Elite Football Research Articles

Effect of playing position and microcycle days on the acceleration speed profile of elite football players

The aim of this study was to analyse the differences in the A–S profile of elite football players induced by playing position and the microcycle day. Players belonged to a second division club in the Spanish La Liga competition. They were classified into five playing positions: central defenders (CD), full backs (FB), midfielders (MF), wide midfielders (WMF) and forwards (FW). Microcycle days were categorised according to the days until matchday (MD, MD-1, MD-2, MD-3, MD-4 and MD-5). Data was collected along six microcycles, including one match per microcycle. The variables analysed were: maximal theoretical acceleration (A0), maximal theoretical speed (S0), maximal acceleration (ACCmax), maximal speed (Smax) and A–S slope (ASslope). Significant differences were found within positions and microcycle day for all variables (p < 0.05). Match day (MD) showed greater values than the training sessions in A0, ACCmax and Smax (p < 0.05). The highest values for variables associated with acceleration capabilities were found in CD on MD, whereas speed variables were higher in WMF. MD-2 showed the lowest values in all variables except for ASslope. Maximal acceleration and sprint abilities are therefore affected by playing position. Wide positions showed the highest speed capacity, and CD presented a likely acceleration profile. Higher values for all variables concerning the microcycle day, were achieved on MD, and were not reproduced during training with the consequent injury risk and performance decrease it takes.

Physical demands in Spanish male and female elite football referees during the competition: a prospective observational study

ABSTRACT Objective The aim of this study was to analyze the physical demands of elite male and female field referees in match play and compare the physical demands between male and female football referees in the competition. Methods Match data were collected from 36 elite football referees (19 males and 17 females) during a total of 409 football matches. Electronic performance and tracking systems based on global positioning systems (GPS) were used in this research. Results Male referees experienced significantly greater physical demands (p < 0.05) in men league than female referees in women league for total distance, explosive distance, high-intensity breaking distance, total of sprints, sprinting distance, high-speed running distance, high-speed running actions, maximal speed, total of accelerations and decelerations, maximal acceleration and deceleration, acceleration/deceleration. Conclusions Therefore, strength and conditioning coaches should consider these gender differences in match demands to maximize the fitness-fatigue response of the referees since this may lead to a better performance during the decision-making process in the competition.

Assessing the Efficacy of Video Telestration in Aiding Memory Recall Among Elite Professional Football Players

Elite football clubs have invested heavily in the use of video telestration software in recent years, however, little is known regarding the benefits of this technology in aiding players’ ability to recall events. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of video telestration in aiding memory recall of information amongst professional male football players. A randomised controlled trial was conducted, where an experimental group (n = 7) experienced telestration and a control group (n = 7) experienced no telestration over five sessions in 15 days. Following watching the telestrated or non-telestrated clips, each individual completed a questionnaire 24-hours later comprising of questions regarding possession, chances creation and set-piece. The study revealed statistically significant differences (p &lt; 0.001) in recall percentages for total recall, possession, chance creation and set-piece categories between the telestrated and non-telestrated groups. Set piece information was recalled the most when supplemented with video telestration and recalled the least in its absence (86.86% ± 7.20% vs 48.00% ± 9.24%). Subsequently, the results validate the investment in this technology, and it is suggested analysts and coaches should consider the use of telestration to support the wider performance analysis and coaching process to aid recall and facilitate player learning.

Visible tattoos among referees in four European football leagues during the 2021–2022 season

Visible tattoos among referees in four European football leagues during the 2021–2022 season

Unravelling the development of early hip osteoarthritis in football players: a cross-sectional study of male Australian Football League draftees

Introduction: Playing elite football may increase a person’s risk of developing end-stage hip osteoarthritis (OA) in later life. Hip OA development is a continuum, with structural joint damage believed to start early in the lifespan of an elite football player. Cam and/or pincer morphology may play a key role in the development of early hip OA features (e.g., labral tears) and hip-related pain in football players. However, the relationship between cam and/or pincer morphology, early hip OA features, and symptoms in elite young adult football players remains unknown.

