# Game load dynamics in basketball: influence of playing position and match progression

## TL;DR

This study shows how basketball players' physical workload changes during a game and varies by position, helping coaches design better training and substitution strategies.

## Contribution

The study introduces a detailed analysis of how playing position and match progression affect internal and external load dynamics in professional basketball.

## Key findings

- External load indicators like total distance and high-intensity actions decrease progressively from the first to later quarters.
- Guards perform more high-intensity actions per minute than centers.
- High inter-individual variability suggests the need for individualized player monitoring.

## Abstract

This study explored the variability of internal and external load in professional basketball as a function of playing position and match quarter.

Fourteen ACB League players were monitored across three official games using ultra-wideband tracking and inertial measurement units (113 observations). Linear mixed-effects models assessed the influence of match progression and positional roles on kinematic, neuromuscular, and physiological load variables.

External load indicators, specifically total distance covered (p < 0.001; ηp

2
= 0.172), neuromuscular load (p < 0.001; ηp

2
= 0.178), and high-intensity actions (p = 0.038; ηp

2
= 0.030), declined progressively from the first to later quarters, confirming that the opening quarter imposes the highest physical demands. Guards performed more high-intensity actions per minute than centers (p = 0.045; ηp

2
= 0.473). High inter-individual variability across several variables further supported the need for individualized monitoring.

These findings emphasize the importance of considering both match progression and positional roles when designing training programs. Understanding how load fluctuates across quarters could help coaches optimize periodization, adjust substitution strategies, and develop conditioning plans that had better reflect the repeated high-intensity efforts required in professional basketball.