Introduction: The influence of 120 min of soccer match-play (i.e., matches requiring a 30 min extra-time period; ET), on physical and technical performance, and functional and biochemical measures of recovery has recently been investigated (Harper et al., 2014; Russell et al., 2015). However, the effect of 120 min of match-play on performance and subjective measures of post-match recovery requires investigation; especially in the context of subsequent match-play. The use of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) was permitted during competitive professional soccer matches by FIFA in July 2015, allowing soccer clubs to use this technology to derive information on player performance during competitive matches. Purposes: 1) use GPS-derived data to assess the impact of playing a competitive match requiring ET on a competitive 90 min match played 64 h later; 2) elucidate the influence of ET on post-match recovery. Methods: Four professional soccer players from the third tier of English soccer played in three competitive matches in a 7-day period: matches one (MD1) and three (MD3) lasted 90 min and match 2 (MD2) lasted 120 min. Physical (total and high-intensity distance covered, accelerations, decelerations) and technical performances (pass and dribble accuracy) were analyzed using GPS and notational analysis. Subjective measures of recovery (mood, sleep, fatigue, muscle soreness, wellness score), and countermovement jump (CMJ) height were made 36-42 h post-match and 28 h pre-MD1. Magnitude-based inferences were derived using methods described previously (Batterham & Hopkins, 2006) to determine the effect of ET on recovery and performance. As pass and dribble accuracy were measured as a cumulative total of four players, between-match statistical analysis was not possible. Results: There was a possibly harmful effect of ET on high-intensity distance covered during MD3 (4.24 ± 0.63 m/min) vs. MD1 (4.86 ± 1.35 m/min), along with reductions in pass (-9.3%) and dribble (-12.4%) accuracy. Post-MD2, there were very or most likely harmful effects of ET on CMJ height (-6 ± 9%) muscle soreness (+18 ± 12%) and fatigue (+27 ± 4%) scores, and overall wellness score (-13 ± 5%) compared to post-MD1. Furthermore, there were very likely harmful effects on muscle soreness (+13 ± 14%), wellness scores (-8 ± 10%), and CMJ height (-6 ± 9%) post-MD3 vs. post-MD1. Conclusions: Our data suggests 120 min of match-play causes deleterious effects on recovery and subsequent performance, creating implications for recovery modalities and training prescription following a match requiring ET. This work provides novel findings regarding the influence of ET on subsequent match performance and recovery in professional soccer players, and is a primer for future, more expansive investigations.
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