Performance In Team Sports Research Articles

Effects of Warm-Up, Post-Warm-Up, and Re-Warm-Up Strategies on Explosive Efforts in Team Sports: A Systematic Review.

In team sports, it is imperative that the warm-up improves acute explosive performance. However, the exact strategies, methods, and consequences of different warm-up practices remain unclear. A time delay between the warm-up and match and during half-time could negate the positive metabolic effects of the warm-up. We conducted a systematic review to synthesize and analyze the potential effects of strategies during a warm-up (before match), post-warm-up (time between the end of warm-up and the start of a match), and re-warm-up (half-time break within a match) on explosive performance in team sports. Furthermore, we examined optimal warm-up strategies based on the included studies. We performed a search of four databases (Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and ScienceDirect) for original research articles published between January 1981 and August 2017. A total of 30 articles met the inclusion criteria, and the Cochrane risk of bias tool was used to assess the risk of bias. The results of the included studies were recalculated to determine effect sizes using Cohen's d. A warm-up comprising 8 sets of 60-m sprints (- 2.19%, d = 1.20) improved sprint performance. Additionally, 7min of dynamic exercises after 5min of jogging improved sprint (- 7.69%, d = 1.72), jumping (8.61%, d = 0.61), and agility performance (- 6.65%, d = 1.40). The use of small-sided games also seems to be a valid strategy, especially for jumping performance (6%, d = 0.8). These benefits resulted from the warm-up strategies combined with some passive rest (between 2 and 10min) before the main performance. In this post-warm-up period, the use of heated garments could result in better outcomes than simple rest (- 0.89%, d = 0.39). However, if the transition was longer than 15min, before entering the match, performing a re-warm-up with short-term explosive tasks to reactivate was the most effective approach(- 1.97%, d = - 0.86). At half-time, heated garments maintained better sprint (- 1.45%, d = 2.21) and jumping performance (3.13%, d = 1.62). Applying properly structured strategies in the warm-up and avoiding a long rest in the post-warm-up improves explosive performance. Studies tend to recommend a short active warm-up strategy (10-15min), gradually increasing intensity (~ 50-90% of maximum heart rate), and the use of heated garments soon after the warm-up to maintain muscle temperature. However, 2min of active re-warm-up with short-term sprints and jumps should be needed for transitions longer than 15min (~ 90% of maximum heart rate). Last, at the half-time re-warm-up, combining heated garments to maintain muscle temperature and performing an active strategy, with explosive tasks or small-sided games for 5min before re-entering the game, resulted in better explosive performance than 15min of resting.

Knowledge transfer and managers turnover: impact on team performance

Purpose The paper aims to investigate the emerging issue of knowledge transfer and organisational performance. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the importance of knowledge transfer in obtaining high and positive results in organisations, in particular, studying the role of managers’ skills transfer and which conditions help to achieve positive performance. Design/methodology/approach The research analyses 41 cases of coaches that managed clubs competing in the major international leagues in the 2014–2015 season and that moved to a new club over the past five seasons. The authors employ a qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) methodology. According to the research question, the outcome variable used is the team sport performance improvement. As explanatory variables, the authors focus on five main variables: the history of coach transfers; the staff transferred; the players transferred; investments in new players and the competitiveness. Findings The overall results show that when specific conditions are realised simultaneously, they allow team performance improvement, even if the literature states that the coach transfers show a negative impact on outcomes. Interestingly, this work reaches contrasting results because it shows the need for the coexistence of combinations of variables to achieve the transferability of managers’ capabilities and performance. Originality/value The paper is novel because it presents a QCA that tries to understand which conditions, factors and contexts help knowledge to be transferred and to contribute to the successful run of organisations.

An Integrated, Multifactorial Approach to Periodization for Optimal Performance in Individual and Team Sports.

Sports periodization has traditionally focused on the exercise aspect of athletic preparation, while neglecting the integration of other elements that can impact an athlete's readiness for peak competition performances. Integrated periodization allows the coordinated inclusion of multiple training components best suited for a given training phase into an athlete's program. The aim of this article is to review the available evidence underpinning integrated periodization, focusing on exercise training, recovery, nutrition, psychological skills, and skill acquisition as key factors by which athletic preparation can be periodized. The periodization of heat and altitude adaptation, body composition, and physical therapy is also considered. Despite recent criticism, various methods of exercise training periodization can contribute to performance enhancement in a variety of elite individual and team sports, such as soccer. In the latter, both physical and strategic periodization are useful tools for managing the heavy travel schedule, fatigue, and injuries that occur throughout a competitive season. Recovery interventions should be periodized (ie, withheld or emphasized) to influence acute and chronic training adaptation and performance. Nutrient intake and timing in relation to exercise and as part of the periodization of an athlete's training and competition calendar can also promote physiological adaptations and performance capacity. Psychological skills are a central component of athletic performance, and their periodization should cater to each athlete's individual needs and the needs of the team. Skill acquisition can also be integrated into an athlete's periodized training program to make a significant contribution to competition performance.

