Abstract
This study had the purpose of analyzing dominant and non-dominant limb performances (frequency of use and accuracy) during match-play technical actions with ball possession (receiving, passing, and shooting a ball) in professional futsal and also check for the possible influence of playing position and the quality of opponent. We have analyzed data pertaining to eight matches of the FIFA Futsal World Cup Thailand 2012™ in which 76 male professional senior futsal players participated (44 right-footed and 32 left-footed). In total, we coded 5,856 actions (2,550 ball receptions, 3,076 passes, and 230 shoots). Our main findings were that (a) players used the dominant limb more frequently than the non-dominant limb for all actions considered [p < 0.001; effect size (ES) medium-to-large]; (b) accuracy was generally greater when using the dominant limb, regardless of the quality of opponent (p < 0.01; ES large); and (c) in shooting actions, pivots showed similar accuracy between dominant and non-dominant limbs (p = 0.51; ES small). The study suggested that when completing technical actions with the ball in futsal, high-level players depended to a greater extent on the use of their dominant lower limb during official matches. Excepting a similarity detected between limbs on shooting performance of pivots, players from all positional roles generally showed a higher accuracy rate in receiving, passing, and shooting a ball when using their dominant limb as compared to their non-dominant one during match-play and the limb usage and accuracy seemed to be independent of the quality of opponents.
Highlights
Futsal is characterized as an open team sport (Correa et al, 2012, 2016) in which there are constant game-related technical-tactical actions such as interactions of the player with ball possession
In one of the first investigations aimed at understanding dominance and symmetry/asymmetry effects on match-play technical performance, Carey et al (2001) found that soccer players were proportionally right-footed to the same degree as the general population, with 80–85% showing a foot preference for completing several game actions but without differences on accuracy rates between dominant and non-dominant limbs and in left- and right-footed player comparisons
Examining right-footed and left-footed players performance across pooled actions, we examined dominant and nondominant limb use, first by considering the absolute number of technical actions performed
Summary
Futsal is characterized as an open team sport (Correa et al, 2012, 2016) in which there are constant game-related technical-tactical actions such as interactions of the player with ball possession. In one of the first investigations aimed at understanding dominance and symmetry/asymmetry effects on match-play technical performance, Carey et al (2001) found that soccer players were proportionally right-footed to the same degree as the general population, with 80–85% showing a foot preference for completing several game actions (e.g., receiving, passing, and shooting) but without differences on accuracy rates between dominant and non-dominant limbs and in left- and right-footed player comparisons The results of such investigations, using data derived from the FIFA 1998 World Cup, make it uncertain whether long-term practice might lead to symmetrical, twofooted players (Carey et al, 2001). These studies provide examples that contradict the assumption that left (vs. right) limb preference might be linked with more skilled sports performance (Grouios, 2004), in football codes
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