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ABSTRACTDespite awareness of the importance of quantifying technical, tactical, and physical characteristics of match play, few studies have examined the structural relationship of these aspects in professional sport. Accordingly, this study concurrently examined these components in relation to quarter outcome (n = 272) in Australian Football. The study followed a retrospective longitudinal case study design where one teams’ cooperative passing network, skill counts, physical loads, and spatiotemporal behaviours during official Australian Football League games were collected from a period spanning four seasons (2016–2019). A principal components analysis (PCA) and structural equation modelling were used to explore the structural relationships between components and examine the influence on quarter outcome as determined by the point differential (quarter margin). Scoring opportunityand ball movementhad direct associations with quarter margin, while unpredictability, uncontested behaviourand physical behaviourdid not. Negative associations between uncontested behaviourand scoring opportunitysuggest that elevated high-pressure success and a lack of synchrony may positively influence scoring opportunity, a determinant of quarter margin. Further, negative associations between physical behaviourand ball movementsuggest that with less physical work, a team’s collective ability to transfer possession between teammates is facilitated, offering an interesting dichotomy between skill and physical demands of Australian Football. While hundreds of different metrics are available, the present study was the first to concurrently examine the influence of a variety of match play components on performance outcomes in Australian Football. These results may provide direction for coaches and practitioners when contemplating practice design, tactical strategies, or the development of behaviour through specific training exercises. Game plans and training drills that focus on optimising attacking and low-pressure ball movement coupled with high levels of mutual interaction between teammates may be beneficial for performance.

ABSTRACTObjectivesConnectedness is a cooperative network measure that describes how well players in the team bi-directionally connect and how easily reachable they are to other players. It has been associated with an increased probability of winning competitive matches in professional Australian Football (AF), although applications towards training have not been reported. Therefore, this study investigated associations between constraints manipulated by professional AF coaches and the connectedness of cooperative passing networks during a small-sided game (SSG).DesignData were collected describing the task constraints manipulated by professional coaches across one SSG performed on multiple occasions. The SSG focused on transitioning between defence and attack and was performed fifteen times across a whole season, resulting in 36 observations of team connectedness.MethodA linear mixed-effects model was constructed to examine the collective influence of constraints manipulations made by professional coaches (e.g. field size) and team skill characteristics (e.g. kick efficiency) on connectedness scores.ResultsThe number of team shots on goal and the time on task both positively contributed to connectedness scores, explaining 65% of its variance.ConclusionThe findings show that the number of shots on goal and the time on task may be used to elicit higher or lower connectedness scores in AF SSGs. Skill acquisition specialists, in conjunction with coaching staff, can use these metrics to aid practice design in professional AF or indeed other invasion-style team sports.

ABSTRACTBackgroundAn expert/non-expert paradigm often helps understand the underpinnings of sports expertise; however, this method is scarcely extended to the complexities of collective behaviour in youth soccer.AimTherefore, the objectives of the current study are to investigate differences in the collective behaviour of youth soccer teams by expertise level.MethodologySoccer players aged 15 to 20 years from high (n = 35) and low (n = 40) playing levels competed in two age-matched 5v5 small-sided games. For each game, teams’ skill involvement (shot, pass, dribble, touch), passing networks (closeness, density, betweenness), and spatiotemporal characteristics (stretch index, effective area, length (L) & width (W), LpW ratio, synchrony) were measured using video footage and GPS coordinates.ResultsHigh level teams had more attempted (p = .009), and completed skills (p = .003), particularly for the number of passes (p = .001) and shots (p = .012-.045). However, there were no significant between-group differences for either the passing networks or spatiotemporal characteristics.ConclusionThe findings from the current research suggest that the high-level teams can quickly and effectively move the ball within existing team structures and may better optimise their afforded space to execute desired skills when compared to the low-level teams.

ABSTRACTIntroductionThis study sought to reduce the dimensionality of commonly reported spatiotemporal characteristics obtained from Australian Football games to facilitate their practical use and interpretability.MethodsA retrospective longitudinal design was utilised with team and individual spatiotemporal variables, measured via global navigation satellite system devices, collected during official Australian Football League matched over three seasons. Two separate principal component analyses were conducted at the team and individual level to reduce correlated spatiotemporal characteristics into a smaller set of uncorrelated components.ResultsAt the team level, eighteen variables were reduced to five components pertaining to dispersive coordination, lateral predictability and spacing, multidirectional synchrony, longitudinal predictability and longitudinal behaviour whilst maintaining 69% of variance in the original dataset. At the individual level, fifteen variables were reduced to four components pertaining to multidirectional and spacing synchrony, unpredictability, player movementand player positioningwhilst maintaining 64% of variance.ConclusionThis study is the first to provide a simplified, novel method for analysing spatiotemporal behaviour in an Australian Football context with both the team- and individual- derived metrics revealing useful information for coaches and practitioners. Components may provide insight into behaviours that emerge and persist throughout a game and allow coaches to distinguish between different playing/behavioural styles

