The Influence of Playing Position on Physical, Physiological, and Technical Demands in Adult Male Soccer Matches: A Systematic Scoping Review with Evidence Gap Map

Background There has been an increase in studies examining the demands of soccer relative to each playing position in recent years. Understanding the physical, physiological, and technical demands on soccer players according to their positional role during competitive matches is necessary to understand match requirements and develop position-specifc training practices. Thereby, there is a clear need to synthesize the information on the diferent profles of each playing position. Objective This review aimed to organize the literature investigating physical, physiological, and technical demands accord ing to playing positions and provide a framework to identify gaps and suggestions for future studies. Methods A systematic search was conducted in October 2023 using four electronic databases: Web of Science, SPORT Discus, PubMed and Scopus. The review followed PRISMA 2020 guidelines and the PRISMA-ScR extension for Scoping Reviews. The studies were included if the sample comprised adult male soccer players categorized from Tier 3 to Tier 5 (i.e., highly trained/national level, elite/international level, or world class) and compared the physical, physiological, or technical parameters across playing positions. Results A total of 178 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. The number of teams, players, and matches analyzed per study varied considerably. Although a range of classifcations were reported across studies, 59% of studies classifed players as central defenders, full-backs, central midfelders, wide midfelders, and forwards. The fnd ings suggests that central and external midfelders, and external defenders cover greater total and high-speed distance than forwards or central defenders. Sprint distance was higher in external midfelders versus all other positions. Defenders and central midfelders perform more passes than external midfelders and forwards. Heart rate was the most commonly reported physiological variable across playing positions. When expressed as a percentage of maximal heart rate, midfelders presented higher mean values than all other playing positions. Conclusion This scoping review demonstrates that there are diferences in the demands on players across playing positions in soccer. Training practices in soccer should be based on the specifc requirements of each positional role to ensure players can fulfll their tactical responsibilities during the game.