Lumbar spine MRI findings in asymptomatic elite male academy footballers: a case series

BackgroundUnderstanding common MRI findings may allow clinicians to appreciate the sport-specific effects on the lumbar spine, and to discern clinically significant pathology. Prevalence data regarding radiological abnormalities seen during the surveillance of asymptomatic elite footballers is, therefore, important to help understand injury mechanisms and to prevent associated injuries. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in the lumbar spines of asymptomatic elite male adolescent footballers.MethodsA prospective case-series study was carried out. MRI was performed using a 3T Siemens Prisma scanner including a 3D VIBE sequence in 18 asymptomatic male elite adolescent footballers recruited from a professional academy in England (mean age 17.8, range 16.9–18.6 years). The images were independently reported by two consultant musculoskeletal radiologists to achieve consensus opinion. Standardised classification criteria were used to assess and report abnormalities descriptively.ResultsFifteen players (15/18, 83%) showed ≥1 abnormalities, included facet degeneration, synovial cysts, disc degeneration, disc herniation, and pars injury. One player (1/18, 6%) had mild (Grade 1) facet joint arthropathy at L4/L5 and 3/18 (16.7%) showing evidence of bilateral facet joint effusions. Three synovial cysts were identified in 2/18 players (11%), 4/18 players (22%) presented asymptomatic pars injuries, with 4 showing a grade 2 subtotal stress fracture and 1 player a grade 4 chronic stress fracture seen on 3D VIBE sequencing. Disc degeneration at one or more levels was demonstrated in 7/18 players (38%). Disc herniation was present in 5/18 players (27%).ConclusionA range of unsuspected findings on MRI of the lumbar spine are common in elite adolescent footballers.

Digital transformations in a platform society: A comparative analysis of European football leagues as YouTube complementors

The prevalence of digital technologies and emerging social media platforms in the 21st century has altered the ways in which individuals and groups produce and consume elite football (soccer). Elite football is no longer consumed merely through ‘traditional’ media as television or radio. By comparing the ‘big five’ football leagues (the first divisions in England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain), this article examines how these leagues have adapted to an algorithm logic (monetization strategies/content strategies) on YouTube. Drawing from data collected (64,247 YouTube videos) using YouTube Data Tools, we argue that the ‘big five’s’ content creation on YouTube work in a complementary manner to ‘traditional’ platforms, allowing for the testing and adaption of their content practices based on instant consumer feedback. This article makes a contribution to the literature on the symbiotic media/sport relationship with its analysis and insights into the digital transformations occurring in a ‘platform society’.

Prevalence of performance enhancing substance use among elite football players in two super league teams in Blantyre, Malawi.

Use of performance enhancing substances (PES) is common among athletes with a worldwide prevalence ranging from 5% to 31%. There has been little knowledge of PES use in African athletes with no available data for Malawian football players. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of PESs use among elite football players in two super league teams in Blantyre, Malawi. This was a cross-sectional study conducted in two super league football teams in Blantyre, Malawi. A modified standard questionnaire obtained from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Social science research package was administered to collect data from a convenient sample of 43 elite football players on the characteristics of participants, prevalence of PESs use and reasons for using PES. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Chi-square test. Out of 86 eligible football players, 43 with a mean age of 24 ± 4 years participated in the study. Many players (60%) had secondary education as their highest level of education and most players (86%) had played football for more than five years. Out of 43 participants, 39 (91%) had been using PESs while four (9%) had never used PESs. Out of 13 substances, caffeine (77%), herbal products (40%), and energy bars (40%) were the commonly used PESs while cocaine (2%) was the least used substance among the players. Improving performance was the most common reason (81%) why participants were using PESs followed by increase in lean body mass (35%). The prevalence of PESs use among elite football players in two super league teams in Blantyre, Malawi is high. The most used PES are caffeine, herbal products and energy bars. Participants mainly use PESs for improved performance in football. Therefore, awareness among elite football athletes and stakeholders on adverse health effects of PES use should be promoted.

