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Background: Balance control is an essential element of locomotion that enhances biomotor abilities and physical performance. Individuals with extensive soccer experience display superior static single leg balance control compared to athletes of other sports as well as non-athletes. However, during a match, players often encounter greater challenges to single leg balance that require rapid decision-making skills and dynamic stability. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine if individuals with extensive soccer training demonstrate superior single-leg balance control compared to non-athletes during a dynamic lower limb reaching task. Method: 22 varsity soccer players were matched with 21 non-athlete controls. Single-leg balance control was assessed during a Go/No-Go lower limb reaching task. Centre of pressure displacement (dCOP) was measured for both the dominant and non-dominant feet and compared between groups. Results: Soccer players displayed reduced dCOP during All Go trials compared to non-athletes, particularly in the medial-lateral plane. Additionally, soccer players displayed reduced anterior-posterior dCOP during Go/No-Go trials compared to non-athletes, particularly on their dominant foot. Conclusion: Athletes with soccer-specific training demonstrate improved executive control and use of proprioceptive information, which results in an improved ability to maintain single-support balance and corral COP during a dynamic visuomotor lower limb-reaching task. As such, balance training may be a useful addition to athlete training regimes to improve sport-specific performance. Future research would compare these results to athletes of other sports to explore balance control during a visuomotor reaching task and how it may differ based on sport training history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to create a single subjective method to assess both internal training loads and subsequent fatigue. This new training-fatigue (dose-response) scale (TFS) was composed of two similar scales with the same properties, metrics and construction criteria. These two scales were designed to rate the perceived exertion (RPETFS) and perceived fatigue (RPFTFS) in professional soccer players. Twenty-two athletes participated to establish reliability, and 15 participated to establish validity. For reliability, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and standard error of measurement (SEM) were used. For criterion validity, the Spearman's correlation coefficient and linear regression analyses were applied. Associations between RPETFS and RPFTFS were verified by a chi square test, and a further factorial exploratory analysis was conducted. RPETFS and RPFTFS were found to be reliable (ICC 0.74 and 0.77, SEM 0.30 and 0.30, respectively) and valid. RPETFS was best explained by the internal load of the Banister training impulse (p < 0.001), while RPFTFS was best explained by the internal load of the Stagno training impulse (p < 0.001). An association was found between the scales (RPETFS and RPFTFS) in which training duration had a more substantial impact on these subjective perceptions than did training intensity (p < 0.01). RPETFS and RPFTFS scales are reliable and valid for monitoring training sessions in Brazilian professional soccer players. The simultaneous oscillations of the RPETFS and RPFTFS scores can be used by staff members to better plan weekly training programs based on dose-response ratings. Finally, training duration must be carefully controlled because it has a greater impact than intensity on subjective perceptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine training and match loads undertaken by soccer players competing in the English Premier League. Methods: Using a retrospective design, external (GPS) and internal training loads (sessions ratings of perceived exertion [sRPE-TL]) were examined in 26 players across the competition phase of the 2012–2013 English Premier League season. Within-subject linear mixed-models estimated the mean effects (95% confidence interval [CI]) for load data across 6-week mesocycles and 1-week microcycles. Results: Daily sRPE-TL (95% CI range, 15 to 111 AU) and total distance (95% CI range, 179 to 949 AU) were higher during the early stages (mesocycle 1 and 2) of the competition period. Overall, high-speed activity was similar between mesocycles. Across the training week, load was greater on match day and lower pre match-day (G-1) vs. all other days, respectively (p < 0.001). sRPE-TL (~70–90 AU per day) and total distance (~700–800 m per day) progressively declined over the 3 days before a match (p < 0.001). High-speed distance was greater 3 days (G-3) before a game vs. G-1 (95% CI, 140 to 336 m) while very high-speed distance was greater on G-3 and G-2 than G-1 (95% CI range, 8 to 62 m; p < 0.001). Conclusion: Periodisation of in-season training load is mainly evident across the weekly microcycle reflecting the recovery and preparation for matches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of regular soccer training on the balance system for young women. Computerized dynamic posturography of female footballers (n = 25) and control group (n = 50) was assessed during three tests: Sensory Organization Test, Motor Control Test, and Adaptation Test. Statistically significant differences between the groups was found in Composite Equilibrium Score with higher values, indicating better postural stability, for footballers. Regular trainees also showed better usefulness of vestibular system while maintaining balance. Weight symmetry of the lower limbs during Motor Control Test also showed statistically significant differences between the groups. This study shows that female footballers have better postural stability than their inactive peers and that regular workouts may improve the balance system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Sport & Health Research is the property of Journal of Sport & Health Research and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: To examine the suitability of three versions and two levels of the Yo-Yo intermittent tests for assessing and tracking aerobic fitness status development in male recreational football players. Sixty-six untrained participants (age 39 ± 6 years, VO2max 41.2 ± 6.2 ml kg-1 min-1, body mass 81.9 ± 10.8 kg, height 173.2 ± 6.4 cm) partook in a 12-week recreational football training program. They were evaluated during the Yo-Yo intermittent endurance level 1 (YYIE1) and 2 (YYIE2) tests and the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery level 1 test (YYIR1), and during a treadmill test for VO2max assessment, at baseline. Thirty-two out of these 66 participants replicated all these tests at post-intervention. An additional group of 30 male age-matched recreational football players that afterwards started the 12-week recreational football program (age 39 ± 6 years, VO2max 45.3 ± 5.8 ml kg-1 min-1, body mass 82.5 ± 7.8 kg, height 172.8 ± 5.4 cm) was evaluated at baseline to test cross-validation.Results: The Yo-Yo tests showed very large associations with VO2max at baseline (r = 0.75-0.77; P < 0.0001) and at post-intervention (r = 0.76-0.82; P < 0.0005). Post-training, very large associations were found between YYIE2 performance and VO2max (r = 0.65, P < 0.0001). Cross-validation revealed small to large differences between the observed and estimated VO2max values (1.5-2.96 ml kg-1 min-1) with moderate typical error of estimation (7.9-8.7%) across the tests. Performance in the YYIE1, YYIE2 and YYIR1 tests of ≥ 1760, 480 and 600 m, respectively, indicated good to excellent VO2max values.Conclusions: The Yo-Yo tests considered here showed robust and consistent criterion validity. The YYIE2 could be a more accurate option to track aerobic fitness development in recreational football players. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This experiment investigted transfer of skills from dominant leg limb to non-dominant leg limb and vice versa in dribbling with the ball, juggling and passing/shooting technics of soccer for inexperienced male children. 24 male student age of 10 years from 3th grade who have not involved in a football club as a player. In football basic technical practices, dominant leg (DL) group just used their dominand leg/foot, and non-dominant leg (NDL) group just used their non-dominant leg/foot. Practice phase applied one time a week between February and May on the football field with synthetic grass. The results showed there were not exist no significant difference between the transfers from dominant leg group to non-dominant group or vice versa. On the other hands, performance of all technics improved on dominant and non-dominant groups for the comparison of pre- and post-tests. The findings suggest that the transfer of learning skills could be more effective from nondominant leg limb to dominant leg limb significantly for technics of juggling, dribbling and kicking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Brazil, soccer championships for children and adolescents are generally organized and divided into categories by age group (usually every two years), with the aim of bringing about greater balance and fairness in the competition. Although they create a certain scenario in which performance capabilities are similar among participants, such division, on the other hand, enables and sustains some conditions that provide unequal learning opportunities. Coupled with socio-cultural and pedagogical issues, it structures a phenomenon called Relative Age Effect (RAE). The objective of this study was to analyze the occurrence of RAE among male and female goalkeepers that competed in the A series of the 2018 Brazilian men's and women's soccer championships. Information about the athletes' birth dates was collected from the official website of the Brazilian Football Confederation. The male group was composed of 68 goalkeepers within a population of 73 individuals, while the female group was composed of 39 of totals of 43 goalkeepers. For statistical analyses, the chi-square test was used. Results reveal that the RAE does not happen in this population, regardless of gender. This may be due to the goalkeeper position in soccer teams being less contested. It is concluded that, for both males and females, date of birth does not seem to influence the offer of opportunities for goalkeepers to reach the elite of Brazilian soccer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the methods that can improve football players' motor skills, resistance training plays an important role, being one of the components of functional training in which players use their own body weight in all planes of movement. Currently in football, refining motor skills takes place on many levels, for instance, through resistance training. Optimal performance of a specific motor pattern and development of specific dominants such as stability, mobility and neuromuscular coordination increases the chance of improving the level of fitness. While discussing the importance of soccer training, attention was paid to the specific nature of work performed as well as the intensity and volume of applied effort during the broadly understood training process in football. In the aspect of developing motor skills, the role of functional loads in resistance training was emphasized which has a beneficial effect on improving speed, strength, coordination and endurance in football. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Brazilian Journal of Soccer Science / Revista Brasileira de Futebol is the property of Revista Brasileira de Futebol and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Misan for Physical Educational Sciences / Magallat Mi-San Li-ulu-M Al-Tarbiyat Al-Badaniyyat is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of the Association of Arab Universities for Higher Education Research is the property of Journal of the Association of Arab Universities for Higher Education Research and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The aim of this study was to analyse the goal scoring patterns during the 2018 FIFA World Cup. All goals scored during the tournament were analysed using the InStat video analysis system. The results showed that 169 goals (open play: 60.9%; set play: 39.1%) were scored during the competition. While 85 goals (82.5%) were scored from elaborate attacks, 18 goals (17.5%) came from counter attacks. A chi-square test indicated that there was a significant difference in the type of possession (χ2 (1, n = 103) = 43.58, p = 0.00). The highest number of goals was yielded from the final third (35%) as compared to the first (33%) and middle (32%) thirds. The results also indicated that most goals accounted from short passes (69.9%), while 13.6% of goals came from long passes and 16.5% from mixed passes (χ2 (2, n = 103) = 62.12, p = 0.00). Soccer coaches should incorporate set pieces in their training sessions in view to improve goal-scoring opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Polish Journal of Sports Medicine / Medycyna Sportowa is the property of Agencja Wydawnicza Medsportpress Sp. z o. o. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Football is played by millions of people in more than 230 countries, which makes it the most popular sport in the world. Its global influence and interest aroused day by day, the growing attention given to it has made football one of the sports games with the greatest number of players. Many universities around the world are now providing dedicated football programmes. In an organized environment, a major change has occurred as regards the scientific methods of training football players for the competition. The football game is a multidisciplinary sport, so it requires the contribution of a variety of fields and a wide range of specialists. This sport discipline studies the application of scientific principles and techniques in order to improve football performance. In this paper, we are addressing the topic of integrated training or total training, because, in recent years, sports games have required a higher level of preparation for the game. