Table 1. Average (±SD) and comparisons between the 2019 (No COVID-19) and 2020 (COVID-19) season of 8 matches played by 17 players for measured metrics (distance, high and very-high speed distance, PlayerLoadTM, high-intensity and acceleration efforts) for whole game (WG) for absolute: total recorded volume, and relative: total volume per minute of playing time, the maximum ball in play period (BiP) and the difference between the 1st (Q1) and 4th quarter (Q4).
Metric Phase 2019 2020 P value Cohen’s d effect size
(95% CI)
Time on ground (min) WG 99.2 ± 8 85.9 ± 7.4 < 0.001 1.73 (0.94 to 2.51)
Distance (m) WG absolute
WG relative
BiP
Difference Q1 vs Q4
12,138.8 ± 1099.6
123.0 ± 13.0
229.3 ± 32.3
12.5 ± 13.0
10,907.5 ± 793.9
127.5 ± 10.5
224.5 ± 28.5
12.3 ± 14.4
< 0.001
< 0.001
0.326
0.926
1.28 (0.55 to 2.02)
-0.38 (-1.06 to 0.30)
0.16 (-0.52 to 0.83)
0.01 (-0.66 to 0.69)
High-speed running (m) (>18km·h-1) WG absolute
WG relative
BiP
Difference Q1 vs Q4
1812 ± 581
18.5 ± 6.4
113.8 ± 39
4.2 ± 5.8
1584.6 ± 452.7
18.7 ± 5.9
105.7 ± 45.4
4.0 ± 6.5
< 0.001
0.707
0.225
0.873
0.44 (-0.24 to 1.12)
-0.03 (-0.70 to 0.64)
0.19 (-0.48 to 0.87)
0.03 (-0.64 to 0.70)
High intensity efforts (efforts)
(> 18km·h-1 for >2s)
WG absolute
WG relative
BiP
Difference Q1 vs Q4
52.2 ± 15.2
0.5 ± 0.2
3.1 ± 0.9
0.1 ± 0.2
45.7 ± 11.8
0.5 ± 0.2
2.8 ± 0.9
0.1 ± 0.2
< 0.001
0.671
0.102
0.474
0.48 (-0.20 to 1.16)
0.00 (-0.67 to 0.67)
0.33 (-0.34 to 1.01)
0.00 (-0.67 to 0.67)
PlayerLoadTM (AU) WG absolute
WG relative
BiP
Difference Q1 vs Q4
529.3 ± 59.7
5.4 ± 0.8
9.7 ± 1.5
0.6 ± 0.7
475.5 ± 51.7
5.6 ± 0.7
9.4 ± 1.3
0.7 ± 0.6
< 0.001
< 0.001
0.124
0.642
0.96 (0.25 to 1.67)
-0.27 (-0.94 to 0.41)
0.21 (-0.46 to 0.89)
-0.15 (-0.83 to 0.52)
Very-high-speed running (m) (>24km·h-1) WG absolute
WG relative
BiP
Difference Q1 vs Q4
269.1 ± 156.9
2.7 ± 1.6
44.9 ± 25.7
0.7 ± 2.1
228.8 ± 144.5
2.7 ± 1.8
40.4 ± 28.6
0.1 ± 2.8
0.011
0.736
0.275
0.158
0.27 (-0.41 to 0.94)
0.00 (-0.67 to 0.67)
0.17 (-0.51 to 0.84)
0.24 (-0.43 to 0.92)
Accelerations (efforts) (>3m·s-2) WG absolute
WG relative
BiP
Difference Q1 vs Q4
69.9 ± 15.9
0.7 ± 0.2
4.1 ± 1.0
0.1 ± 0.2
64.4 ± 17
0.8 ± 0.2
4.1 ± 1.3
0.1 ± 0.3
0.001
0.044
0.892
0.084
0.33 (-0.34 to 1.01)
-0.50 (-1.18 to 0.18)
0.00 (-0.67 to 0.67)
0.00 (-0.67 to 0.67)
Model p values and effect sizes (≤0.2: trivial, 0.21-0.6: small, 0.61-1.2: moderate, 1.21-2.0: large, >2.0: very-large).