Dietetic-nutritional, physical and physiological recovery methods post-competition in team sports.

To a proper recovery, is absolutely necessary to know that athletes with enhanced recovery after maximal exercise are likely to perform better in sports. Recovery strategies are commonly used in team sports despite limited scientific evidence to support their effectiveness in facilitating optimal recovery and the players spend a much greater proportion of their time recovering than they do in training. According to authors, some studies investigated the effect of recovery strategies on physical performance in team sports, lack of experimental studies about the real origin of the fatigue, certify the need for further study this phenomenon. Thus, developing effective methods for helping athletes to recover is deemed essential. Therefore, the aim of this review is provide information for his practical application, based on scientific evidence about recovery in team sports.

Modelling Movement Energetics Using Global Positioning System Devices in Contact Team Sports: Limitations and Solutions.

Quantifying the training and competition loads of players in contact team sports can be performed in a variety of ways, including kinematic, perceptual, heart rate or biochemical monitoring methods. Whilst these approaches provide data relevant for team sports practitioners and athletes, their application to a contact team sport setting can sometimes be challenging or illogical. Furthermore, these methods can generate large fragmented datasets, do not provide a single global measure of training load and cannot adequately quantify all key elements of performance in contact team sports. A previous attempt to address these limitations via the estimation of metabolic energy demand (global energy measurement) has been criticised for its inability to fully quantify the energetic costs of team sports, particularly during collisions. This is despite the seemingly unintentional misapplication of the model's principles to settings outside of its intended use. There are other hindrances to the application of such models, which are discussed herein, such as the data-handling procedures of Global Position System manufacturers and the unrealistic expectations of end users. Nevertheless, we propose an alternative energetic approach, based on Global Positioning System-derived data, to improve the assessment of mechanical load in contact team sports. We present a framework for the estimation of mechanical work performed during locomotor and contact events with the capacity to globally quantify the work done during training and matches.

Effects of acute sleep deprivation and caffeine supplementation on anaerobic performance.

PurposeAthletes involved in team sports may be subject to varying degrees of sleep deprivation either before or after training and competition. Despite the belief among athletes and coaches of the importance of adequate sleep for ensuing performance, the effect of sleep loss on team-sport anaerobic performance remains unclear. There is conflicting evidence in the scientific literature as to the impact of acute sleep deprivation and caffeine supplementation on anaerobic performance indices. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of 24 hours of acute sleep deprivation on anaerobic performance and the effect of caffeine supplementation on anaerobic performance in the sleep deprived state.Methods11 club level games players (n=11, 25±4 yr, 178±7.5 cm, 80.2±10.4 kg, 15.1±5.6% body fat) participated in a repeated measures double-blinded placebo control trial. Following familiarisation, each participant returned for testing on three separate occasions. One of the testing sessions took place following a night of normal sleep and the other two sessions took place following 24 hours of sleep deprivation with supplementation of either placebo or 6 mg.kg- 1 of caffeine. During each testing session participants performed the vertical jump height, 20-m straight sprint, Illinois speed agility test and 5-m shuttle run.ResultsNo significant differences were detected comparing non sleep deprived and sleep deprived interventions in any of the assessed outcome measures. There were also no significant differences observed in any of the outcome measures when comparing caffeine and placebo data in the sleep deprived state.ConclusionIn this cohort of athletes, a 24-h period of acute sleep deprivation did not have any significant impact on anaerobic performance. Caffeine also did not have any effect of on anaerobic performance in the sleep-deprived state.

Greater Effect of East versus West Travel on Jet Lag, Sleep, and Team Sport Performance-Erratum.

Greater Effect of East versus West Travel on Jet Lag, Sleep, and Team Sport Performance-Erratum.

Greater Effect of East versus West Travel on Jet Lag, Sleep, and Team Sport Performance.