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Studia Universitatis Babes-Bolyai, Educatio Artis Gymnasticae is the property of Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of SPORMETRE: The Journal of Physical Education & Sport Sciences / Beden Eğitimi ve Spor Bilimleri Dergisi is the property of SPORMETRE: The Journal of Physical Education & Sport Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article describes an intervention ontable the precompetition routines of soccer players during a 19-week phase of a competitive season. Specifically, we worked with players to develop an enhanced understanding of the effectiveness of personalized preperformance music and imagery scripts in facilitating flow states and performance. Five male players (M age = 20.5; S.D = 1.6) participated in a single-subject multiple baseline across individuals design with multiple treatments and without reversal. Following a preintervention phase, participants undertook the intervention during their prematch warm-up. Flow and perceived performance were assessed immediately after each match. Results indicated that asynchronous music and MG-M imagery when combined had a facilitative effect on flow and perceived performance. Postexperimental player comments supported these findings and suggest that the intervention strategy has great potential for athletes during precompetition. Consultancy guidelines for the use of music and imagery within competitive soccer are presented in the discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study compared the effect of a honey-sweetened beverage with those of a commercial sports drink and a placebo on performance and inflammatory response to a 90-min soccer simulation. Methods: Ten experienced male soccer players randomly performed 3 trials (honey [H], sports drink [S], and placebo [P]), consuming the beverage before and during halftime for a total of 1.0 g/kg carbohydrate for H and S. Performance measures included 5 sets (T1-T5) of a high-intensity run and agility and ball-shooting tests followed by a final progressive shuttle-run (PSR) test to exhaustion. Blood samples were drawn pretest, posttest (B2), and 1 hr posttest (B3) for markers of inflammation, oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), and hormone response. Results: T2-T5 were significantly slower than T1 (p < .05), and a decrease in PSR time was observed from baseline (-22.9%) for all treatments. No significant effect of the interventions was observed for any performance measures. Plasma IL-1ra levels increased posttest for all treatments (65.5% S, 63.9% P, and 25.8% H), but H was significantly less than S at posttest and P at B3. Other cytokines and ORAC increased at B2 (548% IL-6, 514% IL-10, 15% ORAC) with no difference by treatment. Conclusion: Acute ingestion of honey and a carbohydrate sports drink before and during a soccer-simulation test did not improve performance, although honey attenuated a rise in IL-1ra. Ingestion of carbohydrate and/ or antioxidant-containing beverages at frequencies typical of a regulation match may not be beneficial for trained soccer players. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether two throwing programs, based upon velocity or resistance with the same workload, would enhance soccer overhead throwing velocity. Methods: Sports science students (n=64, age 21.1 ± 2.1 y, mass 71.1 ± 11 kg, height 1.75 ± 0.09 m; mean ± SD) divided into two groups matched on performance, participated in the study. The resistance-training group trained overhead throwing with a 5-kg medicine ball for two sets of 8 reps per session, whereas a velocity training group threw four sets of 16 reps with a regular soccer ball. These training programs were matched on workload. Throwing performance with a soccer ball and a 5-kg medicine ball were tested before and after a training period of 6 wk with two sessions per week. Results: Both groups significantly increased the throwing velocity with the soccer ball (resistance-training group: 3.2% [1.0-5.5%)]; P = .003 and velocity-training group: 5.1% [2.6-7.7%]; P < .001), whereas no substantial changes were found for throwing with the 5-kg medicine ball after the training period. No substantial differences between the groups were found, which indicates that both forms of training increased the throwing velocity. Conclusions: It is concluded that both velocity and resistance throwing training programs after a short period of training with the same workload can increase throwing velocity and that workload is of importance in designing training programs and comparing them with each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reviews the major physiological and performance effects of aerobic highintensity and speed-endurance training in football, and provides insight on implementation of individual game-related physical training. Analysis and physiological measurements have revealed that modern football is highly energetically demanding, and the ability to perform repeated high-intensity work is of importance for the players. Furthermore, the most successful teams perform more high-intensity activities during a game when in possession of the ball. Hence, footballers need a high fitness level to cope with the physical demands of the game. Studies on football players have shown that 8 to 12 wk of aerobic high-intensity running training (>85% HRmax) leads to VO2max enhancement (5% to 11%), increased running economy (3% to 7%), and lower blood lactate accumulation during submaximal exercise, as well as improvements in the yo-yo intermittent recovery (YYIR) test performance (13%). Similar adaptations are observed when performing aerobic high-intensity training with smallsided games. Speed-endurance training has a positive effect on football-specific endurance, as shown by the marked improvements in the YYIR test (22% to 28%) and the ability to perform repeated sprints (∼2%). In conclusion, both aerobic and speedendurance training can be used during the season to improve high-intensity intermittent exercise performance. The type and amount of training should be game related and specific to the technical, tactical, and physical demands imposed on each player. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soccer-associated oxidative stress has barely been studied. The aims of this study were to establish the effect of a soccer training match and the effect of a diet supplementation with a multivitamin complex and coenzyme Q during 3 months of soccer training on the pro-oxidant and antioxidant status of lymphocytes. In a randomized, double-blind trial, 19 male preprofessional soccer players were treated with either an antioxidant nutrient cocktail or placebo for 90 days. After this period the athletes played a soccer match lasting 60 min. All determinations were made under basal conditions before and after the training period and after the match. Basal lymphocyte hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production did not change after the 3 months of training. Catalase activity decreased (about 50%) after the 3 months, whereas glutathione reductase increased its activity (150-200%) both with placebo and in the supplemented group. Basal ascorbate levels were maintained during the training period, whereas a-tocopherol and MDA decreased (about 40%) in both groups. The match increased H2O2 production (180%) in both groups when the lymphocytes were stimulated with phorbol myristate acetate, and it also increased MDA levels (150%). Antioxidant enzyme activities and antioxidant vitamin levels were maintained before and after the match. Regular soccer training modifies the lymphocyte strategy to eliminate ROS and increases protection against oxidative damage. A friendly soccer match raises lymphocyte capacity to produce ROS and oxidative damage, but it is not enough to induce a defensive response, thus leading to a situation of postexercise oxidative stress. Supplementation with low doses of antioxidant vitamins and coenzyme Q does not modify the endogenous antioxidant response to training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of the study was to examine the effect of fatigue, developed during prolonged high-intensity intermittent exercise, on the performance of soccer shooting and dribbling skill. Methods: Nine semiprofessional soccer players with a mean age of 20.7 ± 1.4 years volunteered to participate in the study. Participants completed a slalom dribble test and the Loughborough Soccer Shooting Test (LSST), before and directly following the performance of three 15-min bouts of a modified version of the Loughborough Intermittent Shuttle Test (LIST). Results: Mean heart rates and mean 15-m sprint times remained unchanged across the three bouts of the LIST. Following the LIST slalom dribbling time increased significantly by 4.5 ± 4.0% (P = .009), while the mean total points scored during the LSST was significantly reduced by 7.6 ± 7.0 points (P = .012). When fatigued the frequency of shots in the LSST achieving the highest score of 5 points was reduced by 47% while the frequency of shots achieving the lowest 0 point score increased by 85%. Conclusion: Results show that while 45 min of exercise caused no decrements in sprint performance there were significant reductions in the ability to perform soccer-specific skills. Both the speed (dribbling time) and accuracy (shot performance) with which soccer-specific skills were executed was impaired following exercise replicating one-half of a soccer match. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to investigate the reliability of a new test of soccer performance and evaluate the effect of carbohydrate (CHO) on soccer performance. Eleven university footballers were recruited and underwent 3 trials in a randomized order. Two of the trials involved ingesting a placebo beverage, and the other, a 7.5% maltodextrin solution. The protocol comprised a series of ten 6-min exercise blocks on an outdoor Astroturf pitch, separated by the performance of 2 of the 4 soccer-specific tests, making the protocol 90 min in duration. The intensity of the exercise was designed to be similar to the typical activity pattern during soccer match play. Participants performed skill tests of dribbling, agility, heading, and shooting throughout the protocol. The coefficients of variation for dribbling, agility, heading, and shooting were 2.2%, 1.2%, 7.0%, and 2.8%, respectively. The mean combined placebo scores were 42.4 ± 2.7 s, 43.1 ± 3.7 s, 210 ± 34 cm, and 212 ± 17 points for agility, dribbling, heading, and kicking, respectively. CHO ingestion led to a combined agility time of 41.5 ± 0.8 s, for dribbling 41.7 ± 3.5 s, 213 ± 11 cm for heading, and 220 ± 5 points for kicking accuracy. There was a significant improvement in performance for dribbling, agility, and shooting (p < .05) when CHO was ingested compared with placebo. In conclusion, the protocol is a reliable test of soccer performance, and ingesting CHO leads to an improvement in soccer performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the physiological aspects of small-sided games in children's soccer training. Small-sided games are a form of training in which soccer players compete with fewer than the regulation 11 players on a team. The physiological effects of those games are examined and compared with the effects of other training techniques.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the session-RPE method for quantifying internal training load (TL) with various HR-based TL quantification methods in a variety of training modes with women soccer players. Methods: Fifteen elite women soccer players took part in the study (age: 19.3 ± 2.0 y and VO2max: 50.8 ± 2.7 mL·kg-1·min-1). Session-RPE, heart rate, and duration were recorded for 735 individual training sessions and matches over a period of 16 wk. Correlation analysis was used to compare session-RPE TLs with three commonly used HR-based methods for assessing TL. Results: The mean correlation for session-RPE TL with Banister's TRIMP, LTzone TL and Edwards's TL were (r = 0.84, 0.83, and 0.85, all P < .01, respectively). Correlations for session-RPE TL and three HR-based methods separated by session type were all significant (all P < .05). The strongest correlations were reported for technical (r = 0.68 to 0.82), conditioning (r = 0.60 to 0.79), and speed sessions (r = 0.61 to 0.79). Conclusion: The session-RPE TL showed a significant correlation with all training types common to soccer. Higher correlations were found with less intermittent, aerobic-based training sessions and suggest that HR-based TLs relate better to session-RPE TLs in less intermittent training activities. These results support previous findings showing that the session-RPE TL compares favorably with HR-based methods for quantifying internal TL in a variety of soccer training activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article titled "Retracted: Artificial Intelligence-Based Soccer Sports Training Function Extraction: Application of Improved Genetic Algorithm to Soccer Training Path Planning" has been retracted by Hindawi due to evidence of systematic manipulation of the publication process. The investigation revealed discrepancies in scope, description of the research, availability of data, inappropriate citations, incoherent content, and manipulated peer review. Hindawi acknowledges that the usual quality checks did not identify these issues before publication and has implemented additional measures to ensure research integrity. The corresponding author has been given the opportunity to respond to the retraction. [Extracted from the article]

