Problem statement: While extensive research exists on the physical and technical performance of players in the world's top football leagues, there is a considerable lack of comprehensive studies on professional players from lower-ranking leagues. Conducting new research on performance in these less-studied leagues across various countries will not only help determine their relative performance levels but also allow us to assess the evolution of global football. Purpose: In the absence of previous comprehensive research on the Russian Premier Liga (RPL), this study aims to analyze the physical and technical performance of players in RPL matches over seven consecutive seasons (2015-2022). It considers various influencing factors and assesses similarities with performance trends in major international football leagues. Methods: Data from 24,549 original observations, collected using tracking technologies during live football matches, were used to analyze the performance of players in different positions: central defenders, full defenders, central midfielders, wide midfielders, and forwards. Multivariate analysis of variance with post-hoc tests and linear regression analysis were used to assess the data. Results: Significant differences in the effect size of various factors were revealed and measured using partial eta-squared (n2p). The playing position factor had an effect size of n2p = 34%, the season factor less than 5%, the team level factor less than 4%, and the match result and field factors each less than 1%. Seasonal analysis indicated significant differences with moderate effect sizes (0.6 < ES < 0.84) for distances covered by walking, high-speed running, and sprinting without possession. Positional roles had very large effect sizes (2 < ES < 2.2) on both the number of successful duels and aerial duels. Linear regression analysis, used to assess changes in parameters over time for each player position, revealed an increasing trend in walking, sprinting, and total distance covered for all positions and a decreasing trend in the number of duels, with forwards contributing the most to this trend. Conclusion: From 2015 to 2022, all positional roles demonstrated an increase in sprint distances and accuracy in technical actions, mirroring performance trends in other international football leagues. The results of our study provide valuable insights into role-specific performance patterns in the RPL, which coaches and practitioners can use to enhance training and competition strategies.
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