Game dynamics in men's and women's professional padel: volume, intensity and time parameters at Premier Padel
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17398/1885-7019.22.45Keywords:
racket sports, tactical analysis, sex, game volumesAbstract
The aim of this study was to analyze the volume and dynamics of play in professional men's and women's padel during Premier Padel competitions by studying temporal and structural variables. Using a systematic observational methodology, a total of 1,290 points (626 male and 664 female) from 10 matches (5 male and 5 female) played in 2024 were analyzed. The results revealed a higher average number of strokes per point in women's padel compared to men's (p < 0.001; 11 vs. 8), as well as a longer active playing time (p < 0.001; 89 vs. 69 seconds per game) and lower game intensity (p = 0.005; 0.75 vs. 0.83 strokes per second). In addition, a higher-than-expected frequency of short points was observed in men's padel (RTC = 5.6), while medium-duration (RTC = 3.6) and long-duration points (RTC = 3.7) were more common in women's matches. It was also found that points with fewer than 11 strokes were more frequent in men’s padel, whereas points with a higher number of exchanges (>11 strokes) were predominant in women’s padel. In conclusion, these findings provide a detailed characterization of game dynamics in Premier Padel and highlight significant gender-based differences, offering valuable insights for application in competitive and training contexts aimed at optimizing player performance.
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