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Objectives: To evaluate the reliability of the Enhanced Paper Grip Test (EPGT) for assessing foot strength in volleyball and soccer players., Design: A cross-sectional observational study with repeated measurements., Setting: Field-based study., Participants: A convenience sample of 28 athletes (13 volleyball players and 15 soccer players) participated in the study., Main Outcome Measures: The main outcome measures were the intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) for intra-visit and inter-visit reliability, typical error, and coefficient of variation for the force (N) recorded in EPGT test., Results: The EPGT demonstrated good to excellent relative reliability (ICC values ranged from 0.93 to 0.97) and acceptable absolute reliability (typical error = 5-8 % of the mean). Significant inter-limb asymmetries were observed in both volleyball (16.0 ± 10.2%) and soccer players (15.3 ± 9.8%)., Conclusions: The EPGT is a reliable tool for assessing foot strength in volleyball and soccer players. Further research is required to explore the applicability of EPGT in different athletic and clinical contexts, and its potential role in athletic performance and injury prevention., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Abstract: Skratek, J, Kadlubowski, B, and Keiner, M. The effect of traditional strength training on sprint and jump performance in 12- to 15-year-old elite soccer players: a 12-month controlled trial. J Strength Cond Res 38(11): 1900-1910, 2024-The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of traditional strength training on maximum strength (1 repetition maximum in front squat [FS] and back squat [BS]), jump (squat and countermovement jump), and linear sprint (LS) performance (5, 10, and 30 m) in elite young soccer players. A 12-month longitudinal design was chosen, and 48 elite male youth soccer players (age: 12-15 years) were included. The subjects were divided in 2 groups (a strength training group [STG] and a control group [CG]). The intervention group trained for 1 year over a competitive soccer season with additional sessions to their regular soccer practice (4 sessions per week), while the CG did not complete any additional sessions to the regular soccer training (4 sessions per week). The additional strength training (2 sessions per week [each approximately 30 minutes]) consisted of either parallel FS or BS. The squat variants switched in each session. Data were analyzed using a 2 × 3 (group × time) repeated-measures analysis of variance. The main findings of this study were that the STG resulted in significant pretest and post-test improvements in maximum strength ( d = 3.75-5.58), jump ( d = 0.84-1.14), and LS performance ( d = -0.25 to 0.44), while for the CG, smaller increases or performance decreases were measured (maximum strength: d = 1.64-2.7; jump: d = 0.12-0.31; sprint: d = 0.00-025). A significant interaction effect in all variables indicated significant ( p < 0.05) stronger performance improvements compared with the CG. Traditional strength training in elite youth soccer players is recommended to increase strength and speed-strength (jump and sprint performance) and should be considered in long-term athletic development programs., (Copyright © 2024 National Strength and Conditioning Association.)

Association football, also known as soccer in some regions, is unique in encouraging its participants to intentionally use their head to gain a competitive advantage, including scoring a goal. Repetitive head impacts are now being increasingly linked to an inflated risk of developing long-term neurodegenerative disease. This study investigated the effect of heading passes from different distances, using head acceleration data and finite element modelling to estimate brain injury risk. Seven university-level participants wore a custom-fitted instrumented mouthguard to capture linear and angular acceleration-time data. They performed 10 headers within a laboratory environment, from a combination of short, medium, and long passes. Kinematic data was then used to calculate peak linear acceleration, peak angular velocity, and peak angular acceleration as well as two brain injury metrics: head injury criterion and rotational injury criterion. Six degrees of freedom acceleration-time data were also inputted into a widely accepted finite element brain model to estimate strain-response using mean peak strain and cumulative strain damage measure values. Five headers were considered to have a 25% concussion risk. Mean peak linear acceleration equalled 26 ± 7.9 g, mean peak angular velocity 7.20 ± 2.18 rad/s, mean peak angular acceleration 1730 ± 611 rad/s 2 , and 95th percentile mean peak strain 0.0962 ± 0.252. Some of these data were similar to brain injury metrics reported from American football, which supports the need for further investigation into soccer heading., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective: To compare the exercise intensity of walking football (WF) with walking (WA) and to describe specific movement characteristics of WF., Design: Cross-sectional study., Setting: Sports facilities Saarland University, Germany., Patients: Eighteen patients with cardiovascular risk factors CVRFs and diseases (13 men and 5 women, age: 69 ± 10 years)., Independent Variables: Patients completed a WF match and WA session of 2 x 10 min each. Video analysis was used to characterize movements