Chapter 9. Kinematical variables

The most used kinematical variables for the quantification of the load in team sports are studied in Chapter 9. In the present chapter, we retrieved kinematical variables based on three categories: speed and total distance, accelerations/decelerations and composite variables. Total distance covered and speed attained are simple variables analyzed in this text. The use of composite variables can be justified by the fact that either running speed zones do not consider accelerations and decelerations or accelerations and decelerations do not consider speed. However, despite their increasing use, several composite variables need to be further studied and validated. The practical applications of the kinematical variables are presented below: use of kinematical variables across different age groups and levels of athletic caliber, use of kinematical variables in training and competition, use of kinematical variables with injuries and use of kinematical variables and fatigue. Finally, the concluding remarks and lessons learned are described.