This study aimed to determine the recovery timeline of sleep, subjective jet lag and fatigue, and team sport physical performance after east and west long-haul travel. Ten physically trained men underwent testing at 0900 h and 1700 h local time on four consecutive days 2 wk before outbound travel (BASE), and the first 4 d after 21 h of outbound (WEST) and return (EAST) air travel across eight time zones between Australia and Qatar. Data collection included performance (countermovement jump, 20-m sprint, and Yo-Yo intermittent recovery level 1 [YYIR1] test) and perceptual (jet lag, motivation, perceived exertion, and physical feeling) measures. In addition, sleep was measured via wrist activity monitors and self-report diaries throughout the aforementioned data collection periods. Compared with the corresponding day at BASE, the reduction in YYIR1 distance after EAST was significantly different from the increase in WEST on day 1 after travel (P < 0.001). On day 2, significantly slower 20-m sprint times were detected in EAST compared with WEST (P = 0.03), with large effect sizes (ES) also indicating a greater reduction in YYIR1 distance in EAST compared with WEST (d = 1.06). Mean sleep onset and offset were significantly later and mean time in bed and sleep duration were significantly reduced across the 4 d in EAST compared with BASE and WEST (P < 0.05). Lastly, mean jet lag, fatigue, and motivation ratings across the 4 d were significantly worse in EAST compared with BASE and WEST (P < 0.05) and WEST compared with BASE (P < 0.05). Long-haul transmeridian travel can impede team sport physical performance. Specifically, east travel has a greater detrimental effect on sleep, subjective jet lag, fatigue, and motivation. Consequently, maximal and intermittent sprint performance is also reduced after east travel, particularly within 72 h after arrival.

Does uniform color affect offside in association football?

AbstractPast research has documented an impact of sportswear color on performance and referees' judgments in combat and team sports. Amongst other things, it was argued that these effects may arise from differences in visibility. In this regard, the current study was aimed at questioning the impact of uniform color on offside judgments in association football. We analyzed the number of offside judgments for 1530 matches from the first and second division of the football league in Germany and recorded the color of shirts, shorts and stockings for both teams. Data analyses revealed that attacking teams wearing black shirts and black stockings were accompanied by fewer offside decisions. In contrast, defending teams wearing black or green kits were accompanied by increased offside judgments against the opposing teams. Thus, it seems that black and green kits yielded favourable offside judgments. Regarding the low color contrast with green uniforms on a green lawn and the lower detection rate of dark colors the results suggest that green and black kits are less visible, which may impede players' visual detection. The results emphasise the importance of analyzing the role of uniform color in the context of offside decisions to ensure fair play and equal opportunities of winning.

What's Next in Complex Networks? Capturing the Concept of Attacking Play in Invasive Team Sports.

The evolution of performance analysis within sports sciences is tied to technology development and practitioner demands. However, how individual and collective patterns self-organize and interact in invasive team sports remains elusive. Social network analysis has been recently proposed to resolve some aspects of this problem, and has proven successful in capturing collective features resulting from the interactions between team members as well as a powerful communication tool. Despite these advances, some fundamental team sports concepts such as an attacking play have not been properly captured by the more common applications of social network analysis to team sports performance. In this article, we propose a novel approach to team sports performance centered on sport concepts, namely that of an attacking play. Network theory and tools including temporal and bipartite or multilayered networks were used to capture this concept. We put forward eight questions directly related to team performance to discuss how common pitfalls in the use of network tools for capturing sports concepts can be avoided. Some answers are advanced in an attempt to be more precise in the description of team dynamics and to uncover other metrics directly applied to sport concepts, such as the structure and dynamics of attacking plays. Finally, we propose that, at this stage of knowledge, it may be advantageous to build up from fundamental sport concepts toward complex network theory and tools, and not the other way around.

Transferring an Analytical Technique from Ecology to the Sport Sciences.

Learning transfer is defined as an individual's capability to apply prior learnt perceptual, motor, or conceptual skills to a novel task or performance environment. In the sport sciences, learning transfers have been investigated from an athlete-specific perspective. However, sport scientists should also consider the benefits of cross-disciplinary learning to aid critical thinking and metacognitive skill gained through the interaction with similar quantitative scientific disciplines. Using team sports performance analysis as an example, this study aimed to demonstrate the utility of a common analytical technique in ecology in the sports sciences, namely, nonmetric multidimensional scaling. To achieve this aim, three novel research examples using this technique are presented, each of which enables the analysis and visualization of athlete (organism), team (aggregation of organisms), and competition (ecosystem) behaviors. The first example reveals the technical behaviors of Australian Football League Brownlow medalists from the 2001 to 2016 seasons. The second example delineates dissimilarity in higher and lower ranked National Rugby League teams within the 2016 season. Lastly, the third example shows the evolution of game play in the basketball tournaments between the 2004 and 2016 Olympic Games. In addition to the novel findings of each example, the collective results demonstrate that, by embracing cross-disciplinary learning and drawing upon an analytical technique common to ecology, novel solutions to pertinent research questions within sports performance analysis could be addressed in a practically meaningful way. Cross-disciplinary learning may subsequently assist sport scientists in the analysis and visualization of multivariate datasets.

