The Faroe Islands COVID-19 Recreational Football Study: Player-to-Player Distance, Body-to-Body Contact, Body-to-Ball Contact and Exercise Intensity during Various Types of Football Training for Both Genders and Various Age Groups

Magni Mohr, Tórur Sjúðrason, Eli N. Leifsson, Morten B. Randers, Nikolas Sten Knudsen, Manuel Mounir Demetry Thomasen, Jeppe Panduro, Malte Nejst Larsen, Thomas Bull Andersen, Peter Krustrup

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2 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We determined player-to-player distance, body-to-ball contact, and exercise intensity during three training modalities in various football populations. 213 participants were recruited, ranging from 9-year-old boys to young men and 11-year-old girls to middle-aged women. All groups were analysed with video-filming and GPS-based Polar Pro monitors during three types of football training for 20 min, i.e., COVID-19-modified training (CMT) with >2-metre player-to-player distance, small-sided games (SSG), and simulated match-play with normal rules (SMP), in randomised order. Time spent in a danger zone (1.5 m) per-percent-infected-player (DZ PPIP) ranged from 0.015 to 0.279% of playing time. DZ PPIP for SSG was higher () than CMT and SMP. The average number of contacts (within 1.5 m) with a potentially infected player ranged from 12 to 73 contacts/hour. SSG had more () contacts than CMT and SMP, with SMP having a higher () number of contacts than CMT. Time/contact ranged from 0.87 to 3.00 seconds for the groups. No player-to-player and body-to-ball touches were registered for CMT. Total player-to-player contacts were 264% higher () in SSG than SMP, ranging from 80 to 170 and 25 to 56 touches, respectively. In all groups, a greater total distance was covered during SMP compared to CMT (38–114%; ). All groups performed more high-intensity running (33–54%; ) and had higher heart rates during SMP compared to CMT. Different types of football training all appear to exert a minor COVID-19 infection risk; however, COVID-19-modified training may be safer than small-sided game training, but also match-play. In contrast, exercise intensity is lower during COVID-19-modified training than match-play.
Original languageEnglish
Article number6822385
Number of pages9
JournalBioMed Research International
Volume2022
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2022

Keywords

  • football
  • covid-19
  • Faroe Islands
  • excercise
  • male
  • female

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