Tell me your position and the possession style of your team, and I will tell you your running demands

This study profiled LaLiga players’ physical performance as a function of time-in-possession (POS), out of-possession (noPOS), and effective-playing-time (EPT). A retrospective analysis covered 4254 individual performances in 2023–24. Players were categorised as central-defender (CD), full-back (FB), central-midfield (CM), offensive-midfield (OM), box-to-box (BB), winger (WN), and forward (FW). Locomotor variables were as follows: total distance (TD) in POS and noPOS, and distance at >21km·h−1 (TD21) and > 24 km·h−1 (TD24) in each phase and per min. Predictors were EPT, POS, and noPOS (low/medium/high); effects were tested with linear mixed models. Results were 1) for TD, most positions, except FW, covered more distance per minute out-of-possession; at >21 and at >24 km·h−1 attackers (WN/FW/OM) ran more in possession, defenders out-of-possession; 2) positional differences widened with intensity; 3) as EPT and phase duration increased, per-minute distance fell, with the largest drop in each position’s dominant phase; and, 4) FB in noPOS and FW in POS across intensities, and CD in noPOS at high-speeds, were most affected by phase duration. Conclusions: positional responses depend on EPT and game phase and their durations. These insights support position-specific preparation and recovery, defenders emphasising repeated high, intensity efforts without possession and attackers sustaining them during longer possession phases.