ABSTRACTPurpose:This study aimed to investigate how restricted visual feedback affects performance in a football-specific skills assessment that incorporates the coupling of football a-specific perceptual information with football-specific motor actions. Methods:The Footbonaut is a 14x14m cage equipped with 8 ball dispensers and 64 targets measuring passing accuracy and time to complete each pass. Eighty-four amateur male participants (19.5 ± 5.4 years old; 13.1 ± 6.0 years experience) completed two sessions under two different visual conditions: stroboscopic and normal vision. Results:A linear regression revealed that performance under normal conditions was significantly associated (p < 0.001) with the performance decrement under stroboscopic vision conditions. Players were then subdivided into skilled (S; top 25%) and less-skilled (LS; bottom 25%) groups. Restricting visual feedback impacted the average time required to complete the passes in both S and LS groups equally (S: +0.18 s; LS: + 0.12 s; p = 0.385), yet S athletes’ accuracy (−11.1%) was more heavily reduced under restricted visual conditions compared to their Normal condition; whereas the LS athletes’ accuracy remained relatively unchanged (−1.9%). Conclusion:Therefore, stroboscopic vision may be used to induce performance errors during practice to stimulate larger training effects, particularly in more skilled players.

ABSTRACTThis study measured the influence of biological maturity across numerous performance parameters for talent identification in Australian football. Anthropometry, estimated maturity status using a maturity ratio from anthropometric measurements and chronological age, motor competence, physical fitness and small-sided match involvements of 227 U13-U15 high-level academy athletes were assessed. Multivariate analysis of variance revealed significant moderate effects of maturity status on physical fitness (p = 0.008, ES = 0.07) and significant large effects on anthropometry (p = 0.001, ES = 0.20), but not on motor competence or match involvements. Univariate analyses of variance demonstrated significant large effects of maturity on anthropometry, but only one subset of physical fitness (i.e. lower-body power). U15 players selected into a U16 development programme were biologically older thandeselected players, despite selection being independent of maturity when a categorical descriptor was used. This study confirms that maturation affects anthropometry and certain measures of physical fitness in youth Australian football players, but not match involvements and motor competence. Furthermore, a player’s maturity could affect selection and progression into advanced academy programmes. Involvements and motor competence should be included in multidimensional assessment batteries for Australian Football as they appear less confounded by maturity than fitness and anthropometry.

ABSTRACTObjectives: Little is known about the key performance characteristics of female players throughout adolescence, and how they compares to male players. The aim of this study was to compare performance assessments for male and female youth soccer players aged 9-18 years.Methods: Anthropometry, physical fitness, motor competence, dribbling performance and decision-making were assessed in 77 female and 182 male athletes from three developmental stages (sampling stage: 9-11y; specialisation stage: 12-14y; and investment stage: 15-18y).Results: MANOVA revealed significant interaction effects for age and sex on anthropometry, motor competence & physical fitness (p<0.001, η2p=0.131-0.216), while only main effects of sex and age were revealed for decision-making and dribbling (p<0.001, η2p=0.053-0.250). Females had better mean scores for most variables in the sampling stage, whereas males in the investment stage outperformed the females. Greater performance scores for decision-making and dribbling were evident for males at all ages. These results reveal that male and female soccer players’ generic performance-related characteristics differ very little at a young age, whereas performance in soccer-specific assessments do.Conclusions: Hence, this study argues that in order to maximise the size of talent pools in soccer and increase skill development, young male and female players could train and play together until the end of the sampling stage (~12y).

ABSTRACTPurpose: In sport, assessments are routinely administered to give an indication of performance. Assessing a skill requires external factors to dictate how and when the action is performed, highlighting the need for skill assessments to closely replicate the perception-action couplings experienced in football game play. Therefore, this study investigated if the Footbonaut is a valid and reliable football-specific skill assessment tool. Methods: Footbonaut performance scores from 152 male players from U12 to U23 representing a professional German Bundesliga club during the 2016/2017 season were analysed. Results: Pearson correlations (r) and coefficient of variation (CV) for the correct number of passes in a target (CV = 7.5–11.1; r= 0.48; p< 0.001), the speed at which they completed each trial (CV = 2.6–5.1; r= 0.70; p< 0.001), and a computer-generated point score (CV = 7.4–12.3; r= 0.77; p< 0.001) demonstrated acceptable test–retest reliability. Moreover, a MANOVA revealed a strong multivariate effect of age group on speed and accuracy combined (F= 7.80, p< 0.001, ES = 0.28), demonstrating the Footbonaut’s construct validity. Conclusion:The results in this study demonstrated that the Footbonaut is a valid and reliable assessment of football-specific skill.

