Official Football Research Articles

Gendering the Iron Law of Oligarchy: Or how organizing an official football team became a strategy of “passive revolution”

AbstractThe ongoing debate in organization and management studies regarding the transformation of oligarchic structures through rank‐and‐file participation often overlooks gender dynamics. Drawing from the experience of Argentine women playing football independently, this article argues that promoting gender inequalities and reinforcing masculine stereotypes can preserve class disparities in trade unions. Additionally, it highlights how trade unions, by extending control into women's leisure, can perpetuate oligarchic structures, emphasizing the importance of politicizing leisure as a domain of gender inequalities. In turn, the patriarchal‐oligarchic organization represents a unique form of class and gender domination that reconfigures itself by co‐opting informal solidarity networks.

Four distinct patterns of anterior cruciate ligament injury in women’s professional football (soccer): a systematic video analysis of 37 match injuries

BackgroundTo identify mechanisms and patterns of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in adult women’s professional football by means of video match analysis.MethodsACL match injuries sustained in Germany’s first women’s league...

Lesão Aguda do Músculo Longo Adutor num Jogador de Futebol Profissional

Acute injury to the adductor muscle is common in football players, has a good prognosis and causes fewer days of absence from sports compared to injuries to other muscle groups. An acute injury causes intense pain and requires immediate sports cessation. The diagnosis is clinical and is supported by magnetic resonance imaging, which is considered the exam of reference. In this text we describe the clinical case of a right-handed professional football player, who suffered an injury to the left adductor longus muscle, classified as 2b (British classification of muscle injuries). Multidisciplinary and player involvement, application of load to the muscle from the beginning and respect for pain throughout the process allowed the player to participate in an official football game nine days after the injury.

Trainers’ Perceptions on the Development of Leadership Knowledge and Competencies on Official Union of European Football Associations Football Coach Courses

This study aims to investigate the perception of trainers on official football courses regarding the development of leadership knowledge and competencies in coaches’ teaching learning process. Understanding the Union of European Football Association trainers’ perception of the importance and role of leadership knowledge and competencies in football is fundamental in order to raise the quality in preparing future coaches. A qualitative approach was adopted by conducting semi-structured interviews with Union of European Football Association trainers in Portugal. The data were subject to content analysis using NVivo software; the following three dimensions of leadership were observed: knowledge, training, and competencies. The results revealed that trainers recognise the importance of the three dimensions analysed, emphasising the relevance of leadership competencies in improving coaches’ interventions. The trainers also highlighted the need for coaches to develop effective communication skills, the capacity to make decisions under pressure, and interpersonal skills to lead football teams efficiently. In addition, they reinforced the importance of coaches’ continuous training, encouraging them to seek learning opportunities in this field of knowledge. They suggest that coaches must be able to adapt to different contexts and learn from practical experience. These results have practical implications for football coaches’ training and development, namely the need to reflect on current training programmes.

Interpersonal coordination of opposing player dyads during attacks performed in official football matches

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to characterise the interpersonal coordination between opponent players during offensive sequences in official matches and to verify if offensive sequences ended in shots to goal present different coordination patterns when compared than those that ended in defensive tackles. A total of 580 offensive sequences occurred during matches resulting in shots to goal (n = 172) or defensive tackles (n = 408) were analysed. The bidimensional coordinates and technical actions of male professional football players (n = 1160) were obtained using a video-based tracking system. Dyads were defined using a network analysis and composed of the nearest opponent. Interpersonal coordination of the dyads was analysed using the vector coding and the frequency for each coordination pattern was computed. In-phase was predominant for all displacement directions and offensive sequences outcomes, and antiphase was the least frequent. For lateral displacements, offensive sequences ending in shot to goal presented lower frequency for in-phase and higher frequency for offensive player phase than ended in defensive tackle. This information about the relationship of opponent players dyads during decisive moments of the matches provides fundamentals for future research and assists coaches to understand the different behaviours in successful and unsuccessful attacks.