“Which pass is better?” Novel approaches to assess passing effectiveness in elite soccer

Passing behaviour is a key property of successful performance in team sports. Previous investigations however have mainly focused on notational measurements like total passing frequencies which provide little information about what actually constitutes successful passing behaviour. Consequently, this has hampered the transfer of research findings into applied settings. Here we present two novel approaches to assess passing effectiveness in elite soccer by evaluating their effects on majority situations and space control in front of the goal. Majority situations are assessed by calculating the number of defenders between the ball carrier and the goal. Control of space is estimated using Voronoi-diagrams based on the player’s positions on the pitch. Both methods were applied to position data from 103 German First division games from the 2011/2012, 2012/2013 and 2014/2015 seasons using a big data approach. The results show that both measures are significantly related to successful game play with respect to the number of goals scored and to the probability of winning a game. The results further show that on average passes from the mid-field into the attacking area are most effective. The presented passing efficiency measures thereby offer new opportunities for future applications in soccer and other sports disciplines whilst maintaining practical relevance with respect to tactical training regimes or game performances analysis.

Can Cooperation Help Explain the Demographic Diversity–Business Performance Relationship?

The ‘value in diversity’ perspective holds that diversity provides organizations with a variety of knowledge resources, background, and perspectives to bear on organizational functioning. A key requirement for fully realizing the benefits of diversity is that the work context supports the utilization and leveraging of heterogeneous worldviews and skillsets. The present study examined cooperation as a boundary condition of the relationships between racioethnic and gender diversity with business performance. Diversity was expected to be more beneficial to business performance when cooperation was higher among those in the work environment. In addition, the investigation explored diversity climate as a mediator linking diversity, cooperation, and business performance. In cooperative environments, greater diversity should coincide in greater appreciation of difference, enhanced diversity climate, which should empower employees to perform better. When cooperation is lacking, diversity should bear little upon diversity climate and subsequent performance. These predictions were tested in two diverse, yet complementary studies. In Study 1, racioethnic diversity was significantly and positively related to sports team performance only when cooperation was higher. Study 2 results showed further that within cooperative retail settings, racioethnic diversity was positively related to diversity climate which, in turn, corresponded with lower voluntary turnover and higher sales revenue.

Influence of match quality on men’s volleyball performance at different competition levels

Performance in team sports is the result of a dynamic and interactive process between two opposing teams. The aim of this study was to examine the performance of volleyball players executing terminal actions (i.e. serve, attack, block and counter-attack) in terms of match quality. Three hundred and seven sets were selected randomly from U14s up to Olympic level and analysed according to type of match: balanced (strong vs. strong, and weak vs. weak teams) and unbalanced matches (strong vs. weak). The variables analysed were: competition category, frequency of use and coefficient of efficacy for each technical–tactical action, and way of execution in terms of match quality. A K-means cluster analysis was performed to divide teams into two groups according to quality (stronger or weaker teams). The change between the types of match was estimated by means of effect size at 90% confidence intervals. Few and small differences between balanced and unbalanced matches were found. Most changes were related to play style, and happened in balanced matches and in initial age categories. The findings may be useful for coaches, physical trainers and match analysts when evaluating team performance and designing plans according to competition demands and players’ stages of development.

Fatigue index of female athletes in relation with body mass index

Intense physical efforts performed at maximal or near-maximal speeds are important for successful of team-sport performance. The aim of our paper is to find out if are any differences between female football players and female 7th rugby players in relation with their body mass index. 26 female athletes (rugby N=12; football N=14), with a mean age 20.56±3.31 years participated in this study. Certain anthropometric measurements as height and weight and Running-based Anaerobic Sprint Test for anaerobic performance were conducted. On the base of measurements we found out the fatigue index.Statistical analyses relieved no statistical differences for fatigue index between groups, and Pearson moment revealed a higher correlation between fatigue index and anthropometrics (height and weight). In conclusion, fatigue index depends on specific sports (team, individual), gender and not in the end on height and weight.Keywords: Football,rugby 7th; female, fatigue, height, weight.

Financial Versus Sports Performance: The Missing Link

This paper aims to investigate the relationship between the financial and the sports performance of Italian football teams. To achieve this aim, a panel data analysis was performed, using financial statements and data from sports results. The panel dataset covers seven seasons (from 2007–2008 to 2013–2014) and 29 clubs that belong to the Italian “Serie A.” The results indicate positive effects between the expenses for football players’ salaries and the clubs’ sports performance but no significant effects between player transfer fees and sports performance.