ABSTRACTPurpose:Monitoring athletic development in youth soccer can help sporting professionals monitor athletic development and evaluate the effectiveness of training interventions. However, long-term follow up in talent development programmes in youth soccer is complicated. Therefore, the aim of this study was to forecast the developmental trajectories of explosive leg power in youth soccer players. Methods:Mixed effects regression models were used to forecast explosive leg power (countermovement (CMJ) and standing broad jump (SBJ)) in a longitudinal sample of 2201 youth soccer players from two high level Belgian acedemies and the Belgian National teams. Players were aged between 6 and 20 years (mean age = 13.04 ± 3.18 y) and were subdivided into three age cohorts (6–10, 11–15, and 16–20 y) for CMJ and two age cohorts (6–16, and 17–20 y) for SBJ. Results:This study was able to accurately forecast explosive leg power using different regression equations in each age cohort. Conclusions:Researchers, coaches, and sporting professionals can use these methods to either predict future explosive leg power from current performance measures, monitor the development of explosive leg power, or assess the effectiveness of training interactions aimed at altering predicted developmental trajectories.

ABSTRACTTalent identification and development in football is a complex, multifaceted process. Currently, most of the research in this domain is conducted in highly ranked, established football nations where the sport is immensely popular (e.g. Germany, Portugal, Belgium, etc.). Whilst these nation’s data are informative to some degree, there is little conclusive evidence supporting the effectiveness of traditional talent identification approaches. Typically, talent identification involves actively selecting promising players with early performance superiorities without considering the changes that can occur during development. Consequently, it is difficult to develop a framework for emerging football nations as the repercussions of adopting traditional approaches to talent identification are likely greater due to differences the size of the talent pool, accessibility of systematic training environments, and availability of financial and logistical resources. It is proposed that emerging football nations should focus on: preventing active deselection and dropout to maximise the size of the talent pool, mitigating the influence of confounding factors on talent identification, and longitudinally tracking players throughout development to document the performance profiles that lead to football expertise. Collectively, these strategies can reduce the reliance on identifying players based on early performance superiorities and focus on holistic, long-term development.

ABSTRACTPurpose:This study adopted an exploratory approach to investigate the use of small-sided games as a talent identification tool to determine youth soccer players’ skill proficiency. Methods:A total of 73 male youth soccer players (age = 13.3 ± 1.2 years) were subdivided into two groups in accordance with their playing level (high-level: n = 36, low-level: n = 37). Within their levels, players completed 4 vs. 4 small-sided games on a 30 × 20 m playing surface under two conditions (condition 1: 5 × 3 min, condition 2: 3 × 5 min). Attempted and completed skill involvements were analysed using retrospective video analysis. Skill proficiency was determined as the total completed involvements relative to amount attempted. Results:Repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance identified that high-level players displayed a significantly greater number of attempted and completed passes, touches, and total skill involvements compared with low-level players. Only the number of attempted passes and total involvements differed between conditions for high-level players. High-level players’ total skill proficiency was significantly greater than their lower level counterparts. Conclusion:This study supports the use of small-sided games as a tool to assess soccer-specific skill proficiency, which coaches and sporting practitioners can apply in a talent identification setting.

ABSTRACTThis study examined the impact of mental fatigue on speed and accuracy components of soccer-specific skills. Fourteen well-trained soccer players completed the Loughborough Soccer Passing Test on two occasions, separated by a minimum of 48 h. Tests were preceded, in a randomised order, by 30 min of reading magazines (control) or the Stroop task (mental fatigue). Subjective mental fatigue was recorded on visual analogue scales before and after reading. Mental effort (referring to the reading task) and motivation (for the upcoming passing test) were recorded after reading. Soccer-specific skill performance was assessed using time taken to complete all passes, and number of errors committed. Mental fatigue and effort were higher following the Stroop task than the magazines (P < 0.001), while motivation was similar between conditions. Time taken to complete the passing test was similar between conditions; however, players committed more missed target errors (2.4 ± 1.3 s vs. 1.6 ± 1.1; P = 0.02) and less perfect passes (5.6 ± 1.4 s vs. 6.6 ± 1.5; P = 0.04) in the mental fatigue condition, while no other errors were significantly different between conditions. Mental fatigue impairs short passing accuracy, but not movement speeds during the Loughborough Soccer Passing Test.