An Institutional Issue on Football Competition, Indonesia League Tragedy

Beginning with the overflow of mass emotions which led to uncontrolled collective action causing as many as 135 people to die and more than 750 others to be injured in a sports match. This article analyses a problem that has shocked the people and government in Indonesia and has become one of the most important issues in world football from an institutional perspective. In the first two weeks after the incident, the police, the main football organization in the country, and the event organizers seemed to try to escape responsibility. However, the country's swift move to immediately form a Joint Independent Fact Finding Team (TGIPF) on D+1 two weeks later concluded that the match management had committed many violations of the basic principles as guided by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). Through analysis of secondary data, namely news coverage in the mass media, social media, and qualitative analysis of video recordings from interested parties, this article reiterates that ignoring standard standards in the form of official football rules is a fundamental problem as the cause of a human tragedy.

MODEL OF USING REAL-TIME DATA IN PROMOTING FOOTBALL PLAYERS, REGARDING THEIR CONDITIONING ATTRIBUTES

The purpose of the paper is to establish a relationship between the real time data received during football matches and the promotion of a player to a higher level team, in the same club (academy). The study was carried on the 1st and 2nd team of a First Division Romanian football club, during the 2021/2022 season. The results were registered during official football games, 1st League for 1st team and 3rd League for 2nd team. There were counted 2 games for 1st team and 1 game for 2nd team. Our aim was to be able to establish a pattern regarding the physical conditioning for choosing players to promote to 1st team. Data received during games was selected and compared between players and teams. Even if data amount is not high, we consider that, in practical situations, decisions have to be taken regarding the data provided, and sometimes there could be no time to receive more data. Of course, for a more accurate study and better pattern establish, further research and data analyse is required. The results of our study shown that the promoted players from the 2nd team, regarding their physical conditioning attributes, well integrated in the 1st team and recorded further games in the team. Moreover, by time, they didn't played back in the 2nd team, appearing only for the 1st team.

Influence of Football Match-Play on Isometric Knee Flexion Strength and Passive Hip Flexion Range of Motion in Football Referees and Assistant Referees.

The aim of this study was to examine the acute effect of officiating a football (soccer) match on isometric knee flexion strength and passive hip flexion range-of-motion (ROM) in referees and assistant football referees. Twelve referees (25.3 ± 3.3 years) and twenty-three assistant referees (25.1 ± 4.8 years) underwent measurements on isometric knee flexion strength and passive hip flexion ROM before and after officiating an official football match. Referees’ and assistant referees’ running patterns were monitored during the match using GPS technology. In comparison to pre-match values, referees reduced their isometric knee flexion strength (−12.36%, p = 0.046, Effect size [ES] = −0.36) in the non-dominant limb, while no significant differences were reported in the dominant limb (−0.75%, p = 0.833, ES = −0.02). No effect of the match was found in hip flexion ROM values in dominant (−4.78%, p = 0.102, ES = −0.15) and non-dominant limb (5.54%, p = 0.544, ES = 0.19). In assistant referees, the pre-to-post-match changes in isometric knee flexion strength (dominant limb −3.10%, p = 0.323, ES = −0.13; non-dominant limb −2.18%, p = 0.980, ES= 0.00) and hip flexion ROM (dominant limb 1.90% p = −0.816, ES = 0.13; non-dominant limb 3.22% p = 0.051, ES = 0.23) did not reach statistical significance. Officiating a match provoked a reduction in isometric knee flexion strength in the non-dominant limb of football referees, while no differences were reported in assistant referees.