"What needs to be seen": An exploration into the visual anticipation behaviour of different skill-level football referees while observing long passes on-field.

It is well established that elite football referees possess superior anticipatory skills in specific game scenarios such as when assessing foul situations. Referees might also have better anticipatory skills in other important scenarios such as when observing a long pass. In these often-occurring situations, a referee has to use visual information to anticipate the outcome of the pass, in particular to foresee any potential infringements that might occur when players battle for ball possession. However, little is known about if and how football referees might anticipate outcomes in these scenarios. The aim of the current study was therefore to analyse the visual anticipatory behaviour of football referees when long passes occur during actual football matches. Elite (N=4) and sub-elite referees (N=12) officiated an actual football match while wearing a mobile eye-tracker to analyse their gaze behaviour when long passes occurred (N=196). The results revealed differences in the way that the elite and sub-elite referees tracked the ball and anticipated the outcome of the ball trajectories. The elite referees used a lower search rate (1.3 vs 1.8 fix/s; p<.05) and were more likely to direct their gaze towards the ball during the moment of kick (77 vs 52%; p<.05) and the early flight-phase of the pass (68 vs 45%; p<.05), and subsequently produced earlier anticipatory eye movements to the player(s) receiving the ball (at 50% vs 60% of the ball flight; p<.05). This earlier anticipation may help the elite referees to better pick-up relevant information about the receivers that could be vital in making adjudications about any potential infringement when the ball does arrive. Referee education programs can use the current study to highlight the importance of visual search behaviour and help referees to adapt a strategy that is beneficial for long-pass situations.

Match Running Performance in UEFA Champions League: Do More Successful Teams Really Run Less?

It is often hypothesized that more successful teams from elite football competitions achieve lower match running performance (MRP) than less successful teams. However, the results of previous studies investigat- ing the associations between MRP and different success indicators are inconsistent. The main objective of this study was to identify the association between teams’ MRP and the UEFA club coefficient as an indicator of long-term success in highest-level football. Individual MRPs (n=547) of 378 outfield players were jointly evaluated into the team MRP and used as cases in this study. All data were collected by the semi-automatic optical video system InStat Fitness from matches (n=20) of the UEFA Champions League group stage (UCL) in the 2020/2021 season. MRP variables included total distance covered and distance covered in different speed zones: walking (&lt;7.1 km/h), jogging (7.2–14.3 km/h), running (14.4–19.7 km/h), high-speed running (19.8–5.1 km/h), and sprinting (&gt;25.2 km/h). Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to identify the association be- tween the teams’ MRP and the UEFA club coefficient. Results indicated that the UEFA club coefficient was positively and negatively associated with sprinting and jogging distance covered, respectively. These findings show that teams with a higher UEFA club coefficient performed a lower amount of running at low intensity and a greater amount of running at maximal intensity, suggesting that teams are achieving greater long-term success in highest-level football play at a higher game pace.

Physical match performance and creatine kinase levels in elite football players

Many studies have shown that creatine kinase (CK) concentration increases following an elite-level football competition. However, the relationship between match performance and CK levels at 72 hours after the match is still unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between physical match performance data and blood CK levels 72 hours post-match in elite football players. The study included 11 male elite football players (age=26.36±3.29 years, height=181.60±6.1 cm, weight=75.41±5.96 kg). Capillary blood samples were collected from the participants approximately 72 hours post-match and examined by reflectance photometry. Physical match performance data from 2 consecutive matches of a Turkish Super League team (while competing in the UEFA Europa League) were collected by a computerized video tracking system. There was no significant correlation between the players’ CK level and their total distance (p=0.6012), high-intensity (20-24 km/h) running distance (p=0.8837), or sprinting distance (p=0.235). CK level was also not correlated with the percentage of total distance covered in high-intensity running (r=-0.62, p=0.052). However, moderate to strong negative correlations were observed between CK level and percentage of total distance covered in sprinting (r=-0.67, p=0.032) and percentage of total distance covered in high-intensity running and sprinting (r=-0.70, p=0.022). The current study suggests the benefit of evaluating distances covered in the game and CK concentrations 72 hours post-match while planning recovery interventions.