during WF., Main Outcome Measures: Rate of perceived exertion (RPE, Borg Scale 6-20), % maximum heart rate (HR max ), musculoskeletal pain on a visual analog scale (VAS, 1-100 mm) before and up to 72 hours after exercise, and movement patterns during WF., Results: The mean RPE during WF (12.1 ± 2.7) and WA (11.9 ± 3.0) did not differ ( P = 0.63). The mean HR during WF (79 ± 12% of HR max ) was higher than during WA (71% ± 11%; P < 0.01). The HR variability coefficient of variation during WF (10.3% ± 5.8%) and WA (7.1 ± 5.5%) did not differ ( P = 0.13). There was no influence of exercise mode (WF vs WA) on musculoskeletal pain perception ( P = 0.96 for interaction). Injury-inciting activities such as lunges (median: 0.5 [interquartile range (IQR) 0-1.3]) and goal kicks (median: 4 [IQR: 1.8-5.3]) occurred rarely during WF., Conclusions: Walking football might represent an alternative to WA for health prevention programs in patients with CVRF and diseases as it is characterized by a manageable cardiocirculatory strain, moderate RPE, low pain induction, and a low number of injury-inciting activities., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

The Aim of the Study: To describe the clinical and non-clinical characteristics of Gabon footballers in the Haut-Ogooue Polyclinic in Franceville, Gabon, during visits, to assess whether they are not contraceptive to sports., Patients and Methods: A descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in the city of Franceville, Gabon, in May 2022. The first and second divisions of footballers were subjected to medical examinations to determine whether they had any contraindications for playing sports, including clinical examinations, rest electrocardiograms (ECG), rest cardiac ultrasounds, chest X-rays, Rick-Dickson and biological checks., Results: The average age of 88 footballers (22-25 years) was 23 years. Blood pressure (BP) is abnormal in 19% of players, and alcohol and tobacco consumption is reported in 70% and 30%, respectively. Exercise adaptation was also closely associated with age (P = 0.00137724; P = 0.008974301), football position (P = 0.009957548; P = 0.006646182) and alcohol consumption (P = 0.000531971). Electrical and biological changes were 16% and 86.79%, respectively. Sinus bradycardia and first-degree atrioventricular block are the most common ECG abnormalities. Metabolic, inflammatory, infectious, electrolyte and anaemia syndromes were found in 22.64%, 24.53%, 19.81%, 7.55% and 12.26%, respectively. Midfielders and defenders have shown the greatest changes in biological parameters., Conclusion: Medical checks are essential to determine if sports are contraindicated, as they can help identify physiological and pathological conditions and improve the monitoring of athletes., (Copyright © 2024 Copyright: © 2024 Nigerian Postgraduate Medical Journal.)

Introduction: The present study aimed to investigate the immediate effects of two types of Kinesio taping on the temporal and spatial variables of gait initiation in individuals with and without Functional Ankle Instability (FAI). Materials and Methods: Thirty semi-professional athletes (15 with and 15 without FAI [control]) were recruited for this study. The gait initiation task was examined before and after the two types of Kinesio taping on a force plate. Temporal (Reaction Phase [RP], Anticipatory Postural Adjustment Phase [APAP]), and spatial variables were recorded and compared between Groups, before and after the tape application. Results: The results of multiple repeated-measure analyses of variance showed no significant differences for “factor” and “Group by factor” interaction effects for any outcome measure (P>0.05). There were no significant differences for Group effects except for the APAP (F=10.27, P=0.003). The APAA was 71.95 ms longer in the FAI Group (476.95±15.87 ms) compared to the control Group (405.04±15.87 ms). Conclusion: Kinesio taping application does not influence any of the gait initiation parameters on the force plate. Participants with FAI demonstrated longer APAP which might be due to recurrent injury and instability during sports or physical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the pen-name of A.S. Hardy, Arthur Joseph Steffens was one of the leading writers of boys' football stories in the first decades of the twentieth century. Building upon the work of John Springhall, Kelly Boyd, Ernest Turner, Dave Russell and Ali Melling, this article seeks to broaden our knowledge of how football fiction first developed. It does this by exploring the life and stories of A.S. Hardy, as well as some of his contemporaries at the Amalgamated Press. The principal sources are original boys' papers held at the British Library and census records. The article explores three key areas. Firstly, an overview is provided of Hardy's life and career, placing his work within the wider growth of boys' story papers and the success of the Amalgamated Press in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Secondly, it explores how Hardy successfully pioneered the writing of stories placed within the contemporary world of professional football. Finally, it addresses how established conventions of masculine and heroic behaviour were adapted and explored within football stories. It will be argued that Hardy played an important part in developing and popularising the fictional football story in its modern format. