EFFECT OF “FIFA 11+” ON THE PATTERN OF FUNDAMENTAL MOVEMENTS IN UNDER-14 SOCCER PLAYERS

Abstract

ABSTRACT Introduction: Increasing youth participation in soccer has several benefits, but it also brings risks of injury. The use of neuromuscular techniques is effective in preventing injuries, especially in periods of growth as occurs in puberty, which coincides with the development of fundamental basic movements. Therefore, it is important to implement and evaluate prevention programs that focus on neuromuscular control during this stage. Objective: To determine the effect of the FIFA 11+ over a six-week training period in order to quickly improve fundamental movement patterns in under-14 soccer players. Method: A quasi-experimental study that evaluated the fundamental movement patterns through the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) in 22 athletes who were divided into a control group (CG; N=11) and an experimental group (EG; N=11), submitted to the program FIFA 11+ for six weeks. The SPSS 20.0 program was used to analyze the data. Results: Statistically significant improvements were found in the in-line lunge (IL) and in the post-intervention FMS total scores in EG, as well as intergroup improvements when testing the deep squat (DS) in the EG, but not in both groups. Conclusions: The six week FIFA 11+ program did not produce significant improvements in players’ fundamental movements.