This study deals with the development in the field of sports training science through the use of means and methods that contribute to the development of players in terms of physical and skill for advanced players. As for the research problem, the researcher mentioned that the explosive force component needs to be developed in terms of exercises. It was not given in a specialized form in soccer skills to most players. Furthermore, this research dealt with some issues related to the topic of his research, as the concept of hierarchical opposing training and explosive power was addressed. As well as the researcher used the experimental method on a sample of Al-Naft Sports Club players, as their number reached (6) players represented by one experimental group. Finally, the results were presented and discussed by using a number of statistical methods and some conclusions related to the research were drawn. The researcher recommended some recommendations related to the development of football training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated adding 8 weeks of bi-weekly loaded plyometric and short sprints (LPaSS) training into training for under 19 (U19) soccer players. An experimental group (EG, n = 18, age: 17.5 ± 0.58 years, body mass: 67.4 ± 4.37 kg, height: 1.76 ± 0.05 m, body fat: 11.4 ± 1.55%), and a control group (CG, n = 16, age: 17.5 ± 0.58 years, body mass: 68.7 ± 3.65 kg, height: 1.78 ± 0.03 m, body fat: 11.6 ± 1.14%) participated. The pre- and postintervention measures were: the squat-jump (SJ); the countermovement-jump with arm swing (CMJA); the five jump test (5JT); 10 m and 30 m sprint; the ability to change direction (sprint with 90° turns (S90°) and sprinting 9–3–6–3–9 m, involving running both backwards and forwards (SBF); repeated sprint ability (RSA), and balance (Y-balance test). The EG experienced superior jump (p < 0.001; drange: 1.69–1.89), sprint (p < 0.001; drange: 1.82–2.56), S90° (p < 0.001; drange: 1.64–2.25), RSA (p < 0.001; drange: 3.90–4.17), and balance (p < 0.001; drange: 1.11–2.54) improvement. Comparatively, the pre- to postchanges in the CG ranged from d = 0.36 (dynamic balance) to d = 1.00 (10 m sprint). Therefore, bi-weekly LPaSS training improves athletic performance in young soccer players, particularly RSA.

• A Visual Analytics system that supports the interactive analysis of passing sequences using soccer flow motifs. • An unsupervised approach to discover trajectory patterns in soccer flow motifs based on clustering by trajectory similarity. • A case study of passing strategy analysis using data from the Brazilian Serie A 2015 dataset. • A second case study using data from Turkish Super League 2016, with feedback from soccer analysts and training staff. The analysis of passing strategies plays a major role in soccer. Soccer managers use scouting, video footage, and soccer data feed to collect information about tactics and player performance. However, the nature of passing strategies is complex enough to reflect what is happening in the match and makes it hard to understand its dynamics. Furthermore, there exists a growing demand for pattern detection and passing analysis popularized by FC Barcelona's tiki-taka. In this paper, we describe a visual analytics system to analyze the sequence and trajectory of consecutive passing sequences. We describe a two-phase clustering algorithm that extracts typical trajectory clusters in passing sequences, which result in eight predominant clusters. The combined analysis of the sequence and trajectory clusters allow experts to perform multi or single-game analysis in various ways. We show the potential of our approach in case studies using data from the Brazilian and Turkish leagues and report feedback from soccer experts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To test the hypothesis that football training would be accompanied by physiological adaptations and hormonal changes, we analyzed the effects of a whole football season on physical fitness and hormonal concentrations in youth football players. Male football players (n = 29, age 16.51 ± 0.7 years) in a regional professional league and male healthy control subjects (n = 30, age 17.1 ± 1 years) participated to the study. Blood cortisol, testosterone, and growth hormone (hGH) concentrations were assayed before the beginning of the training period (T0), just after the training period (T1), at the middle of the season (T2), and at the end of the season (T3). In each period physical tests and anthropometric measurements were also performed. Results showed significant differences in basal values of cortisol, testosterone, and growth hormone (hGH) in the four time points evaluated (P < 0.01). In addition, the concentrations of hGH were higher in the soccer players group than in control subjects (P < 0.001). Between the start of the training period and the end of the football season significant differences were observed in the anthropometric characteristics and in the physical form of the football players. Furthermore, the hormonal status was significantly correlated with the indicators of the lower limb power (squat‐jump [SqJ], and counter‐movement‐jump [CMJ]) and those of aerobic performance (Yo–Yo intermittent recovery test level 1 (YYIRT1) and maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max)).These data underscore the importance of establishing training protocols that present the potential to promote positive adaptations without, at the same time, provoking overtraining of young players. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Football training can be a primary prevention strategy to reach people who otherwise would not be physically active. This systematic review summarizes the evidence on the health effects of controlled recreational football training as an intervention in children, adolescents, adults and the elderly. Methods: A systematic review (PROSPERO record CRD42018083665) of the literature was carried out in MEDLINE, Cochrane, Scopus, and SPORTDiscus databases to identify randomized and non-randomized intervention studies in which healthy individuals of any age participated in controlled football training and were investigated for health outcomes related to prevention of obesity, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease. Results: The studies included-14 randomized and three non-randomized intervention studies-have sample sizes too small for reliable statistical analysis and bear a considerable risk of systematic bias. The evidence of positive effects of playing football is limited to short-term loss of body fat and improvement in aerobic fitness. For all other health outcomes, no conclusive results were found. Conclusion: A considerable number of intervention studies reporting on football-based intervention programs have been published, and there is a widespread assumption that such programs have positive health effects. However, this systematic review shows that the empirical evidence is insufficient to permit such a conclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Physical exercise has been shown to be effective in relation to fatigue, aerobic fitness, and lower body strength in men with prostate cancer. However, research into the clinically relevant effects of interventions conducted in heterogeneous patient populations and in real-life clinical practice settings is warranted.Methods and Findings: We conducted a pragmatic, multicentre, parallel randomised controlled trial in 5 Danish urological