Effects of Coach Turnovers on Intensity for Training and Matches in a Norwegian Football Club
Abstract
The aim of this study was to examine physical variables between four weeksbefore and eight weeks after two coach turnovers in a second divisionNorwegian football club for both training and matches. Individual physical data(n=1174 observations) was derived from the players using GPS-data incombination with the subjects employing wearable instruments from Catapult.The means for variables were divided into four study periods (training 2019,matches 2019, training 2021, and matches 2021) to analyze each variable foreach of the four periods. The training period in 2019 revealed four variableshaving a significant negative effect, including total distance covered, sprintrunning distance, total player load, and total player load 2D, with all parametersrepresenting a small effect size. Only repeat high-intensity efforts had astatistically significant negative effect for matches in 2019, with the effect sizebeing small. For the training period in 2021, sprint running distance had a smallpositive effect size but a statistically significant positive outcome. On the otherhand, decelerations in band 3 had a statistically significant and small negativeinfluence after the switch. High-speed running distance revealed a statisticallysignificant negative effect, with the effect size being moderate for matches in2021.