In-situ PFv profiling in sub-elite gaelic football: Implementation, comparison with isolated sprints, minimum data load requirements, and exploring “real-time” monitoring potential

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Abstract
In-game performance monitoring is of growing interest to sports science practitioners. This study presents a proof-of-concept methodology capable of tracking, on average, a 6.4% reduction in ballistic power ( P B ) during competitive matches. The study investigated the linearity of in-situ P F v profiles in 34 sub-elite Gaelic footballers (aged 26.08 ± 6.84 years), compared in-situ to isolated sprint-derived profiles, determined minimum data requirements for producing stable, high-linearity profiles, and explored the utility of in-game monitoring. Linearity was comparable to previous studies, with F v profiles R 2 values of 0.929 ± 0.110 for match data and 0.949 ± 0.105 for training data. Consistent, systematic differences were observed between in-situ and isolated profiles using Cohen’s d . Acceleration ( A 0 ; 1.00 ≤ d ≤ 1.93 ) was significantly higher in-situ, while maximum power ( P max ; − 1.36 ≤ d ≤ − 1.02 ) and the F v offset ( d Fv ; − 1.09 ≤ d ≤ − 0.90 ) were significantly lower, highlighting the two profiles are not interchangeable. Maximum speeds ( S 0 ) exhibited context-dependent variance, being larger in matches than in isolated sprints ( 8.56 ± 0.31 m s −1 versus 8.33 ± 0.34 m s −1 ; d = + 0.74 ), but lower in training ( 8.04 ± 0.25 m s −1 ; d = − 1.29 , p < 0.001 ). Minimum data load was determined via two methods: the time for R 2 to reach 0.9 (12-minutes) and the geometric knee of the R 2 versus data load curve (7-minutes). Using these sliding windows, P B showed average reductions of 4.9% and 6.4%, respectively, across a full game. These findings suggest P F v profiling may offer a practical, scalable method for in-situ performance monitoring in team sports.
Funding Information
  • Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (Impact Acceleration Award Grant)
  • Northern Ireland Department for the Economy (Co-operative Awards in Science and Technology)
  • Science and Technology Facilities Council (ST/T0000211X/X)
  • Science and Technology Facilities Council (ST/X000923/1)

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