Epidemiology of injuries in elite Korean adolescent football (soccer) athletes: A prospective cohort study

Abstrct Objectives This study attempted to analyze the injury patterns during training by sex and determine whether cardiopulmonary function and bone mineral density (BMD) were related to the patterns of injuries in elite adolescent footballers. Methods Since 2021, data for consisted of 96 adolescent football athletes (52 men and 44 women) who underwent intensive training in Korea and participated in competitions. For cardiopulmonary function, minute ventilation (VE), volume oxygen maximum (VO2max), and ventilation threshold (VT) were measured. BMD was measured measure systemic BMD and bone mass. The injury incidence rates (IIR) per 1000 training of hours. χ2 tests were performed to compare injury patterns between sex. Simple linear regression was used to evaluate the relationship between variables. Results The overall IIR was 4.80 (4.32–5.32) per 1000 h of training. Female had a higher rate than male (p=0.008). We observed differences in injury severity between men and women (p=0.040). Both the cardiopulmonary function and BMD were related to IIR in all athletes. The body regions with the most injuries were the lower extremities (52.05%), trunk (23.84%), upper extremities (16.71%), and head and neck (7.40%). Cardiopulmonary function and BMD were not related to the location of the injury. However, Cardiopulmonary function and BMD were related to the IIR of severe and ligament injury. Conclusion The sex was found to affect rate and severity of injury. Cardiopulmonary function and BMD were related to the injury patterns. Our findings can help promote the performance improvement of elite football athletes and the development of injury prevention program.

Coping with external stressors in handball and football elite refereeing: The relationship with referee efficacy

This study investigated the association between referee efficacy and self-reported coping with external stressors among elite handball and football referees. The participants were 224 Norwegian elite referees of handball (n = 111, m age = 35.3 years, 13.5% females) and football (113, m age = 30.8 years, 8% females) who had been referees for an average of 14.4 years (sd = 7.77 years; min: 4, max: 37) and a referee at the present level for 6.8 years (sd = 6.20 years, min: 1, max: 32). Referee self-efficacy was measured using the Norwegian version of the Referee Self-Efficacy Scale. Self-reported coping with external stressors was measured using responses to statements related to the referee’s self-perceived decision-making process in the presence of several sources of external stressors. Referee self-efficacy was positively associated with coping with external stressors (b = .24 (se = .11), p = .021). Football referees reported higher levels of coping with external stressors (b = .28 (se = .08), p = .001) than handball referees, and the number of years of elite refereeing was positively related to coping with external stressors. The findings provide evidence of a positive relationship between referee efficacy and coping with external stressors when making decisions.&#x0D; &#x0D; Keywords: Referee Self-Efficacy Scale, decision-making, social pressure, team sport referees

Injury incidence in elite youth soccer academy athletes: a 3-year retrospective follow up

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence and characteristics of injuries suffered by elite soccer academy athletes.&#x0D; Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was made of the health records between 2016 and 2019 of athletes in the elite male soccer academy of an elite football club. The cause, type, location, recurrence, and severity of the injuries, where the injuries occured and time lost due to the injuries were recorded. The injury incidence and prevalence were calculated.&#x0D; Results: Overall, total injuries and seasonal incidence rate were 1.49 (1.33-1.68) and 8.06 (7.16-0.04) per 1000 hours, respectively. The injury burden ranged between 11.83 (10.53-13.29) days and 51.43 (49.11-53.85) days. The injury characteristics were not statistically different according to age groups (p˃0.05). Conclusion: Youth soccer players in the U19 and U21 age groups had more injuries than other junior age groups in a typical soccer season. It was concluded that there were more match injuries, the thigh was the most injured area, muscle injuries were more common, and the hamstring was the most frequently injured muscle.

