Identification of Game Periods and Playing Position Activity Profiles in Elite-Level Beach Soccer Players Through Principal Component Analysis

Beach soccer has gained increasing interest for study in the sports sciences. In this sense, the analysis of activity profiles is important for training design and load individualization. Therefore, the aims of this study were to identify the most important variables to assess the activity profile and to compare them according to the playing position and game periods in international beach soccer matches. A total of 19 matches of the Spanish national beach soccer team were analyzed during their participation in different international competitions during the 2021-2022 season. A Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied to objectively select the external load variables that best explain the data. Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin values of 0.705 and Bartlett's Sphericity (p < 0.01) were obtained. Kruskal-Wallis and Friedman tests was performed for playing positions and game period comparisons, respectively. The PCA showed seven components that grouped a total of 20 variables, explaining 66% of the total variance. Only PC1 and PC2 explained more than 15% (23% and 17%, respectively). Differences were found between playing positions (H > 22.73; p < 0.01) and between game periods (X2 > 16.46; p < 0.01). A significant decrease was found throughout the game, with the highest demands in period 1 and the lowest in period 3. The highest workloads were performed by wingers and the lowest by goalkeepers. The differences between positions and game periods were found in the following: Total Distance (m/min), HIBD (m/min), High Acc (m/s), High Dec (m/s), Acc 1-2 m/s(2) (m), Acc 2-3 m/s(2) (m), Imp 4-5G (n), Imp 5-6G (n), Sprint (n), and Dec 10-6 m/s(2) (m) (p < 0.01). In conclusion, physical and tactical demands faced by elite-level beach soccer players will be influenced by playing positions and game periods. Coaches needs to develop position-specific training programs and optimize substitution strategies for enhancing overall team performance.