No increased injury incidence in the German Bundesliga after the SARS-CoV-2 virus lockdown

IntroductionThe coronavirus lockdown in 2020 resulted in a worldwide suspension of professional sports. The first major professional football league to restart after the lockdown was the German Bundesliga. This study investigates whether the injury incidence increased after the restart of the season with only 9 days of regular preparation time and without any friendly matches in comparison to three control periods.Materials and methodsIn a prospective cohort study, injury analysis (at least 1 day of absence from official football matches or training sessions) of the German Bundesliga registry was standardised according to Hägglund et al. (Br J Sports Med 39:340–346, 2005) and Fuller et al. (Clin J Sports Med 16:97–106, 2006) for data collection and to previous publications for the validated use of media sources for injury registration. The study period after the lockdown in May and June of the 2019–2020 season was compared to three control periods: the period directly before the lockdown, the beginning of the 2019–2020 season and the 2018–2019 season final.ResultsThe nine match days after the restart of the 2019–2020 season showed an overall injury incidence of 4.9 per 1000 h football. This rate was significantly lower than that of the previous season final (9 last match days, overall injury incidence: 6.9 per 1000 h football; p < 0.001) and not increased compared to the rates after the summer break (9 match days; incidence: 5.5/1000 h, p > 0.05) or the winter break (8 match days; incidence: 5.6/1000 h, p > 0.05).ConclusionThe period after the unexpected break in the 2019–2020 season due to the coronavirus lockdown and the rapid return to competition showed no increase in the injury rate compared to the pre-lockdown period and a lower injury rate than in the previous season final. The unintentional mid-season rest with its potential for physical recovery and individual fitness training seems to have had a positive effect on injury occurrence.

Tactical analysis of individual and team behaviour in professional Australian Football

ABSTRACT Introduction This study sought to reduce the dimensionality of commonly reported spatiotemporal characteristics obtained from Australian Football games to facilitate their practical use and interpretability. Methods A retrospective longitudinal design was utilised with team and individual spatiotemporal variables, measured via global navigation satellite system devices, collected during official Australian Football League matched over three seasons. Two separate principal component analyses were conducted at the team and individual level to reduce correlated spatiotemporal characteristics into a smaller set of uncorrelated components. Results At the team level, eighteen variables were reduced to five components pertaining to dispersive coordination, lateral predictability and spacing, multidirectional synchrony, longitudinal predictability and longitudinal behaviour whilst maintaining 69% of variance in the original dataset. At the individual level, fifteen variables were reduced to four components pertaining to multidirectional and spacing synchrony, unpredictability, player movement and player positioning whilst maintaining 64% of variance. Conclusion This study is the first to provide a simplified, novel method for analysing spatiotemporal behaviour in an Australian Football context with both the team- and individual- derived metrics revealing useful information for coaches and practitioners. Components may provide insight into behaviours that emerge and persist throughout a game and allow coaches to distinguish between different playing/behavioural styles

Przyczynek do dziejów piłki nożnej na Lubelszczyźnie w latach 1922–1939

The main purpose of the article is to collect and organize all the facts related to the history of football in the Lublin region. Determining the time limit from the establishment of the Lublin Regional Football Association from February 26, 1922 to the memorable Polish Junior Football Championship until 1939, in which Unia Lublin defeated Wisła Kraków with a result of 3:2. The final thread of the article is the junior final match which was played on June 4, 1939 in Warsaw as the pre-match of the Poland-Switzerland match which ended with the result 1:1. The article shows what the first official football matches looked like, what the clubs participating in the national games had to face, and how the structures of the Lublin District Football Association organization changed over the years. Most of the facts presented in this article can be found in the chronicles of football clubs from the very beginning of their operation, as well as in the annual reports on sports and organizational activities that were submitted during general meetings by club leaders during the period in question.