Using global navigation satellite systems for modeling athletic performances in elite football players

This study aims to predict individual Acceleration-Velocity profiles (A-V) from Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) measurements in real-world situations. Data were collected from professional players in the Superleague division during a 1.5 season period (2019–2021). A baseline modeling performance was provided by time-series forecasting methods and compared with two multivariate modeling approaches using ridge regularisation and long short term memory neural networks. The multivariate models considered commercial features and new features extracted from GNSS raw data as predictor variables. A control condition in which profiles were predicted from predictors of the same session outlined the predictability of A-V profiles. Multivariate models were fitted either per player or over the group of players. Predictor variables were pooled according to the mean or an exponential weighting function. As expected, the control condition provided lower error rates than other models on average (p = 0.001). Reference and multivariate models did not show significant differences in error rates (p = 0.124), regardless of the nature of predictors (commercial features or extracted from signal processing methods) or the pooling method used. In addition, models built over a larger population did not provide significantly more accurate predictions. In conclusion, GNSS features seemed to be of limited relevance for predicting individual A-V profiles. However, new signal processing features open up new perspectives in athletic performance or injury occurrence modeling, mainly if higher sampling rate tracking systems are considered.

Characterising lower-body musculoskeletal morphology and whole-body composition of elite female and male Australian Football players

BackgroundPhysical demands and injury rates differ between elite female and male Australian Football (AF) players. To improve understanding of contributing physical factors to these differences, the purpose of this study was to investigate lower-body morphology and whole-body composition of elite footballers competing in the Australian Football League (AFL) and Australian Football League Women’s (AFLW).MethodsLower-body morphology and whole-body composition of 23 AFL players and 23 AFLW players were assessed using peripheral Quantitative Computed Tomography and Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry at the beginning of pre-season. Differences between cohorts, with sub-analyses of kicking vs. support limbs, and experienced vs. inexperienced player status were assessed using two-sample independent t-tests. Magnitude of differences were assessed using Cohen’s d effect sizes.ResultsAFL players had greater absolute (p < 0.001; ES = 3.28) and relative (p < 0.001; ES = 2.29) whole body lean soft-tissue mass, with less absolute (p = 0.004; ES = 0.91) and relative (p < 0.001; ES = 2.29) fat mass than AFLW players. For AFLW players, no significant differences existed between kicking and support limbs with few differences observed between experienced and inexperienced players.ConclusionsGreater emphasis on physical development in AFLW players may be required to enable increases in muscle mass and skeletal robustness, to ensure they can tolerate the loads of elite competition.

A Longitudinal Examination of Stress and Mental Ill-/Well-Being in Elite Football Coaches

A novel concurrent, independent mixed-methods research design was adopted to explore elite association football coaches’ stress and mental ill-/well-being experiences over the course of an entire season. Elite coaches (N = 18) completed measures of perceived stressor severity, coping effectiveness, and mental ill-/well-being, with a sample (n = 8) also participating in semistructured interviews, across four time points. Linear mixed-model and retroductive analyses revealed (a) lower mental well-being at the beginning of the season due to negative appraisals/responses to stressors and ineffective coping attempts, (b) higher emotional exhaustion and depersonalization at the end of the season, (c) stressors high in severity led to decreased mental well-being (unless coaches coped effectively) and increased symptoms associated with burnout, and (d) ineffective coping attempts led to increased emotional exhaustion. These findings offer novel insight into the specific components of elite football coaches’ stress experiences influencing their mental ill-/well-being over time.

