Comparison of the Most Demanding Periods in Three Categories of Female's Soccer: A Double View from the Player and the Team.

This study is the first to quantify most demanding periods (MDPs) at both the individual (player) and the team level across three teams. It provides reference values for three external load variables across four time windows (of 1, 3, 5 and 10 min). The findings revealed that Professional (PRO) and Reserve (RES) teams covered more distance than the Academy (ACA) team in a 1-min window (w1), with the PRO team also covering greater distances at >18 km•h-1 in the w1. Additionally, PRO and RES teams experienced more accelerations in 1- and 3-min windows, with the PRO team showing higher values than the RES team in the 5-min window (w5). Players in PRO and RES teams ran longer distances and performed more accelerations than those in the ACA team, especially in 1-, 3-, and 5-min windows. No significant differences in MDPs were observed between the first and second halves for any team, but significant differences in distance covered were noted for PRO and ACA players in specific time windows. The main findings highlight superior locomotor and mechanical responses in PRO and RES players compared to ACA players, particularly in shorter time windows (w1, w3, and w5).