Team Sports Performance Analysed Through the Lens of Social Network Theory: Implications for Research and Practice.

This paper discusses how social network analyses and graph theory can be implemented in team sports performance analyses to evaluate individual (micro) and collective (macro) performance data, and how to use this information for designing practice tasks. Moreover, we briefly outline possible limitations of social network studies and provide suggestions for future research. Instead of cataloguing discrete events or player actions, it has been argued that researchers need to consider the synergistic interpersonal processes emerging between teammates in competitive performance environments. Theoretical assumptions on team coordination prompted the emergence of innovative, theoretically driven methods for assessing collective team sport behaviours. Here, we contribute to this theoretical and practical debate by re-conceptualising sports teams as complex social networks. From this perspective, players are viewed as network nodes, connected through relevant information variables (e.g. a ball-passing action), sustaining complex patterns of interaction between teammates (e.g. a ball-passing network). Specialised tools and metrics related to graph theory could be applied to evaluate structural and topological properties of interpersonal interactions of teammates, complementing more traditional analysis methods. This innovative methodology moves beyond the use of common notation analysis methods, providing a richer understanding of the complexity of interpersonal interactions sustaining collective team sports performance. The proposed approach provides practical applications for coaches, performance analysts, practitioners and researchers by establishing social network analyses as a useful approach for capturing the emergent properties of interactions between players in sports teams.

Challenges in Measuring International Strategic Performance in Professional Team Sports – Two Case Studies from Hungary

We analysed the key strategic challenges in measuring performance of professional sports clubs in international context by using the case study methodology. The analysis of the examined handball and football clubs revealed that domestic success is a weak indicator of international success. Also, the occasional surge in international revenues is challenging to translate into a sustainable flow of revenues. Moreover, through a strategically driven process the social benefits of clubs services can become relevant to international markets. We argue that the findings from the professional sports sector can be transferable to other business fields in terms of the complex relationships between the analysed performance drivers.

Emergence of Exploratory, Technical and Tactical Behavior in Small-Sided Soccer Games when Manipulating the Number of Teammates and Opponents.

The effects that different constraints have on the exploratory behavior, measured by the variety and quantity of different responses within a game situation, is of the utmost importance for successful performance in team sports. The aim of this study was to determine how the number of teammates and opponents affects the exploratory behavior of both professional and amateur players in small-sided soccer games. Twenty-two professional (age 25.6 ± 4.9 years) and 22 amateur (age 23.1 ± 0.7 years) male soccer players played three small-sided game formats (4 vs. 3, 4 vs. 5, and 4 vs. 7). These trials were video-recorded and a systematic observation instrument was used to notate the actions, which were subsequently analyzed by means of a principal component analysis and the dynamic overlap order parameter (measure to identify the rate and breadth of exploratory behavior on different time scales). Results revealed that a higher the number of opponents required for more frequent ball controls. Moreover, with a higher number of teammates, there were more defensive actions focused on protecting the goal, with more players balancing. In relation to attack, an increase in the number of opponents produced a decrease in passing, driving and controlling actions, while an increase in the number of teammates led to more time being spent in attacking situations. A numerical advantage led to less exploratory behavior, an effect that was especially clear when playing within a team of seven players against four opponents. All teams showed strong effects of the number of teammates on the exploratory behavior when comparing 5 vs 7 or 3 vs 7 teammates. These results seem to be independent of the players’ level.

Offensive or defensive? – Application of DEA bootstrapping methodology on Chinese Professional Baseball League

Offensive or defensive? Which approach has the greater impact on winning professional baseball league games? Because the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) has only four teams, it offered a limited sample size for relevant studies. In this study, a window analysis was coupled with the sports team performance management model of the network data envelopment analysis (DEA) method to solve the problems of offense efficiency, defense efficiency and integrated efficiency of each of the CPBL teams from 2007 to 2014. Truncated regression was coupled with a bootstrapping method to perform a 2000 times repeated sampling, reduce the sampling error and determine the effect of environmental variables on the value of the efficiencies of the CPBL teams. The results show that the Lamigo Monkeys led in both offense performance and defense performance, whereas the United 7-ELEVEn led in integrated performance. The “total number of players” had a significantly positive impact on the efficiency of the teams. The 7-ELEVEn Lions and the Lamigo Monkeys showed superior performance with regard to the investment in the players and the long-term management of the depth of bench players, which verifies the importance of the depth of bench players in the CPBL. The “total bases gained” also had a significantly positive impact on the efficiency of the teams, which indicates the importance of the offensive capability for winning in the CPBL.