"published\",\"journal\":{\"display\":true,\"email\":\"info@researchsquare.com\",\"identity\":\"researchsquare\",\"isNatureJournal\":false,\"hasQc\":true,\"allowDirectSubmit\":true,\"externalIdentity\":\"\",\"sideBox\":\"\",\"snPcode\":\"\",\"submissionUrl\":\"/submission\",\"title\":\"Research Square\",\"twitterHandle\":\"researchsquare\",\"acdcEnabled\":true,\"dfaEnabled\":false,\"editorialSystem\":\"\",\"reportingPortfolio\":\"\",\"inReviewEnabled\":false,\"inReviewRevisionsEnabled\":true}}],\"origin\":\"\",\"ownerIdentity\":\"4b4861fe-1d82-4249-9348-4452cd281ca6\",\"owner\":[],\"postedDate\":\"May 5th, 2025\",\"published\":true,\"recentEditorialEvents\":[{\"type\":\"decision\",\"content\":\"Rejected\",\"date\":\"2026-05-21T12:06:12+00:00\",\"index\":\"\",\"fulltext\":\"\"}],\"rejectedJournal\":[],\"revision\":\"\",\"amendment\":\"\",\"status\":\"posted\",\"subjectAreas\":[],\"tags\":[],\"updatedAt\":\"2026-05-21T12:10:50+00:00\",\"versionOfRecord\":[],\"versionCreatedAt\":\"2025-05-05 08:35:22\",\"video\":\"\",\"vorDoi\":\"\",\"vorDoiUrl\":\"\",\"workflowStages\":[]},\"version\":\"v1\",\"identity\":\"rs-6322474\",\"journalConfig\":\"researchsquare\"},\"__N_SSP\":true},\"page\":\"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]\",\"query\":{\"redirect\":\"/article/rs-6322474\",\"identity\":\"rs-6322474\",\"version\":[\"v1\"]},\"buildId\":\"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7\",\"isFallback\":false,\"isExperimentalCompile\":false,\"dynamicIds\":[84888],\"gssp\":true,\"scriptLoader\":[]}","source_license":"CC-BY-4.0","license_restricted":false}