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Most football clubs were founded by members of the local community within which they are based. The success of a club is built on the time, effort and resources given by these locals, which is offered due to the benefits that football promises to the community in return. However, the game has increasingly been dominated by a focus on financial (monetary) value, at the expense of such benefits being delivered to the clubs' local communities. This article examines a need for deliberation over what accountability is owed by football clubs to their local communities in the context of questioning what and for whom football is for. Design/methodology/approach: This exploration is undertaken within the context of the English game, where a series of issues has resulted in the UK Government undertaking a "fan led review of football governance". The report produced by this review is analysed to understand whether the contents and recommendations enters the debate over what accountability is owed to local communities. Findings: While the UK Government's fan led review recognises the pivotal role of local communities in the formation of the English game, its focus and resulting recommendations are mostly on the financial sustainability of the clubs. The analysis demonstrates that, due to their focus on financial value, the implementation of the report's recommendations is more likely to exacerbate the underlying issues rather than resolving them. Originality/value: The call for deliberation over whether and what accountability is owed to local communities has been repeated over time. The UK Government's fan led review provided an important opportunity to engage in that deliberation. However, the dominance of financial value within football has all but silenced any call for and action regarding this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Our aim was to use epidemiological data to determine the incidence of soccer-related head injuries in children aged 5-14 years who presented at emergency departments (EDs) or were admitted in hospitals in Victoria, Australia., Methods: ED presentation and hospital admission de-identified aggregate data were from the Victorian Injury Surveillance Unit. Soccer participation data were compared with the soccer-related head injury data to determine the incidence of this injury among these children., Results: The incidence of ED presentations was 0.17% of children participating in soccer during the study period (financial years 2011-2012 to 2015-2016). The 10-14-years age group presented with more head injuries than the 5-9-years age group. For the admissions data, soccer had a significantly lower (P = 0.0379) incidence of head injury when compared with 'sport as a whole'., Conclusions: The low incidence of soccer-related head injuries presenting to an ED or admission to hospital is consistent with international findings., (© 2020 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (The Royal Australasian College of Physicians).)

Identifying the influence of social identity over how individuals evaluate and interact with others is difficult in observational settings, prompting scholars to utilize laboratory and field experiments. These often take place in highly artificial settings or, if in the field, ask subjects to make evaluations based on little information. Here we conducted a large-scale (N = 405,179) field experiment in a real-world high-information context to test the influence of social identity. We collaborated with a popular football live score app during its poll to determine the world's best football player for the 2017-2018 season. We randomly informed users of the nationality or team affiliation of players, as opposed to just providing their names, to prime in-group status. As a result of this subtle prime, we find strong evidence of in-group favoritism based on national identity. Priming the national identity of a player increased in-group voting by 3.6% compared to receiving no information about nationality. The effect of the national identity prime is greatest among individuals reporting having a strong national identity. In contrast, we do not find evidence of in-group favoritism based on team identity. Informing individuals of players' team affiliations had no significant effect compared to not receiving any information and the effect did not vary by strength of team identity. We also find evidence of out-group derogation. Priming that a player who used to play for a user's favorite team but now plays for a rival team reduces voting for that player by between 6.1 and 6.4%., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Objective: To (1) systematically screen for groin pain and type in young elite soccer players and (2) assess whether hip and groin-related severity and disability differed between players with different levels of groin pain and tenderness., Design: Cross-sectional observational., Setting: Elite American soccer academy at midseason., Participants: One hundred one academy soccer players (mean age 14.3 ± 1.8 years)., Intervention: All players underwent clinical examinations to classify groin pain by the Doha agreement taxonomy., Main Outcome Measures: Tests for groin-related severity and disability included the Copenhagen 5-second squeeze test, Copenhagen Hip and Groin Outcome Score (HAGOS), and Hip Outcome Score (HOS). Players were stratified into 3 groups: those with groin pain, those with tenderness, and those with no groin pain