Provincializing Global Sport: Modernity, Capitalism, and the Politics of Difference in the Age of Super Leagues

Global sport, particularly football (soccer), provides scenes of sensuous juxtapositions from which to grasp the world, for example of global hegemonic capitalism and local histories of difference. Three events shook the elite sport world in 2021–2022: the intent to establish a European Super League, Leo Messi's departure from FC Barcelona, and Barcelona defender Gerard Piqué's involvement in selling the Spanish Super Cup to Saudi Arabia. These cases provoked widespread indignation over unbridled greed in elite sport. Fans had long been worried that global sport had become increasingly disenchanted by neoliberal business. It is still possible to find, however, sporting cultures that are not entirely posited by capital at an elite level. The Basque Athletic Bilbao "provincializes" (Chakrabarty 2000) the Spanish Liga and its global context through its unique politics of difference: for more than a hundred years, it has signed "local," "Basque" players only. As a first-division club of elite football, Basque football coexists and interacts with the mainstream narratives and exigencies of global sport. Its localist recruitment philosophy, however, punctuates and modifies the hegemonic history of elite football by defying some of its mythical assumptions. Provincializing global sport means disrupting the universalizing thrusts of modernity and capital by recognizing its subaltern histories, which is desirable for various reasons. First, local politics of belonging ensures the irreducible plurality of the political, which is our claim to difference. Second, provincializing global sport keeps it an affective history, and helps develop a keener sense of what Noyes (2016) called the "internal Others of modernity." Due to its engagement with both local histories of difference and global capitalism, sport may be uniquely positioned to re-enchant the Weberian logic of rational-secular modernity, and help us "think poetically" (see Michael D. Jackson in Romero and Gette 2019) in anthropology, and beyond.

The Effect of Selected Polymorphisms of the ACTN3, ACE, HIF1A and PPARA Genes on the Immediate Supercompensation Training Effect of Elite Slovak Endurance Runners and Football Players.

We aimed to evaluate the effect of selected polymorphisms of the ACTN3, ACE, HIF1A and PPARA genes on the immediate supercompensation training effect of elite Slovak endurance runners and football players compared with a sedentary control group. Adaptation effect levels were evaluated by 10 s continuous vertical jump test parameters measured by Optojump. Genetic polymorphisms were determined by PCR and Sanger sequencing. We found significant differences in the effect of PPARA genotypes in the experimental group. C allele genotypes represented an advantage in immediate supercompensation (p < 0.05). We observed a significant combined effect of multiple genes on immediate supercompensation (p < 0.05): the RR genotype of the ACTN3 gene, the ID genotype of the ACE gene, the Pro/Pro genotype of HIF1A, and the GC and GG genotypes of PPARA genes. In the control group, we found a significant effect (p < 0.05) on immediate supercompensation of the II genotype of the ACE gene and the Pro/Ser genotype of the HIF1A gene. We found significant differences in genotype frequency of ACE (p < 0.01) and PPARA (p < 0.001) genes. We confirmed that individual genetic polymorphisms of ACTN3, ACE, HIF1A and PPARA genes have a different effect on the level of immediate supercompensation of the lower limbs depending on the training adaptation of the probands and the combination of genotypes.

Predictive Modeling of Injury Risk Based on Body Composition and Selected Physical Fitness Tests for Elite Football Players.

Injuries are one of the most significant issues for elite football players. Consequently, elite football clubs have been consistently interested in having practical, interpretable, and usable models as decision-making support for technical staff. This study aimed to analyze predictive modeling of injury risk based on body composition variables and selected physical fitness tests for elite football players through a sports season. The sample comprised 36 male elite football players who competed in the First Portuguese Soccer League in the 2020/2021 season. The models were calculated based on 22 independent variables that included players’ information, body composition, physical fitness, and one dependent variable, the number of injuries per season. In the net elastic analysis, the variables that best predicted injury risk were sectorial positions (defensive and forward), body height, sit-and-reach performance, 1 min number of push-ups, handgrip strength, and 35 m linear speed. This study considered multiple-input single-output regression-type models. The analysis showed that the most accurate model presented in this work generates an error of RMSE = 0.591. Our approach opens a novel perspective for injury prevention and training monitorization. Nevertheless, more studies are needed to identify risk factors associated with injury prediction in elite soccer players, as this is a rising topic that requires several analyses performed in different contexts.