Does the choice of syndesmotic screw versus suture button in ankle surgery has a silver lining? \u2013 a technical note

PurposeUnstable ankle fractures with associated syndesmotic injury are of considerable morbidity in the professional athlete population. The use of dynamic suture button versus static syndesmotic screws fixation, rehabilitation protocols and timing to return to play are still areas of debate. We report the use of novel algorithm of sequential static and dynamic syndesmotic fixation in an elite football player with Weber C ankle fracture.MethodsThe patient underwent open reduction and internal fixation for a weber C ankle fracture with associated syndesmotic and deltoid ligament injury. The osteosynthesis included lateral malleolus neutralizing plate, two syndesmotic screws and deltoid anchor repair. At 6 weeks post-operative both syndesmotic screws were removed and one suture button was implanted in the proximal screw hole. After the second operation the patient was allowed full weight bearing and range of motion in all direction with accelerated rehabilitation protocol.ResultsThe technique provided satisfactory results. At 4 month the player participated in a 90 min official football match. The fracture healed uneventfully with no recurrent syndesmotic diastasis.ConclusionThe presented technique of sequential dynamic and static fixation of associated syndesmotic injuries combined advantages of both syndesmotic screws and suture button implants. In an aim to allow earlier return to play in an elite football player. This opens the way for higher level of evidence clinical trials.

Simplifying the complexity of assessing physical performance in professional Australian football

ABSTRACT Purpose: To provide a simplified, novel method for analysing the physical demands in an Australian Football context by reducing the dimensionality of commonly reported physical characteristics obtained from match play. This may facilitate their practical use and interpretability. Methods: A retrospective longitudinal design was utilised with individual players’ physical outputs, measured via global navigation satellite system devices, collected during official Australian Football League matches over three seasons. A principal component analysis was used to reduce a large number of correlated physical characteristics related to the analysis of physical match demands into a smaller set of uncorrelated components. Results: Forty-six variables were reduced to five principal components whilst maintaining 56% of the variance in the original dataset. The principal component analysis derived five individual-based principal components pertaining to low-moderate movement volume, high speed running volume, accelerations, change of direction and impacts. Conclusions: Utilising factor loadings (eigenvectors) derived from a principal component analysis, this study is the first to provide a simplified, novel method for analysing the physical demands in an Australian Football context with the derived metrics revealing useful information for coaches and practitioners. This may consequently guide training implementation, player performance ratings and player selection. Further, these new values may facilitate the monitoring of physical player loads.

“Three strikes on goal in the first half”: vocabulary of the official football discourse in artistic works by Serhiy Zhadan

Background. Ukrainian football discourse and the aspects of the functioning of the football vocabulary in the texts of artistic style has become of great interest over the last few years due to the influence of linguistic and extra-language factors. The multi-genre works (poetry, prose, essayism) by Serhiy Zhadan where football nominations for official and informal football discourses were recorded are the object of the study.Purpose. The purpose of the research is to find out the variety of football vocabulary used in Serhiy Zhadan’s artistic texts, to reveal the semantics of football names of official football discourse and to classifythem according to the thematic principle.Methods. Linguistic observation and lexicographic analysis of recorded football lexemes are the main methods of research used in the article.Results. The following groups of football nominations are singled out according to the analysis of the vocabulary of the official football discourse, which functions in the texts of art by Serhiy Zhadan: the names of the football game, the names of the football match, its variants and parts of the game, the names of football buildings and their parts, the names of football teams (general and proper names), the names of players and other persons involved in football, the names of the football equipment and the football uniform, the names of the rules of the game, the names of the game moments and violations of the rules of the game, the name of the match results, the names of football actions, the names of football tournaments, match reports and tournaments, statistics, and the names of footballers and football functionaries.Discussion. The analysis of the actual material found in the artistic texts of Serhiy Zhadan showed that the author used a varied vocabulary from the most important thematic groups of football vocabulary, which is quite natural because S. Zhadan is a long-time supporter of the game of millions, an active football fanand captain of the Ukrainian writer’s football team. It is necessary to consider the football nominations of official and unofficial football discourses used in the author’s texts in detail in the future.Article received 04.09.2018

(Un)becoming Mountain Tigers Football Club: an ethnography of sports among the Western Cape’s farm workers

In 1999, farm workers at commercial farms in Louwshoek valley, Western Cape, founded the Mountain Tiger Football Club (MTFC). In addition to playing self-organised (unofficial) football for money (or other stakes), the MTFC had a stint of competing in the local (official) football league and some team members participated in sporadic sports development events. While official and unofficial football was central for the MTFC in becoming a football club, it was in becoming development recipients that the MTFC had to undo itself, had to unbecome. Development discourses were built on tropes of addressing workers’ social marginality and of the power of sports to deter workers from alcohol abuse and idling. Farm workers also affirmed, appropriated and mobilised these discourses, but to multiple and contradictory ends. In presenting an ethnography of (un)becoming MTFC, I examine how the occupations and identities of the football club’s members as farm workers affected and were affected by their sporting and “development” experiences.

