Descriptive analysis of landings during international netball competition: Enhancing ecological validity of laboratory testing environments

Abstract

Non-contact landings have been identified as a common activity associated with injury in netball. Investigating injury risk factors during landing via laboratory-based analysis warrants the performance of sport-specific landing tasks with the inclusion of “game-like” factors to enhance ecological validity of testing protocols. Understanding how players perform landing tasks in a competitive environment is, therefore, essential. The purpose of this study was to perform a descriptive analysis of in-game landings performed by netball players, with regard to the landing techniques used and game events surrounding these landings; with the intent of providing information to enhance the ecological validity of laboratory-based testing environments. Landings were categorised according to landing technique and game events surrounding the landing. A total of 1328 landings were observed across the three matches analysed. Differences in the distribution of landing techniques performed were seen across the various court positions. Specific game events were frequently present regardless of the landing technique performed. However, certain game events were found to occur more frequently with specific landing techniques. The findings from this study provide researchers with data to inform evidence-based decisions and enhance the ecological validity of laboratory testing environments when investigating landings in a netball sporting context.