or tenderness., Results: Twenty-two players (22%) reported groin pain. Adductor-related groin pain was the most common (n = 14), followed by iliopsoas-related (n = 3), and pubic-related (n = 2). Multiple locations were present in 3 players. Thirty-nine players (39%) did not have groin pain but were tender to palpation in 1 or more structures related to the Doha agreement taxonomy. Copenhagen 5-second squeeze test differentiated between players with and without groin pain (groin pain vs tenderness group: P = 0.011; groin pain vs no groin pain group P < 0.001). Four HAGOS subscales (pain, symptoms, sport/recreation, and quality of life) differentiated between players with and without groin pain ( P < 0.05)., Conclusions: One in five academy soccer players experiences groin pain with adductor-related most common during a midseason screening. Both Copenhagen 5-second squeeze test and HAGOS subscales can differentiate between players with and without groin pain., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Abstract: Keiner, M, Kadlubowski, B, Sander, A, Hartmann, H, and Wirth, K. Effects of 10 months of speed, functional, and traditional strength training on strength, linear sprint, change of direction, and jump performance in trained adolescent soccer players. J Strength Cond Res 36(8): 2236-2246, 2022-The current study aimed to compare the effects of plyometric and sprint vs. functional vs. strength training on linear sprint (LS 20 m), change of direction (COD; i.e., turning right and left), jump (squat jump [SJ]), and maximum strength (1 repetition maximum [1RM] for a squat) performance in elite adolescent soccer players. A longitudinal design was chosen, and 48 elite male youth were recruited. The athletes were divided into 4 groups (a traditional strength training group [STG], a plyometric and sprint training group [PSTG], a functional training group [FTG], and a control group [CG]). The intervention groups trained for 10 months with additional sessions added to their regular soccer training (4-5 sessions per week); the additional training (2 sessions a week [each about 60 minutes]) consisted of plyometric and sprint training, functional training, and traditional strength training for the PSTG, FTG, and STG, respectively. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance with repeated measurements. The effect sizes were calculated using Hedges g . This study showed significantly superior performance increases with traditional strength training compared with sprint and jump training and functional training for maximum strength (compared with all other groups g = 0.98-1.61), SJ ( g = 0.52-0.87 compared with FGT and CG; not significantly different from PSTG), COD (direction of rotation right: compared with all other groups g = 1.58-2.12; direction of rotation left: no significant differences), and 20-m LS (compared with all other groups g = 0.86-1.39) performance over time. Traditional strength training is recommended to increase strength and speed-strength variables and should therefore be given high priority in athletic training programs for elite youth soccer players., (Copyright © 2020 National Strength and Conditioning Association.)

Introduction: Joint overload and sport-related injuries may accelerate the development of osteoarthritis (OA). A systematic review of the literature was performed to establish the risk of athletes to develop premature OA compared with nonathletes., Materials and Methods: This systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, Google scholar, Embase, and Web of Science databases were accessed in June 2021. All the published clinical studies investigating OA onset in athletes versus nonathletes were considered. Studies reporting data on secondary and/or post-traumatic OA were excluded., Results: Data from 32 articles (20,288 patients) were retrieved. The mean age was 67.8±10.0 years and the mean body mass index was 25.0±2.5 kg/m2. 74% (6859 patients) of the athletes suffered from premature OA. Of them, 21% were active in soccer, 11% in handball, 11% in ice-hockey, 3% in football, and 0.3% in rugby. 26% of the athletes reported no significant differences in OA progression compared with healthy controls. Of these athletes, 47% were runners, 5% dancers, and 1% triathletes., Conclusion: Certain sports, such as soccer, handball, ice-hockey, and rugby are more likely to be associated with premature knee and hip OA. Conversely, runners and ballet dancers do not evidence significant increase in OA. Moderate and recreational exposure to aerobic sports does not accelerate the development of OA., Competing Interests: Disclosure: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To characterize and compare the incidence of basketball-related, soccer-related, and hockey-related injuries over a 10-year period., Design: Cohort analysis of sport-related injuries using multiple Ontario healthcare databases., Setting: Emergency department visits in Ontario, Canada., Patients: Any patient who sustained musculoskeletal injuries sustained while playing basketball, soccer, or hockey between 2006 and 2017 were identified., Assessment of Risk Factors: Sport of injury, age, sex, rurality index, marginalization status, and comorbidity score., Main Outcome Measures: Annual Incidence Density Rates of injury were calculated for each sport, and significance of trends was analyzed by assessing overlap of 95% confidence intervals., Results: One lakhs eighty five thousand eighty