Physical activity profile of the referee and the assistant referee during official football matches

Physical activity profile of the referee and the assistant referee during official football matches

ANALISIS MANAJEMEN KEPEMIMPINAN MELALUI APLIKASI SWOT PADA ORGANISASI PSSI (PERSATUAN SEPAKBOLA SELURUH INDONESIA)

Just like an umbrella, PSSI, official Indonesian football organization have been changing to fulfill several organizational goals, and still undergoing some functions alongside regulation of FIFA and Indonesian law for the glorious and prestigious Indonesian football. In reorganizing PSSI, the government under The Ministry of Educations and Sports (Kemenpora) takes over PSSI’s role temporarily to rearrange management of the organization, and then the problems regarding to mafia and political issues inside of PSSI management can be resolved immediately. The management changes by the government is expected to become a turning point for the development of the future PSSI organization, so it can be reciprocal both with mission and vision of PSSI. The recent step from the government under Kemenpora in order to make all of the football perpetrators running their job is hold a tournament with competition system.

The official football match-fixing prevention discourse as a cognitive limitation (the cases of Iberian countries)

This paper shows the cognitive and educational limitations of the official institutional discourse to combat match-fixing in football. Recently, after reaching the political and sports’ institutional agendas, several reports have been published and official prevention campaigns have been launched to fight against the phenomenon. These documents can be understood as an official preventive narrative on the subject. The discursive analysis of the ‘nodal points’ in which this narrative is based displays a lack of holistic awareness of the problem. Many discursive variables that should be part of the diagnoses are avoided. Likewise, the narrative is presented with a universal character, yet the Iberian cases present evidences that contradict it. Based on interviews to key informants and media clipping, this paper shows that these preventive and educational messages produced by international institutions and sport organizations are not useful in Portugal or Spain because they don’t show the reality about this phenomenon.

Joint-position sense is altered by football pre-participation warm-up exercise and match induced fatigue

BackgroundThe demands to which football players are exposed during the match may augment the risk of injury by decreasing the sense of joint position. This study aimed to assess the effect of pre-participation warm-up and fatigue induced by an official football match on the knee-joint-position sense of football players. MethodsFourteen semi-professional male football players (mean age: 25.9±4.6years old) volunteered in this study. The main outcome measures were rate of perceived exertion and knee-joint-position sense assessed at rest, immediately after a standard warm-up (duration 25min), and immediately after a competitive football match (90minutes duration). ResultsPerceived exertion increased significantly from rest to the other assessments (rest: 8.6±2.0; after warm-up: 12.1±2.1; after football match: 18.5±1.3; p<0.001). Compared to rest, absolute angular error decreased significantly after the warm-up (4.1°±2.2° vs. 2.0°±1.0°; p=0.0045). After the match, absolute angular error (8.7°±3.8°) increased significantly comparatively to both rest (p=0.001) and the end of warm-up (p<0.001). Relative error showed directional bias with an underestimation of the target position, which was higher after the football match compared to both rest (p<0.001) and after warm-up (p<0.001). ConclusionsThe results indicate that knee-joint-position sense acuity was increased by pre-participation warm-up exercise and was decreased by football match-induced fatigue.Clinical relevance: Warm-up exercises could contribute to knee injury prevention, whereas the deleterious effect of match-induced fatigue on the sensorimotor system could ultimately contribute to knee instability and injury.

Lifespan perspective of professional footballers' health.

Lifespan perspective of professional footballers' health.