departments. Recruitment began in May 2015, the first participant was randomised in June 2015, and the last participant was included in February 2017. In total, 214 men with prostate cancer were randomly assigned to either 6 months of free-of-charge football training twice weekly at a local club (football group [FG]) (n = 109) or usual care (usual care group [UG]) (n = 105), including brief information on physical activity recommendations at randomisation. Participants were on average 68.4 (SD 6.2) years old, 157 (73%) were retired, 87 (41%) were on castration-based treatment, 19 (9%) had received chemotherapy, and 41 (19%) had skeletal metastases at baseline. In this 1-year follow-up study, we evaluated the effects of community-based football training on the following outcomes: primary outcome, quality of life; secondary outcomes: continuation of football after 6 months, hip and lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD), mental health score, fat and lean body mass, and safety outcomes, i.e., fractures, falls, and hospital admissions. Intention to treat (ITT) and per protocol (PP) analyses were conducted. No statistically significant between-group difference was observed in change in prostate-cancer-specific quality of life (ITT: 1.9 points [95% CI -1.9 to 5.8], p = 0.325; PP: 3.6 points [95% CI -0.9 to 8.2], p = 0.119). A statistically significant between-group difference was observed in change in total hip BMD, in favour of FG (0.007 g/cm2 [95% CI 0.004 to 0.013], p = 0.037). No differences were observed in change in lumbar spine BMD or lean body mass. Among patients allocated to football, 59% chose to continue playing football after the end of the 6-month intervention period. At 1-year follow-up in the PP population, FG participants had more improvement on the Mental Component Summary (2.9 [95% CI 0.0 to 5.7], p = 0.048 points higher) than UG participants, as well as a greater loss of fat mass (-0.9 kg [95% CI -1.7 to -0.1], p = 0.029). There were no differences between groups in relation to fractures or falls. Hospital admissions were more frequent in UG compared to FG (33 versus 20; the odds ratio based on PP analysis was 0.34 for FG compared to UG). There were 3 deaths in FG and 4 in UG. Main limitations of the study were the physically active control group and assessment of physical activity by means of self-report.Conclusions: In this trial, participants allocated to football appeared to have improved hip BMD and fewer hospital admissions. Men who played football more than once a week for 1 year lost fat mass and reported improved mental health. Community-based football proved to be acceptable, even when club membership was not subsidised.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02430792. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: The aim of the study was to show changes in aerobic and anaerobic capacity and body composition of adolescent soccer players in a three-year training cycle. Material and methods: 16 footballers aged 13.4 ±0.25 years took part in the study. Measurements of aerobic fitness were performed with the Cooper and PWC170 tests, and anaerobic fitness with the Wingate test. Body composition measurements were made with an electronic scale. Results: During the three-year training period, significant changes in PWC170 and VO2max were observed depending on the stage of adolescence and the training process. Relative values of anaerobic capacity indicators: total work and maximal power over a three-year period increased significantly (Wt from ̄ = 228.2 ±19.2 J/kg to ̄= 263.2 ± 19.9 J/kg; Pmax from ̄= 9.19 ± 0.86 W/kg to ̄ = 10.98 ± 0.55 W/kg. Conclusions: Adolescent soccer players have shown significant changes in their exercise capacity and body composition during the three years of the training process. Correlations between selected anaerobic fitness indices and fat free mass were significantly positive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. Small-sided games (SSGs) are extensively used in soccer training around the world owing to the physical and physiological improvements reported among athletes. Elementary physical education students could achieve and solidify their tactical/technical knowledge in a relatively short time with the SSGs pedagogical strategy. The aim of this research was, firstly, to establish the between-age differences in the physical and physiological demands of a 3 vs. 3 futsal SSGs called 'four goals for three players,' and, secondly, to assess the tactical/technical knowledge acquisition. Methods. The sample involved 57 students (aged 10.44 ± 1.30 years) from a Spanish primary state school, grades third to sixth (8-12 years of age). The Polar Team ProTM technology was used for collecting physical and physiological variables. The tactical/technical knowledge was evaluated with the Game Performance Assessment Instrument (GPAI) co-assessment throughout SSGs implementation. ANOVA tests were executed. Results. Significantly different values were observed among different grades regarding the participants' average heart rate (bpm), minimum heart rate (bpm), maximum speed (km/h), number of accelerations (-1.99; -1.00 m/s2), number of accelerations (-0.99; -0.50 m/s2), number of accelerations (0.50; 0.99 m/s2), and number of accelerations (1.00; 1.99 m/s2 ). The analysis of variance for GPAI scores revealed significantly greater values only among different grades for the implication of game and shot decision-making index. Conclusions. Physiological demands and tactical/technical knowledge are also observed in educational context when SSGs are implemented. This pedagogical strategy helps teachers increase active participation during physical education sessions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The improvement of strength and athletic performance during a competitive season in elite soccer players is a demanding task for the coach. Aims: As whole-body electrostimulation (WB-EMS) training provides a time efficient stimulation potentially capable in exerting skeletal muscle adaptations we aimed to test this approach over 7 weeks in trained male soccer players during a competitive season. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that a superimposed WB-EMS will increase maximal strength and type I and type II myofiber hypertrophy. Methods: Twenty-eight male field soccer players were assigned in either a WB-EMS group (EG, n = 10), a training group (TG, n = 10), or a control group (CG, n = 8). The regular soccer training consists of two to four sessions and one match per week. In concurrent, the EG performed 3 × 10 squat jumps superimposed with WB-EMS twice per week, TG performed 3 × 10 squat jumps without EMS twice per week, and the CG only performed the regular soccer training. Muscle biopsies were collected and strength tests were performed under resting conditions before (Baseline) and after the intervention period (Posttest). Muscle biopsies were analyzed via western blotting and immunohistochemistry for skeletal muscle adaptive responses. To determine the effect of the training interventions a 2 × 3 (time ∗ group) mixed ANOVA with repeated measures was conducted. Results: Maximal strength in leg press (p = 0.009) and leg curl (p = 0.026) was significantly increased in EG along with a small but significant increase in type II myofiber diameter (p = 0.023). All of these adaptations were not observed in TG and CG. Conclusion: WB-EMS can serve as a time efficient training method to augment strength capacities and type II fiber myofiber growth in soccer players when combined with specific resistance training. This combination may therefore be a promising training modification compared to traditional strength training for performance enhancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamic of the evolution of some physical, technical, physiological indicators in children training football up to the age of 11 have been taken into consideration. Their interdependence has been determined with the aid of correlational analysis in the beginning and end of the 14-month training model. The aim of research is discovering the bond between the improvement in certain tests and the inner correlations of a certain test with others .It has been laid down that the forwards tend to have anaerobic lactate qualities of players, the agility and speed strength. When it comes to defenders, the author advocates raising attention to improve the aerobic, aerobic anaerobic, lactate properties, speed strength and agility. No major difference has been observed in the physical preparation of the players of both respective posts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of this study was to examine the association between the Maximal Aerobic Speed (MAS) measured by the Université de Montréal Track Test (UM-TT) and on a running treadmill test in young elite soccer players. Fourteen U-16 male soccer players (mean ± SD: age = 15.5 ± 0.7 years; height = 1.76 ± 0.5 m; weight = 67.7 ± 4.5 kg) from a Spanish First Division club academy participated in the study. The participants were submitted to the Université de Montréal Track Test (UM-TT) and an intermittent treadmill test with a one-week interval. The MASs, the speed at the last completed stage (16.6 ± 0.8 km h−1) and calculated using the formula of Kuipers et al. (17.2 ± 0.7 km h−1), were substantially higher (Effect size > 0.8) than that measured on the treadmill (15.9 ± 0.9 km h−1). The MAS measured by the UM-TT correlated highly (r > 0.6) with the MAS measured on the treadmill. Despite the large association between both values, the MAS measured by the UM-TT differs considerably from the MAS measured on a running treadmill in young elite soccer players. It suggests that, in soccer training, caution should be applied when using the velocity of the MAS measured on the UM-TT or in a laboratory interchangeably. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Training intensity and health effects of football were investigated gender specifically in individuals with prediabetes.Methods: Participants with prediabetes (age 60 ± 6 years) were randomised into a football and dietary advice group (FD-men n = 13 and FD-women n = 14) or a dietary advice only group (D-men n = 12 and D-women n = 11). FD performed football training (twice/week for 16 weeks), while both groups received dietary advice. Body composition, bone variables, blood pressure, blood lipid profile and peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) were determined pre- and post-intervention.Results: Mean heart rate during football training was 79 ± 2 and 80 ± 3% HRmax for FD-men and FD-women, respectively, with peak heart rate values of 96 ± 1 and 97 ± 2% HRmax, with no gender differences. VO2peak increased more (P < 0.05) in FD-men and FD-women than in D-men and D-women. However, relative delta change in VO2peak was 21 ± 14% in FD-women, which was greater (P < 0.05) than in FD-men (11 ± 12%). Reduction in SBP and DBP, respectively, was similar in FD-men (- 10.8 ± 13.0 and - 7.3 ± 11.8 mmHg) and FD-women (- 11.3 ± 11.0 and - 7.1 ± 6.2 mmHg), with within-gender differences for men. Total plasma cholesterol and LDL cholesterol decreased (P < 0.05) by - 0.7 ± 1.1 and - 0.5 ± 0.9 mmol L-1, respectively, in FD-women and - 0.2 ± 0.4 and - 0.2 ± 0.3 mmol L-1 in FD-men, with no significant gender differences (P = 0.08). Body fat content was lowered (P < 0.05) by 3 and 4%-points in FD-men and FD-women, respectively.Conclusion: Gender-mixed football training combined with dietary advice causes broad-spectrum health effects for men and women with prediabetes, with minor gender-specific differences. Thus, the intensity and training-induced effects of football training are also high for elderly women with prediabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate if player tactical skill level and age category influence team performance and player exploratory behavior in tasks with different difficulty levels. Method: In total, 48 youth male soccer players participated in the study (U15, n = 24, mean age = 13.06 ± 1.53 years; U17, n = 24, mean age = 16.89 ± 0.11 years). Player tactical skills were evaluated through the System of Tactical Assessment in Soccer (FUT-SAT), allowing them to be organized into three groups according to tactical efficiency: Higher tactical skill level (Group 01), Intermediate tactical skill level (Group 02), and Lower tactical skill level (Group 03). Next, Group 01 and Group 03 of both categories performed six Small-Sided and Conditioned Games (SSCG) each, namely three High difficulty SSCGs and three Low difficulty SSCGs. Team performance and players' exploratory behavior were analyzed through the Offensive Sequences Characterization System and Lag Sequential Analysis, respectively. Results: We found that team performance and players' exploratory behavior were influenced both by the age and tactical skill level of the players, as well as by task difficulty level. Conclusion: Therefore, in an attempt to improve player performance, practitioners must carefully manipulate key task constraints to adapt training task difficulty levels to player age and tactical skill level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the physical activity experiences of a group of women based in England, and who are over the age of 30. This particular age group represent a 'forgotten' age, that is, they are largely ignored in academic scholarship, policy and physical activity provision. The paper explores how this group of women 're/engaged' in physical activity after a sustained period of inactivity. The study is situated in a weekly football initiative (Monday Night Footy) based in the north of England, managed and organised by a group of women for women to train and play five-a-side football. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews and the use of photo-biographical boards with 11 women, all of whom are regular participants to the football sessions. We use a middle ground feminist lens and Archer's notion of 'fr/agility' to help make sense of the women's experiences. From these women's stories three key findings emerge: (a) Biographies of (in)activity – the ways in which relationships with physical activity can be characterised by fractures and fissures despite seemingly positive early physical activity experiences; (b) Pathways of re/engagement – the motives and enablers to these women once again participating in physical activity after a sustained absence; and (c) Monday Night Footy as a space for re/engagement – the ways in which this context contributes to these women's continued involvement in football and broader physical activity. The paper concludes by offering policy makers and physical activity providers with some recommendations alongside considerations for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. The heightened physical exertion stemming from greater physical loads in football matches has elicited greater development of physical conditioning in both players and referees. Material and methods. The current study consisted of a meta-analysis geared towards identifying the scientific data currently available on the training of referees. Results. With respect to the characterization of the training of football referees, the results of this study showed that there is a diversity of both its methods and contents. As a result of this and based on the support offered by the meta-analysis, a proposal for categorizing the contents of this training is presented. Testing-wise, the results also showed that the FIFA test fails to identify the varying intensities that occur within a match setting and to characterize the distribution of referees' varying exertions throughout match settings. Lastly, the results of this study also indicated that the training of referees ought to include periodization guidelines over the course of a season, since doing so allows for the optimization and monitoring of referees' performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cutting manoeuvres are important actions associated with soccer performance and a key action associated with non-contact anterior cruciate ligament injury; thus, training interventions that can improve cutting performance and movement quality are of great interest. The aim of this study, therefore, was to determine the effects of a six-week change of dire[ction (COD) speed and technique modification training intervention on cutting performance and movement quality in male youth soccer players (U17s, n = 8) in comparison to a control group (CG) (U18s, n = 11) who continued 'normal' training. Cutting performance was assessed based on completion time and COD deficit, and the field-based cutting movement assessment score (CMAS) qualitative screening tool was used to assess cutting movement quality. Significant main effects for time (pre-to-post changes) (p 0.041, η2 = 0.224-0.839) and significant interaction effects of time and group were observed for cutting completion times, COD deficits, and CMASs. Improvements in completion time (p < 0.001, g = 1.63-1.90, -9% to -11% vs. -5% to 6%) and COD deficit (p ⩽ 0.012, g = -1.63 to -2.43, -40-52% vs. -22% to -28%) for the COD intervention group (IG) were approximately two-times greater than the CG. Furthermore, lower CMASs (i.e., improved cutting movement quality) were only observed in the IG (p ⩽ 0.025, g = -0.85 to -1.46, -23% to -34% vs. 6-19%) compared to the CG. The positive changes in CMASs were attributed to improved cutting technique and reduced incidences of high-risk deficits such as lateral trunk flexion, extended knee postures, knee valgus, hip internal rotation, and improved braking strategies. The results of this study indicate that COD speed and technique modification training, in addition to normal skills and strength training, improves cutting performance and movement quality in male youth soccer players. Practitioners working with male youth soccer players should implement COD speed and technique modification training to improve cutting performance and movement quality, which may decrease potential injury-risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between FMS™ score and non-contact injury while accounting for participant exposure and multiple injuries to the same player. Materials and methods: Sixty-four players were screened during the preseason period with non-contact injuries and exposure time recorded prospectively for the entirety of three consecutive seasons (2014/15, 2015/16 and 2016/17). One-hundred and eighteen player-season observations were included in the analysis. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) were utilized to explore associations between FMS™ composite, individual sub-test scores, the number of sub-test asymmetries and non-contact injury. Results: The FMS™ composite score demonstrated a likely trivial (IRR: 1.05 95%CI: 0.94–1.17) association with non-contact injury. The number of individual sub-test asymmetries and all of the sub-test scores (with the exception of the hurdle step, IRR: 1.58 95%CI: 0.99–2.52) demonstrated unclear associations with non-contact injury. Conclusions: No associations with non-contact injury were observed for the FMS™ composite score, individual sub-test scores or the number of sub-test asymmetries, even when accounting for exposure and multiple injuries to the same player. Practical implications: The FMS™ composite score is likely not useful for injury risk stratification, nor are the individual sub-tests or the number of asymmetries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strength training is crucial for soccer players’ long-term development at early ages and the biological maturation may influence specific strength-training adaptations. The aim of this study was to propose a strength-training programme for the strength development of pre-pubertal players and to analyse the adaptations to this training programme in players with different maturity status. One hundred and thirty young male soccer players participated in an 8-week strength-training programme consisting of two sessions per week (20-minutes of a combination of plyometric and resistance exercises) which was conducted prior to their normal soccer training. Three maturity groups were defined according to the years from/to their peak height velocity (PHV) as Pre-, Mid- and Post-PHV. Initial differences between the maturity groups were found in anthropometrical (weight and height) and physical performance variables (One Repetition Maximum (RM), Peak Power output (PP), 30-m sprint and T-test). The strength-training programme was beneficial for the three maturity groups (p< 0.05) with general greater improvements for the Pre- and Mid-PHV groups, with large effects in RM, PP and T-test, than for the Post-PHV group (moderate effects). The strength-training programme proposed in the present study seems to be positive for the strength-related development in young soccer players especially for Pre- and Mid-PHV players. The differences in the training adaptations for players with different maturity status suggest the individualization of the training stimulus for the correct long-term development of the players. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]