hundred sixty-eight patients (median age: 16 years, interquartile range 13-26) received treatment for sport-related injuries (basketball = 55 468; soccer = 67 021; and hockey = 63 379). The incidence of basketball-related and soccer-related injuries increased from 3.4 (3.3-3.5) to 5.6 (5.5-5.7) and 4.4 (4.3-4.5) to 4.9 (4.8-5) per 10 000 person years, respectively, whereas the incidence of hockey-related injuries decreased from 4.7 (4.6-4.8) to 3.7 (3.6-3.8). Patients with basketball injuries were more marginalized (3.01 ± 0.74) compared with patients with soccer and hockey injuries (2.90 ± 0.75 and 2.72 ± 0.69, respectively)., Conclusions: Accurate regional epidemiologic information regarding sports injuries can be used to guide policy development for municipal planning and sport program development. The trends and demographic patterns described highlight general and sport-specific injury patterns in Ontario. Populations with the highest incidence of injury, most notably adolescents and men older than 50, may represent an appropriate population for injury risk prevention., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: There is growing concern repetitive head contacts sustained by soccer players may lead to long-term health ramifications. Therefore, this preliminary investigation examined the impact an acute soccer heading bout has on dynamic cerebral autoregulation (dCA) metrics., Methods: In this preliminary investigation, 40 successful soccer headers were performed in 20 min by 7 male elite soccer players (24.1 ± 1.5 years). Soccer balls were launched at 77.5 ± 3.7 km/h from JUGS soccer machine, located 35 m away from participants. Linear and rotational head accelerations impacts were measured using an accelerometer (xPatch). The SCAT3 indexed concussion symptom score and severity before and after: soccer headers, sham (body contact only), and control conditions. Squat-stand maneuvers were performed at 0.05 Hz and 0.10 Hz to quantity dCA through measures of coherence, phase, and gain., Results: Cumulative linear and rotational accelerations during soccer headers were 1574 ± 97.9 g and 313,761 ± 23,966 rads/s 2 , respectively. SCAT3 symptom severity was elevated after the soccer heading bout (pre 3.7 ± 3.6, post 9.4 ± 7.6: p = 0.030) and five of the seven participants reported an increase in concussion-like symptoms (pre: 2.6 ± 3.0, post: 6.7 ± 6.2; p = 0.078). Phase at 0.10 Hz was elevated following soccer heading (p = 0.008). No other dCA metric differed following the three conditions., Conclusion: These preliminary results indicate an acute bout of soccer heading resulted in alterations to dCA metrics. Therefore, future research with larger sample sizes is warranted to fully comprehend short- and long-term physiological changes related to soccer heading., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Women's football is an intermittent sport characterized by frequent intense actions throughout the match. The high number of matches with limited recovery time played across a long competitive season underlines the importance of nutritional strategies to meet these large physical demands. In order to maximize sport performance and maintain good health, energy intake must be optimal. However, a considerable proportion of female elite football players does not have sufficient energy intake to match the energy expenditure, resulting in low energy availability that might have detrimental physiologic consequences and impair performance. Carbohydrates appear to be the primary fuel covering the total energy supply during match-play, and female elite football players should aim to consume sufficient carbohydrates to meet the requirements of their training program and to optimize the replenishment of muscle glycogen stores between training bouts and matches. However, several macro- and micronutrients are important for ensuring sufficient energy and nutrients for performance optimization and for overall health status in female elite football players. The inadequacy of macro-and micronutrients in the diet of these athletes may impair performance and training adaptations, and increase the risk of health disorders, compromising the player's professional career. In this topical review, we present knowledge and relevant nutritional recommendations for elite female football players for the benefit of sports nutritionists, dietitians, sports scientists, healthcare specialists, and applied researchers. We focus on dietary intake and cover the most pertinent topics in sports nutrition for the relevant physical demands in female elite football players as follows: energy intake, macronutrient and micronutrient requirements and optimal composition of the everyday diet, nutritional and hydration strategies to optimize performance and recovery, potential ergogenic effects of authorized relevant supplements, and future research considerations., (© 2021 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The article discusses UCD Archives, which holds private papers and institutional archives documenting the development of modern Ireland, also holds a number of collections related to sporting events. The archives include the Eamon de Valera Papers, which contain references to rugby and football games, and the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) archives, which were deposited in UCD in 1995 and 2007, and the Leinster Football Association (LFA) archives, which were deposited in UCD in 2009.