The question of how much a football player runs per match, athletes and coaches worried for a very long time. To get an accurate calculation of the total distance that each individual player overcomes, it became real only after creating special computer programs.
How is the footballer’s mileage calculated for the match?
With modern technical support for broadcasting matches, it is quite possible to calculate how many kilometers a footballer runs per match. How it's done? Typically, representatives of television channels install several broadcast cameras in the stadium. For example, you can recall the spider camera at the Kharkiv Metalist stadium. Of course, the picture from this object rarely hits the screen during the broadcast, but this recording device works constantly and sees all the players.
Computer engineers have created a special program that allows you to calculate how much an average footballer runs per game. How does the system work? A special camera remembers the players and watches them. It captures the movements of each individual player, and then using the program you can analyze how much a football player runs per match.
Mileage depends on the role of the player
Studies of professional football extras showed that the total mileage of a player per match depends on what role the player belongs to. Let's speculate. Surely, the least goalkeeper runs the game. His movements are mainly limited to the penalty area. Only sometimes the goalkeeper has to run out of its borders (elimination of a dangerous one-on-one exit, reshuffling with defenders, etc.), which increases the mileage of the goalkeeper of the football team. Defenders run, of course, more than goalkeepers, but this is natural. The centerback is usually a slow textured footballer, so you should not say that he moves a lot. Flank defenders run much more than the central ones, because they are much more likely to have to connect to the attacking actions of their team. Forwards work in about the same mode as the central defenders. Their main task is to score goals. Defenders direct the ball into the line of attack with the help of a long pass, for which the attackers should catch. Further, the forward makes a discount on the players of the second line of attack, that is, the midfielders who are connected to the attack. Of course, the attackers continue to take part in the attack.
Most of the players running the center of the field, because they have several difficult tasks:
- organization of the integrity of the command structure;
- linking defensive and attacking orders;
- creating attacks.
Kilometers of players of different lines in numerical terms
We have already analyzed the general trend regarding the mileage of players of different roles. Now I would like to know the numerical value of the mileage of the players. Experts estimate that the goalkeeper for a match can run up to 2-3 kilometers. Perhaps this number will seem fantastic to someone, but it is quite real, because a professional strong goalkeeper must be mobile and be able to play on the way out.
How much does a football player run per match (quarterback, for example)? Statistics show that high-class defenders run from 5 to 7 kilometers per game. This run includes both defensive work in their half of the field, and campaigns on standards in someone else's penalty area. Forwards run from 7 to 10 kilometers per match, mostly without the ball, and in search of a favorable position for receiving it and continuing the attack. Measurements of the distance that the midfielders on average overcome, showed that the numerical image of the total length of their movement across the field is 9-12 kilometers.
Highscores
How much does a football player run per match? It is quite difficult to fix the record, since there is no absolute accuracy in the measurements. It is only known that there are players who can run up to 15 kilometers in one game.
From the most recent data, it is worth highlighting the performance of Zinedine Zidane and Luis Figo at the 2004 European Championship. There was no game when one of these players ran less than 11.2 km.
This is such a difficult and interesting sport. Well, how much a football player runs for a match depends on his role, professionalism, age and level of the team.