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The running performance of elite U20 Gaelic football match-play

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Abstract

Purpose

The current study is the first to estimate the running performance of elite U20 Gaelic football match-play with respect to quarters and positional running demands.

Methods

Twenty-nine elite U20 Gaelic football players (mean ± SD, age: 19.5 ± 1 years; height 181.4 ± 5.6 cm; body mass: 80.7 ± 6 kg) were recorded across 14 competitive games over two seasons wearing 10-Hz GPS units (Playertek Pod, Catapult Group; Melbourne; Australia). A total of 111 full-game data sets were collected. Activity was classed according to total distance (m), relative distance (m min−1), high-speed running distance (m; HSRD; ≥ 17 km h−1), very high-speed running distance (m; VHSRD; ≥ 22 km h−1) and peak velocity (m s−1).

Results

Midfielders, half-forwards and half-backs covered significantly greater total distance (8247 ± 430; 7923 ± 800; 7305 ± 1031) and HSRD (1532 ± 164; 1732 ± 257; 1392 ± 380) compared to other positions (p < 0.05). Full-backs and full-forwards ran significantly less total (6069 ± 948; 6189 ± 1014) and HSRD (975 ± 246; 1039 ± 378) than all other positions (p < 0.05). Half-forwards covered significantly greater VHSRD (721 ± 126) than all other positions (p < 0.05). Irrespective of playing position, all variables, except peak velocity, significantly declined relative to the first quarter. Relative distance also estimated a significant difference between the second and fourth quarters.

Conclusion

This study suggests that there is position-specific differences in match-play running performances during elite U20 Gaelic football match-play. Coaches should ensure players which experience higher running demands are appropriately conditioned.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the management and players involved in the current investigation.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. St Mary’s School of Sport, Health and Applied Sciences, Twickenham, London, UK

    Tommy Mooney

  2. Sports Medicine Research Department, Sports Surgery Clinic, Dublin, Ireland

    Tommy Mooney

  3. Department of Science, Gaelic Sport Research Centre, Technological University Dublin, Tallaght, Dublin, Ireland

    Shane Malone

  4. The Tom Reilly Building, Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK

    Shane Malone

  5. Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK

    Erwan Izri

  6. Institute of Technology Carlow, Kilkenny Rd, Moanacurragh, Carlow, Ireland

    Sami Dowling

  7. School of Health and Human Performance, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin, Ireland

    Ian A. J. Darragh

Authors
  1. Tommy Mooney
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  2. Shane Malone
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  3. Erwan Izri
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  4. Sami Dowling
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  5. Ian A. J. Darragh
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tommy Mooney.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in the study involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the Trust and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Mooney, T., Malone, S., Izri, E. et al. The running performance of elite U20 Gaelic football match-play. Sport Sci Health 17, 771–779 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-021-00760-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-021-00760-9

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